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The New Testament is filled with warnings against deception and deceivers. There are well over fifty warnings and admonitions to beware of and avoid deception. We need to recognize the warning signs and how to stay clear of deceivers. This is why our partnership with Jesus is important, and it begins with receiving Him as the gardener of our hearts. While we are called to guard our hearts with all diligence and attentiveness, Jesus is the gardener of our hearts.
According to Scripture, the first revelation of Jesus after the resurrection is when Mary Magdelene saw Him at the tomb, risen from the dead, and supposed He was the gardener (John 20:15). What led her to such a supposition? He looked and was dressed like a gardener. Why? Because He is the gardener of the new creation. Adam was the gardener of the first creation and brought us to sin and death. As the gardener of the new creation, Jesus has brought us back to righteousness and life.
We are in partnership with Him in the guarding and gardening of our hearts.
In 2 Timothy 3:13, we are told, “Evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Scripture warns of deception and deceivers growing worse and worse, becoming rampant in the world. While this darkness blinds the eyes of the world and all who love it, believers are now children of the light. We, like the children of Israel, enjoy light in the midst of all this darkness. When gross darkness plagued the entire land of Egypt, there was light in Goshen, where the Israelites dwelt. Too many believers have laid aside this advantage in Christ and have fallen victim to needless deception. Many have embraced the darkness and been enslaved. Lies and fraud, like leaven, have corrupted their core values and distorted their biblical worldview. All lies and deception are Satan’s strategy to ensnare the masses. God has given us safeguards against those deceptions, but we must employ them by guarding and keeping our hearts in these last days.
In Matthew 24:4-5 (KJV), Jesus said, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, “I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” It is our responsibility to take heed to ourselves, not others, regarding deception. It is a full-time job guarding our own hearts; we are not called to guard others’, nor is that even possible. While we can watch out for others and care about their well-being, at the end of the day, we can only guard our own hearts. Unfortunately, in this regard, many have become heresy hunters, seeking and accusing others of deception while neglecting the guarding of their own hearts.
I’m not saying there aren’t times an individual or group may need to be called out. I’m simply calling for caution, especially in matters of the heart. Only God knows and can judge the heart. Over the years, I’ve seen such abuse of publicly calling someone a false teacher or a group a cult. Cults are not people who disagree with you but rather reject Jesus as the Christ. They either claim to be or preach another Jesus, gospel, or Spirit (2 Cor. 11:1-4). While
guarding our hearts, we must pay close attention to what we hear and be careful in our judgments.
In Matthew 7:1-4, Jesus did not tell us not to judge. He simply gave a warning on how to judge. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?”
We must understand that how we judge others is how we will be judged, so we need to judge ourselves first. We must be willing to make righteous judgments, but not until we’ve judged our own hearts, realizing that we need mercy.
Jesus wasn’t introducing a new concept of the dangers of deception nor the importance of taking heed to ourselves. In Deuteronomy 11:16, Moses gave God’s people this same charge: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.” It has always been
our responsibility to seek out truth and guard against lies, fraud, and deceit. We have an even greater advantage under the New Covenant than they did under the Old Covenant.
Again, as stated earlier, when gross darkness covered the land of Egypt, there was light in Goshen. During the ten plagues in the land of Egypt, God began to separate His people from the Egyptians in the land of Goshen. “And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there…” (Ex. 8:22).
Exodus 9:26 states, “Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.” My favorite is the plague of darkness. Moses stretched forth his hand, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days (Ex. 10:23). The Egyptians could not see anything in the complete darkness. “But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings” (Ex. 10:23). Likewise, the whole world lies in darkness while there is light in the kingdom of God. We dwell in a kingdom of light. We have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God—the kingdom of light
(Col. 1:13). We have not been delivered from the presence of darkness; we have been given the authority to rebuke its influence and walk free from it.
We are no longer children of the night or darkness but are now children of the light. We can now guard our hearts and overcome all the darkness and deception in our world. God has fully equipped us to overcome. Many, however, have not taken heed or advantage of the wisdom God has provided to “not be deceived” (Gal. 6:7). God has provided safeguards and defenses for His children to walk in the light as He is in the light, remaining free from the deceptions of our world or culture. There are multiple warnings in Scripture regarding deception, yet many disregard them to their own demise. Here is an example:
“Do not be deceived , God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
Galatians 6:7-8
God’s Word is true, and His kingdom principles are immutable. If we sow to our flesh, we will of our flesh not God reap corruption. We must continually be sowing to the Spirit in order to reap everlasting life. When we ignore, dismiss, or disregard this kingdom principle, we blame others for the harvest in our lives. We dismiss all responsibility and accountability when we lock ourselves into defeat or victim status. While not everything in life is from a seed we’ve sown, most things are. We cannot sow to our flesh or the works of our flesh and reap a good harvest. If we sow to our flesh, we will reap corruption.
