[Printable version]
[Also published in Nuggets for the Needy]
Omega Message – February 1982
Mavis M. duCille
The Arch-Deceiver:
In Genesis chapter three we read of the account of the fall of man. In this story the serpent is the symbol of deception. It is not therefore strange that in the last book of the Bible the drama of his last act of deception is prophesied in Revelation 12:9, 14, 15.
Deception can be total or partial. Total deception is that which leaves the deceived oblivious of his/her condition and deprives him/her of the ability to repent because he is not able to see his fault. Partial deception allows its victims to walk in it for a while, then being able to see their fault and right themselves.
Even as God goes from victory to victory with the church, so Satan goes from strength to strength with evil devices and cunning artful craftiness. He is hostile to God and does everything in his power to overthrow the purposes of God. Satan is building a kingdom thus we read in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 of the synagogue of Satan.
The Bible uses many words and phrases to describe this father of deception: Serpent, dragon, deceiver, destroyer, opposer, adversary, beguiler.
Eve did not of her own free will step into sin, but when we speak of the “Fall” we are speaking of a condition where deception overcame the human race.
Genesis 3:13 “And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
After the fact Eve knew she was beguiled. The effects of the initial deception was lasting, and even though her whole nature was changed by the one act of disobedience, she knew she was taken, thus her deception was partial and not total.
2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Paul was making a desperate appeal to the saints, reminding them of how Eve was robbed, cheated and beguiled by the cunning craftiness of the serpent, that we guard our minds from being corrupted or seduced from wholehearted, sincere and pure devotion to Christ. The area of the mind is the chief battle ground. Our minds are being bombarded from every quarter. The dictionary meaning of the word is: “Lead astray i.e. (mentally) or be deceived greatly or totally, or allow anyone or anything to cause us to roam from safety, truth, and virtue and be out of the way.” Deception goes further than even the intellect, it attacks the soul with a mesmerizing effect. The story of Genesis, gives the hidden understanding that after she was beguiled mentally, she could not help herself but was forced by the mere spiritual power of Satan to eat the fruit. She was overpowered spiritually.
James 1:15 “Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.”
The power of deception in the last days will be so great that Jesus described it thus in Matthew 24:24:
Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
This statement is far reaching. First of all it says that there are some of us who will not be deceived. These are the Elect who represent the hard core of all Christians. The secondary meaning is that some Christians will be deceived. I have no doubt that is the case.
There is the possibility that people can be in the church; partake of all the blessings, saved and baptized in the Holy Ghost, then be deceived and fall back. If deception has not marred the inner man then these will repent and be restored.
2 Timothy 3:13 “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
Deception is not an isolated incident, neither is it only confined to the church, but is universally prevalent in all nations, in every stratum of society, in this world.
Ephesians 4:14 “That ye henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
The escape from deception is in the maturity of the believer. Those who dwell in God’s divine order and hear the word of truth for this hour and walk in them, will no more be children living under the threat of deception.
2 John 7 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
The term “is come” in the Greek is the participle ‘coming’, which conveys the meaning of the Coming of Jesus Christ in His Body. No matter what we do or where we are, the presence and power of Jesus Christ must be seen in our lives. This verse suggests not just the possession of salvation, but the GROWING FULNESS OF CHRIST in the believer’s life. Deceivers therefore, can say with their lips that Jesus is come in the flesh, but cannot live it.
God requires us to walk and talk holiness and cleanliness. No immorality, impurity or greed is permissible.
Many are deceived by intellectual pursuit:
Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
There are many who are preaching the Deity of God and elementary world principles who slip off into a lot of highfaluting intellectualism, which obscures the preeminence of Christ. There is a vast difference between revelation and prophecy and also between Worldly wisdom and Intellect.
Deception is the oldest and most successful weapon of Satan. After his success with Eve the scripture records this weapon being used again and again with devastating effect and to this day the weapon of deception is still going strong, chiefly because most people are so deceived that they do not know they are deceived.
Satan moved David to number the people (I Chronicles 21:1); it cost the lives of over 30,000 of his subjects.
I Chronicles 21:1 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”
Samson was deceived by Deliah (Judges 16:18). It cost him his life.