This is a clear scriptural principle. Many things in Scripture are complex and difficult to discern and apply properly. This principle, however, is not one
of them, yet I have heard leaders declare we are no longer under this spiritual law. These leaders did not take heed and are now deceived, ensuring corruption for those who follow their example of sowing to their flesh. Regardless, God is not mocked.
Here’s another simple one:
“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.”
Ephesians 5:5-7
Many have not heeded the warning and have been deceived into believing these practices are okay and acceptable to God. They are not okay, and no amount of empty words should persuade us otherwise. While none of us are above being tempted or even entering temptation, we are called to repent of such behavior and not be partakers of these practices. While those who have believed in
Jesus have been saved from the wrath to come, wrath is one day coming for the disobedient and unbelieving. (Rom. 5:8-9 and 1 Thess. 1:10).
Here is yet another one of simplicity:
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived . Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
2 Corinthians 6:9-10
Sadly, many do not know and are deceived regarding this kingdom protocol. If we identify with these behaviors and practice them as a way of life, we will not inherit God’s kingdom. These behaviors are not just things we do but reflect who we were before Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:11 declares, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (emphasis added). Because we are no longer identified by these things in Adam, we must put them off now that we are in Christ. Unfortunately, many have been deceived in
our culture and even the church today because of the rejection of clear Scripture.
Think about what was said to the young pastor Timothy. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons , speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:1-5, emphasis added). Can you imagine saying this to a pastor? People would depart from faith in Jesus and His Word, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of devils! They would speak lies, having a conscience that has been fried with a hot iron. In today’s culture, we call it “gaslighting.” They lie, lie often, lie with confidence, and then hide the truth from the masses. The things people believe today are not possible with a pure conscience before God. You have to deaden your conscience and reject the truth to believe the things
people say they believe today. You have to have demonic help.
Many parents have been deceived, following their children off the cliff of immorality. They claim to love them so much that they sign off on their sexually immoral lifestyle, renouncing clear scripture about such a lifestyle and its end. Compare this to the prodigal son’s father, who loved his son and God, so he stayed home and was faithful to both. The father loved his son but refused to try to win him over by eating pig food with him. He stayed faithful to the truth and offered a place of refuge for his son to come back to. He loved his son too much to destroy them both by renouncing their faith (Luke 15:11-24).
Jesus said the gospel would divide even family members and that we must love Him more than our own families or lives (Matt. 10:34-38). I have watched the pain of families forced to choose, and unfortunately, most reject God out of a false love for their families. We never win anyone over to the light by condoning the darkness. Matthew 10:37 says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not
worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
I experienced the father and mother portion of this scripture when I chose to prioritize my faith in Jesus over my love for them. While my parents thought I was a “little off” for serving Jesus and did not support me in ministry, I loved them. But I loved Jesus more and never compromised the truth in my relationship with them. My commitment and loyalty to Him were unwavering. I eventually won my entire family to the Lord by staying in the light. I did not win them by entering the darkness they were in. I encourage you to stay loyal to Jesus and the truth. Love God more than anything or anyone, even yourself.
When we condone what God has condemned, we condemn people to a life of brokenness and darkness, ensuring an eternity of outer darkness. Let no man deceive you. Jesus is the only Messiah who can bear our sin and save us from it. So, what are the tools and safeguards the Lord has given us to overcome? In the next sections, I will discuss the top five safeguards against deception. I guarantee
these five tools are more than enough to equip us and our children against deception.
The Scriptures equip us. This is how we go from being a convert to a disciple. Converts are immature believers and, like children, can be easily deceived. A disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus and goes from immaturity to maturity by feeding on God’s Word. God’s Word is like food to our inner man (Matt. 4:4, 1 Pet. 2:2, 1 Cor. 3 (milk), Heb. 5 (meat)). In John 17:17, Jesus is praying for us and says to the Father, “Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.” God’s Word sanctifies or sets us apart supernaturally. When it is read, heard, and studied, it has a cleansing effect on our hearts. It washes us from the dirt of this world. The Apostle Paul speaks of sanctifying the church with the washing of the water by the Word (Eph. 5:26).
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in Myword , you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32
The word “abide” is important in this verse. To “abide” is to “continue in.” The King James Version translates it as such: “If ye continuein my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (emphasis added). Knowing the truth keeps us free from lies. Once you know the truth and are rooted and grounded in the truth, you recognize the lie immediately. That can only happen if you continue in the truth. All deception begins with a departure from the truth. Paul warned us in 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.” Satan has to corrupt people’s minds to deceive them, and it all starts with departing from the simplicity of the truth in Jesus (Eph. 4:21). “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Ps. 119:11). God’s Word sanctifies us. When hidden in our hearts, it supernaturally sets us apart from the darkness of this world. Look at Paul’s simple warnings and instructions to young Timothy.
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continuein the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the HolyScriptures , which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:12-17
Notice it is the Scriptures that make us wise. Paul warns about deception and says continuing in the holy Scriptures is the only solution. I thought age made us wise, but age only makes us old. It is through applying God’s Word to our lives and circumstances that we become wise. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s Word, combined with faith and obedience to it, keeps us on the path of light instead of darkness. Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance of Your
words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
Psalm 119:30 says, “I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid beforeme.” The only way to overcome the deceptions of the last days is to be a disciplined follower of Jesus in the Scriptures. God’s path of light and liberty is the Word of God. God’s Word must be the final authority and absolute truth in our lives. It has to be exalted above our circumstances and, especially, our emotions and feelings. It has to be exalted above the culture and those who have broken it.
Psalm 19:8 tells us, “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Deception begins when we doubt who is right, God or man? Whose word is pure? God’s Word is 100% pure (Ps. 119:140).
Proverbs 30:5 declares, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” A shield protects us from the fiery darts of Satan’s lies and deceit. Proverbs 30:12 says, “Thereis a generation thatis pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness.” Many today believe their righteousness is above God's. What God calls abominations, they
call love. What God calls wonderfully and fearfully created male and female they call confusing (Ps. 139:14). They say their definition of marriage is righteous and pure, yet God calls it an abomination. They believe their definition of love and compassion is superior to God’s nature, which is holy and pure love. They rejoice in iniquity, when scripture says that love rejoices not in iniquity but in truth (1 Cor. 13:6). They boast about tolerance of which they have none. Tolerance for evil is neither scriptural, a fruit of the Spirit, nor modeled by Jesus. “There is a way that seems right to man, but the end is death.” (Prov. 16:25 and 14:12). I have never met anyone deceived who is letting God be true and every man, circumstance, and emotion be a liar (Rom. 3:4). I have seen people accept the word of a politician, journalist, professor, doctor, denomination, and even their children above the Word of God. All deception starts with Satan’s first words uttered on this planet, “Hath God said?” (Gen. 3:1, KJV).
God’s Word equips us to discern good from evil, moral from immoral, and God from Satan. People
who have no working knowledge of Scripture become easy targets for Satan’s deception. We are either ignorant of or choose to ignore the truth in order to believe a lie. (Hos. 4:6)
God has revealed in Scripture how Satan operates and how he takes advantage of so many. The way he deceived Eve is how he continues to deceive the masses (Gen. 3:1-5). Satan did not come as this roaring, intimidating lion or bear. No. He was subtle and cunning as a snake. His first temptation was “Hath God said?” (Gen. 3:1). All deception starts with “hath God said?” or “did God say?” Before Satan has any chance of deceiving us, he must first persuade us to question the Word of God. He must discredit God’s Word at any cost. Did God say there are two genders? Did God say that marriage is between a man and woman (male and female)? Did God say that adultery was a sin? On and on it goes with “hath God said?” This is the first of three steps to deception.
The second step is seen in Genesis 3:4. After Eve attempted to stick with what God said, proclaiming a consequence of death for eating of the forbidden
tree, Satan said, “You shall not surely die!” He went from “hath God said” to “God lied.” He totally contradicted what God said (Gen. 3:4). The attacks on Scripture today are by design, not by accident. People will say, “I know God said, but…”. One time, I had a pastor reject clear scripture because he believed you could make the Bible say anything. Deceivers are masters of trickery and duplicity. That doesn’t change clear scripture where God said what He meant and meant what He said. Verses like “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14, KJV) are pretty clear. “Be ye holy for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16, KJV) is simple, and one would be wise to pursue it.