Judges 16:18 “And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.”
Joshua was deceived by the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:14, 15). He failed to ask of the Lord and thus disobeyed God through deception.
Joshua 9:14 “And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
9:15 “And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.”
Saul was deceived because his lust and greed (I Samuel 15:22,23). As a consequence he was degraded to seek the advice of a witch, and then died a suicide.
I Sam. 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
Elymas the sorcerer who for a long time deceived Sergius Paulus, was struck with blindness at the word of the Lord from Paul, even as it set Sergius Paulus free (Acts 13:10).
13:10 “And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”
Purpose Or Result of Deception:
There are three main purposes in Satan’s plan of deception:
(1) To alienate man from God;
(2) To Gain control of mankind;
(3) To show himself as God and to be worshiped as God;
The Holy Spirit Our Advocate:
God gives power to overcome all the deceptive plans of Satan, because the Holy Spirit is Our advocate.
Here are some rules to follow:
(1) Live and walk circumspectly;
(2) Be filled with the Spirit;
(3) Guard against any spirit that is consistently engaged in activities against the best interest of man’s growing and developing into the Christ nature;
(4) “Put on the whole armor of God to stand against the wiles of the devil,” Ephesians 6:11.
This conflict is both relentless and cunning. Evil is not always obvious as evil.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;”
Deception is inside the religious circle. The mention of false Christs and false prophets bear this out clearly. It is with cunning craftiness that the deception is being effected. This in itself leads to much suspicion among brethren, but remember that God expects us to know each other BY THE SPIRIT.
There was a time when the idea of “deceiving the very elect” could not be fully understood, but today with the church flooded with false doctrines, preaching and beliefs of all sorts, one can see the spirit of deception at work, endeavouring to corrupt and captivate the mind.
Deception is associated with “the man of sin”, the antichrist, the serpent, the lawless one, son of perdition, the evil one, the spoiler. The development of all this evil shall manifest its true character, not only in deceiving professing Christians, and persecuting true believers, but in producing the antichrist in person as its object of worship.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God; or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
We are in the last days; Evil is accelerating: many are being and shall be deceived, because of not being rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus, but are carried away by every wind of doctrine.
This is the time of the false Christs and false prophets. How shall it be impossible to deceive the Elect? When one is grounded in Christ, that one knows what it means to be lead of the Spirit, as also to know the spirit in which others operate, (discernment).
I John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
The Spirit of Christ fosters the cause of building up and edifying, but the spirit of the antichrist destroys, disrupts, separates and opposes the work of God in the hearts and lives of individuals.
Acts 16:16 “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Acts 16:17 “The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
Acts 16:18 “And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”
She told the truth about Paul’s ministry, but it was Paul’s discernment which saw the spirit of divination and deception behind the prophesy.
Even as Satan appeared among the sons of God in Job, there is always the presence of the opposing spirit in the midst of God’s awakening to try to squelch the bringing forth of God’s purpose in man.
On the mount of transfiguration we heard the words “Let us build three tabernacles-“ (Mat. 17:4; Mar. 9:5; Lu. 9:33;).
The deceiver usually tries to find something to use as a tool to disrupt and confuse in order to deprive God’s people of their blessing. In doing this he will use a doctrine, a revelation or anything we allow him to use.
Therefore, mark the spirit with which you receive the ministry, as well as the deliverance or edification it brings, and do not allow the evil one to rob your blessings.
Conclusion:
I trust that by the fact, has been established that deception does not carry a placard or blow a loud horn but that it is very very subtle and devisive. It is therefore, by absolute obedience and total submission to the Spirit that the people of God can rise above and foil this artful, subtle, serpent of a character. He caused Eve to believe his “thou shalt not surely die”, when the moment she obeyed him, death entered. Oh sure, and it reigned from Adam to Moses; when the first sign of man’s redemption was given by the Blood Upon the Door – Hallelujah to the lamb.
This conquering LAMB – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah who has overcome sin and death, has opened the way, bringing forth many sons, whom through the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit can and will discern between good and evil, choosing the good and refusing the evil.
Thank God They Will Never Be Deceived.
Sonlight Devotional 