The third and final stage in the deception process is found in Genesis 3:5 (KJV), “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” In other words, Satan was saying, “God is holding out on you, and through disobedience, you can be as gods. You can know good from evil without God.”
Who needs God if we are gods? Satan always promises we can be happy, wise, fulfilled, and even able to discern good and evil independently of God.
He promises we can be, do, and know good without God, which is the ultimate deception. The writer of the book of Hebrews speaks of how we cannot discern good and evil in an immature condition, much less in a fallen one. It takes the meat of God’s Word and the discipline of our senses to discern good and evil.
In the fifth chapter of Hebrews, the writer indicates there was much to say about Jesus, but the believers were not mature enough to receive it: “Of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercisedto discern both good and evil.” (Heb. 5:11-14, emphasis added)
God’s Word is described as both milk and meat. Milk is for immature believers and teaches the basic principles of the doctrine of Christ. It reveals the
promises and blessings of God, His love for us, who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, and what we can now do through Christ. As we apply those truths to our lives, we mature in our love for God. As we act on the promises in faith, we develop maturity. This is what the Apostle James meant when he wrote, “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, KJV). If we never get to the point where we act in faith on God’s Word, we will experience self-deception.
Meat pertains to the weightier matters of the kingdom and involves maturity and doing God’s will. Jesus said to His disciples, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:32-34, KJV). Meat is for those who act on their beliefs, not their five senses. A part of maturity includes being of full age and, by acting on God’s Word and applying the Scriptures, having one’s five senses exercised to discern both good and evil. It’s our natural senses that Satan uses to draw us away into deception. What we see, hear, smell, taste, or feel leads to deception if exalted above Scripture. I can’t tell you
how many good people have told me, “I know what the Bible says, but this is how I feel.” Sadly, their feelings have become a god, and God’s Word is irrelevant. They exalt feelings above truth. Good and evil are determined and discerned by emotions rather than God’s Word, which is truth (John 17:17 and 8:31-32).
Immaturity is the root cause of the deception in the church. People have not “trained” their senses to discern good and evil, making it easy for Satan to deceive them. They have not disciplined their five senses; thus, they are walking by sight and not by faith. They are carnal and walk as mere men (1 Cor. 3:1-3). Satan takes advantage of immaturity and can deceive, divide, and conquer.
Jesus promised that His sheep would hear His voice (John 10:3). An important part of following Him is hearing His voice and not following the voice of a stranger (John 10:4-5). Like any other promise of God, this must be mixed with faith (Heb. 4:2). We are all able, by divine design, to hear Him; we just need to develop an ear to hear (Mark 4:23, Rev. 2 and 3). I missed this promise for years because I wasn’t taught the language of the Spirit.
How does God speak and lead us as His children? I was expecting an audible voice and to hear Him with my physical ears. I didn’t know how to discern the still, small voice in my heart. I’m not saying God doesn’t speak with an audible voice; I’m just saying that’s the exception, not the rule. He speaks in visions, dreams, prophecies, intuitions, and intentions from our spirits. He also speaks to us from His Word. Once we learn the language of the Holy Spirit, we will quickly discern the voice of the stranger and not follow it. The stranger—the source of all deception is ultimately Satan.
In the book of Revelation, John reveals how Satan operates so we can avoid and overcome his strategies. “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spokelike a dragon” (Rev. 13:11, emphasis added). Notice how he looks like a lamb and feels like a lamb but has the voice of a dragon. In Scripture, the dragon is a direct reference to Satan (Rev. 12:3-4, 7, and 9). He always comes as a light, deceiving many, “…For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). Verse 15 continues, “Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” Satan has many ministers today who pretend to be vessels of wisdom and truth, but if one listens long enough, the voice of the dragon is revealed. Therefore, we must be diligent in determining the true source of the voice because negligence will have costly consequences.
JACOB’S DECEPTION
The story of Jacob and Rebekah’s deception of Isaac in Genesis 27 provides a valuable lesson about the importance of discerning the source of the
voice. While their deception was clever, Isaac had several opportunities to overcome it. Yet, he dismissed the many signs and ultimately fell victim to it.
Isaac summoned his oldest son, Esau, so that he could pronounce the birthright blessing upon him before he died. However, before pronouncing the blessing, Isaac made a request. He asked Esau to go hunting, kill a deer, and make venison stew to bring him to eat. This was his favorite, and is one of mine as well. Isaac’s wife Rebekah was eavesdropping on the conversation. Rebekah wanted her youngest son, Jacob, to receive the birthright blessing, so while Esau was out hunting deer for the stew, she and Jacob plotted to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob instead of Esau.
They took advantage of Isaac’s poor eyesight to deceive him. Jacob killed two young goats, and Rebekkah cooked the stew to Isaac’s liking. She then used the goat skins to cover Jacob’s arms and neck because Esau was very hairy. Jacob changed into some of Esau’s clothes and approached his father for the blessing. Before I go any further, I find it
hard to believe that anyone could mistake goat meat for venison. I guess Rebekah was a great cook and knew just how to make it. I think my discernment would have kicked in, and I would have rebuked them both for such an attempt to deceive.
“So he went to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” and he said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.”
Genesis 27:18-20
Issac immediately became suspicious of the speed at which the game was found, killed, field dressed, seasoned, and then cooked. His own human reasoning raised a warning flag.
“Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him
and said, “The voiceis Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”
Genesis 27:21-23
He let his feelings override the voice. Jacob could disguise his hands, arms, and even his neck, but not his voice. It says in Genesis 27:26-27, “Then his father Isaac said to him, ‘Come near now and kiss me, my son.’ And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing and blessed him and said, ‘Surely, the smellof my son is like the smellof a field which the Lord had blessed.’” So, Isaac allowed his senses to override the voice. What he could feel, smell, and taste overrode what he knew was Jacob’s voice. Many today allow their senses to override what they know to be the voice of Jesus. Isaac allowed his senses to override his judgment. It felt and smelled like Esau but had the voice of Jacob. Satan can manipulate a lot of things but cannot duplicate the voice of God.
The story of young Samuel’s calling to be a prophet helps us understand that there’s a process to discerning God’s voice. “…And while Samuel was
lying down… the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, ‘Here I am!’ So he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ And he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ And he went and lay down” (1 Sam. 3:3-5). Samuel heard God’s voice but did not discern that God was speaking to him. He had to learn to discern and, over time, heed the lead.
When I began to develop my ear to hear God’s voice, I realize in hindsight that I wasn’t really listening. I just did not recognize how God was speaking. This happened to Samuel three times. Each time God called him, he thought it was Eli speaking. Eli finally realized it was God and instructed Samuel to respond by saying, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears” (1 Sam. 3:9). We, like Samuel, must learn to distinguish God’s voice from all others. Reading God’s Word will enhance our ability to discern His voice if we continue in it.
God’s Word disciplines our ears to hear what God is saying.
As I stated before, we can hear the voice of God in visions, dreams, and prophecies. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My
Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17-18). In May 1980, God spoke to me through a vision of the cross. He showed me Jesus’s death on the cross and my identity in Him. I also saw the burial, resurrection, and seating of Jesus at the right hand of the Father, and I was there, in Him. God spoke the gospel to me through this vision, and it is one of the most profound words I’ve ever received.
LANGUAGE OF THE SPIRIT
Every kingdom has a language. In Mexico, they speak Spanish. In Germany, German. In America, the primary language is English. In God’s kingdom, the language of the Holy Spirit is expressed in many different ways. Romans 14:17, for example, reveals that righteousness, peace, and joy are key expressions of the Holy Spirit’s leading. The primary characteristic, however, is love.
God’s voice is always love. Scripture tells us the truth must be spoken in love (Eph. 4:15) and that God’s kind of love “worketh no ill to his neighbor”
(Rom. 13:10, KJV). Romans 5:5 (KJV) declares that “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” We cannot separate God’s Spirit from love. So, when we sense God’s love toward someone, we know it is the Holy Spirit speaking and leading us.
As I mentioned before, Romans 14:17 reveals three major ways the Holy Spirit speaks and leads: “For the kingdom of God is not in meat and drink; but righteousness , and peace, and joyin the Holy Ghost” (KJV, emphasis added). Notice these three are all “in the Holy Ghost.” They describe ways God leads us by His Spirit, providing a key to discerning His voice.
RIGHTEOUSNESS
When God speaks, His words always align with righteousness. That means He only speaks what is right. “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’; I, the Lord, speakrighteousness , I declare things that are right” (Is. 45:19). God speaks and leads in the paths of righteousness (Ps. 23). Any voice that violates God’s holiness, character, or virtues is not the Lamb's but a stranger’s. Many things in culture
claim to be done in the name of compassion or social justice but are actually said and done in unrighteousness. Any voice that speaks in unrighteousness is the voice of the dragon. God’s voice will only reflect His righteousness.
PEACE
Colossians 3:14-15 says, “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Peace is the voice of God. When God speaks, it brings peace to our inner man. When God says, let the peace of God rule in our hearts, He’s referring to His voice. All believers have peace with God (Col. 1:20). God has made peace with us through the cross and will never be angry with us, nor will He curse, punish, or pour wrath on us. This peace with God assures us of His faithfulness and trustworthiness. He will never leave or forsake us.
Now, there is also the peace of God that comes with hearing His voice. The word rule in the Greek language means arbitrate. Just as an umpire calls
“strikes or balls” or “safe or out,” peace is the umpire in our hearts, especially when making decisions and exercising discernment. When we discern peace in our hearts, it means we’re hearing God’s voice. Let peace call the balls and strikes of life.
Throughout the years, whenever I needed help making a decision, I would pray and seek God for discernment. If I didn’t feel a specific leading or leaning in my spirit, I would “sleep on it,” believing to wake up with a clear direction from God. Most of the time, I would wake up with peace about what to do. That was God’s voice speaking to me. However, the absence of peace was God’s way of saying, “Wait.”
JOY
Not only is the joy of the Lord our strength (Neh. 8:10), it is also His voice. His joy speaks to us. When we discern God’s good pleasure in our spirits, we discern His voice. We experience His joy when we hear His voice and respond in faith and
obedience. But when we dismiss His voice, we grieve the Holy Spirit:
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grievetheHolySpiritofGod , by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:29-32 (emphasis added)
When God’s voice, expressed in righteousness and peace, is dismissed or overridden, the Holy Spirit is grieved. That grieving is another way God speaks to us. Repentance, a change of mind and direction, restores the joy of the Lord—His voice— afresh.
There is no joy in disobedience or unrighteousness. There may come temporary pleasure in sin, but it runs out (Heb. 11:25). That check in our spirit is His voice. The lack of joy is a
sign and should not be overridden. Philippians 2:1213 says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His goodpleasure” (emphasis added). We were created for His pleasure (Rev. 4:11). God is working His will in us, and our faith and obedience to His leading give Him pleasure.
There are two kinds of fear. One is demonic, while the other is godly. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spiritoffear , but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (emphasis added). The spirit of fear is a negative, tormenting fear (1 John 4:1718), whereas godly fear is reverential. Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore…let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godlyfear” (emphasis added).
The fear of the Lord is a tremendous safeguard against deception. When we operate in godly fear, we receive divine protection from evil, which includes Satan’s deceptions. “In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and bythefearofthe Lordonedepartsfromevil” (Prov. 16:6, emphasis added).
Godly fear causes us to depart from evil. The evil in our culture today is due to a lack of fearing God. People wouldn’t commit the atrocities we see today if they had a fear of God. Psalm 36:1-4 says, “An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the
wicked: There is nofearofGodbefore his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil” (emphasis added). Because of the lack of godly fear in our culture, people commit wickedness with impunity.
A major characteristic of the fear of the Lord is to hate evil and depart from it (Prov. 3:7 and 8:13).
Many believe this is some Old Covenant command that doesn’t apply to us today, but that is simply not true. Under the New Covenant, we are commanded to love without hypocrisy and “abhor what is evil” (Rom. 12:9). Those who have no fear of God do not abhor evil. In fact, they demand we accept, tolerate, and even celebrate evil. But God says that love “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6).
My favorite blessing associated with the fear of the Lord (and there are many) is in Psalm 25:12-14: “Who isthe man that fears the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And
his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.” The New International Version of Psalm 25:14 says, “The Lord confides in those who fear him.” The New Living Translation says, “The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.” Just like you or I, God doesn’t share all of His secrets with everyone, only with those who fear Him.
When we operate in godly fear, we experience intimacy with God. Many people in Scripture had this closeness to God, which allowed Him to express Himself more freely and transparently. Abraham was a friend of God (Is. 41:8, 2 Chr. 20:7, James 2:23). Moses was a friend of God and knew God’s ways, not just His acts (Ex. 33:11, Ps. 103:7). Due to their fear of God, the prophets and several kings received divine revelation not given to the average Israelite. Because of the cross, you and I are now called friends of God (John 15:14-15), and friendship with God is a safeguard against deception.
JESUS AND FEAR
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fearofthe Lord . His delight is in the fearoftheLord , and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked”
Isaiah 11:2-4
Jesus feared God and delighted in the fear of God. This is what enabled Him to make righteous judgments. He did not judge by the “seeing of the eye” nor the “hearing of the ear,” but made sound judgments. He did not allow His senses and emotions to darken or skew His discernment.
In Matthew 4, fear and worship are used interchangeably, revealing a powerful truth. After Jesus had fasted for forty days, Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread. Then he tempted Him to jump off the pinnacle of the temple. His third and
final temptation involved worship. Matthew 4:8-10 says, “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worshipthe Lord your god, and Him only you shall serve.’” Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:13, which says, “You shall fearthe Lord your God and serve Him” (emphasis added). This shows us that to fear God is to reverence, worship, and serve Him only. It’s in the fear of God that we are protected from all the deception in our world. When we worship false, pagan gods in our culture, we yield to the doctrines of demons. Behind every idol, demons are waiting to deceive (1 Cor. 10:19-20).
We are to be pursuers and lovers of the truth. In fact, the church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). In other words, it is “ground zero” for the truth. The church is the only place of refuge for the truth, and God has made us stewards of such. We are the stewards of God’s mysteries, and we are to be faithful to share those mysteries (1 Cor. 4:1).
Where else are people today going to find the truth?
Earlier in this booklet, I said that our first safeguard against deception is the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17). In John 8:31-32, we are told to continue in God’s Word, and we would know the truth that makes us free. So, it is not just the truth alone but continuing in, seeking, and being a lover of the truth that keeps us free from deception. It’s the intimate knowledge of truth that brings freedom, and that happens when we have a love of the truth.
In John 8:44, Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does notstandinthe truth , because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a
lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (emphasis added). Truth and a love for it are a weapon against Satan, his lies, and deception. If we are uncomfortable with the truth, it’s because we have become comfortable with the lie. We cannot be passive about the truth but rather passionate in pursuit of it. A love for the truth and disdain for lies provide a barrier between us and Satan’s deceptions. I love the truth, knowing Satan cannot abide in it. As long as we stand in the light of the truth, we will never fall into the darkness of lies.
Second Thessalonians 2:9-10 says, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved” (emphasis added). Notice that Satan was able to deceive them because they had no love for the truth. We see this in our culture and politics today, how easily Satan deceives the masses. If they had a love for the truth, godliness would reign instead of all the
corruption because Satan could not stand in the light of truth. Indeed, love for the truth saves us.
That scripture goes on to say that God gave them over to strong delusions, that they should believe a lie, and “that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:12, emphasis added). The love of the truth saves us from all the deception in our world. That’s why Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). God’s Word truth is what separates us from the darkness. We must seek and love truth at every level.
Paul warned young Timothy about people turning away from the truth. Second Timothy 4:3-5 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap to themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears awayfromthetruth , and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things” (emphasis added). We must be watchful over our hearts and become lovers of the truth. It will keep us from abandoning sound doctrine and listening to crazy fables. While sound doctrine is not always
pleasing to the ear or our feelings, it must be endured, and that endurance comes from a love of the truth.
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be loversof themselves, loversof money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God , having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
2 Timothy 3:1-5
Notice how they were lovers of themselves, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (truth). From such, we are to turn away. We must not embrace, tolerate, or celebrate today’s disregard for God and the truth. God and truth are to be our first love.
“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have leftyourfirstlove . Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.”
Revelation 2:2-5
You cannot separate a love for God from a love for His Word. We can’t say we love God and reject the truth. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). He also said, “…why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). As we become lovers of the truth, we will be agents of change in our world. And we desperately need change in today’s “woke” culture.
Gaslighting is a form of manipulation in our culture that enslaves the masses. As I stated before, to gaslight, one must lie, lie often, lie with confidence, and hide the truth in order for Satan to deceive and
destroy lives. One must censor, hide, or cancel the truth for the lie to survive. Praise God, the woke cancel culture is changing because of an awakening: God is restoring to us a love for the truth.
Romans 1:18 says, “…the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Haters of the truth, especially concerning the existence of God, will suppress it in their own hearts and insist that everyone else do the same. A lie survives only by hiding or suppressing the truth. Knowing the truth, loving the truth, and being a seeker of truth protect us in these last days. Our love for the truth will help keep us vigilant and safe from all the gaslighting.
The final safeguard against deception is a strong foundation of prayer. Paul, in Ephesians 6, reveals God’s armor for effective warfare. Our battle is not with people but rather principalities, powers of darkness, and wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12). Our weapons are not natural but spiritual, and they are also mighty through God, enabling us to overcome (2 Cor. 10:3-5). After listing the six pieces of armor we employ in battle, Paul says in Ephesians 6:18 that we are to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchfulto this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (emphasis added). Prayer is how we remain watchful, vigilant, and perceptive through all the deception. Along with God’s armor, prayer provides a shield against all the “wiles,” or strategies, of the devil (Eph. 6:11). A sincere and healthy prayer life protects us!
Two of my favorite prayers are found in the books of Ephesians and Colossians. In Ephesians,
Paul prays for the believers, giving thanks to God, and asks:
“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come”
Ephesians 1:17-21
I love this prayer because it is as anointed today as the day Paul prayed it. It powerfully applies to all Christians, not just the church at Ephesus. When we seek God in prayer and ask for our eyes to be opened, it shows we are yielding to God and inviting His protection from deception. The Spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him opens the eyes of our understanding. Once our eyes are opened to the truth, all the lies, fraud, and deception are exposed. When the eyes of our understanding are opened, we walk free from lies and deceptions. Knowing the hope of our calling keeps us focused on God and free from hindering distractions. Knowing the riches of His glory as it relates to our rich inheritance in Christ is a blessing. Knowing that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to those who put faith in Him is exciting in promise and potential. This prayer has it all!
Moreover, this prayer is universally applicable to believers throughout time. Most prayers are not. Most prayers are specific to a certain person or season in time. For example, for centuries, people had to pray for wagon wheels and their restoration in times of need. Those prayers were as important to them as my specific needs are to me. However, their prayers for wagon wheels are not effectual for me today because I don’t have a wagon. Paul’s
prayer, however, is as needful and effective today as it was two thousand years ago.
The second prayer that I love is found in the book of Colossians. Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae is recorded in chapter one:
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light”
Colossians 1:9-12
I’ve prayed this prayer for myself and others for decades. It, too, is as anointed today as the day it was prayed. Paul prayed we would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will and be enlightened in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. He prayed that we would walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in
our faith-obedience, being fruitful in all our good works as we increase in the knowledge of God. He asked that we be strengthened with might, patience, long suffering, and joy. And he thanked God for making us partakers of an inheritance with the saints in the light. Wow! What an effectual prayer, ending with us as saints in the light, not the darkness of deception and lies.
These top five Christian disciplines are safeguards against deception. These “best practices” guard our hearts and make Jesus the gardener of our hearts. In relationship and partnership with Jesus, our hearts become the best ground for seeds of truth.
I encourage you to make God’s Word your final authority and absolute truth. Learn to discern His still, small voice. Develop your inner ear to hear. Continue to pay attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your daily life. Godly fear of the Lord will cause you to depart from and hate evil, protecting you from such. A love for the truth will keep you seeking and unearthing the treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge. Saturating all these kingdom principles and promises in prayer will seal the deal in the very presence of God. Welcome to the light found in Jesus! Welcome to the deceptionfree zone in God!
If your heart desires connection with your Heavenly Father and to live in the blessing of His family, there is hope in Christ Jesus. If you have not made Jesus Lord of your life but would like to do so, you can simply pray this:
“Father, I come to you today; I confess I’m not right, but I want to be right and make things right. I cannot do enough or quit enough to save myself, I need help. I believe Jesus is that help. I believe He came to this earth, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross for me. He bore my sins and the punishment for all my sins. He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. I now confess Him as Lord, King, and Savior. Thank you for forgiving me and cleansing me of all my sin and changing me in my heart. Help me now to serve you all the days of my life, with all my heart. Amen!”
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Duane Sheriff has been in ministry for over four decades. He is an author, international apostolic teacher, conference speaker and founder of Victory Life Church. He is known for his humor and ability to present the Gospel with clarity and simplicity. He is passionate about helping people discover their identity and grow in Christ through his unique biblical insights.
His first book, Identity Theft, was released in 2017. Since then, he has authored several more books including: Divine Guidance, Rhythms of Grace, Erasing Offense, and Counterculture. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at Charis Bible School, and hosts "Grace & Truth," a daily television broadcast. Duane and his wife, Sue, were married in 1980 and have four children, who have blessed them with numerous grandchildren.
For additional study resources or free teachings visit our website at www.pastorduane.com
