Impact Magazine

DEALING WITH DECEPTION

PART 2

‘Muyiwa Omole

SOURCES OF DECEPTION

…Continued

1.      Deception through people in the World

Not only do we have to confront deception from ourselves through the fallen nature and deception from deceiving spirits, we also have to confront deception from our fellow humanity. Deception from other people can be influenced by their own fallen nature or they could be influenced by deceiving spirits.

The Bible says,

“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived,”

Timothy 3:13.

Evil people are those with wrong motives in life, always willing to gain even through taking advantage of others. Impostors are people who pretend to be something that they really are not.

Apart from being deceived by individuals in our lives like our parents, teachers or friends, we can be deceived by the system of this world we live in. The whole of the world's system is set up against God under the influence of the prince of this world. Strongholds have been erected. The world's system of trade, commerce, false religion and independence of God is designed to lure us away from the counsel of God for us on this earth. Our generation is one that is pervaded by sensationalism and sensualism of hip-hop music and promotion of nudity is increasing at an alarming rate. The mass/social media of television, movies, advertisement, computer, video games and internet generally bombard us with sensations and sound and pictures and information, yet cleverly drowning out truth in the process. We must open our eyes to see that there is a satanic 'mind' behind the systems of this world, that we live in a world controlled by the 'prince of this world'. There is nothing is neutral about contemporary society. Contemporary society is engineered to the hiding of the truth about God, to the closing of the minds of our youths and to the ultimate destruction of our souls.

As Christians we’re expected to rise above the deception that is sweeping masses through the media through some parts of news, some entertainment, and other “weapons of mass deception” in the arsenal of our media.  The media world has largely grown to be a tool to serve three main purposes:

• To promote consumerism and materialism to make people to keep spending on material goods
• To influence people into adopting certain beliefs and behaviors (such as accepting premarital sex, sex outside marriage, unfaithfulness, and divination).
• To serve as a tool of distraction, diversion, or interference from focusing on matters that are really important to the masses: education, empowerment, equal opportunity, dealing with poverty, health-care, crime, discrimination and so on.

Even the so called Christian programmes on air are propaganda and many of them have compromised the truth of the Gospel. That takes us to the next point.

2.      Deception through other people in the Church

“A simple believes every word, but the prudent consider well his steps,”

Proverbs 14:15.

People from the secular world are by no means the only potential culprits of being sources of deception. Other people right close to each of us can potentially attempt to deceive us if their intentions are not well aligned to the Scriptures. Yes, we too can deceive others if our desires and intentions are not well aligned. But let’s focus on deception in the church or the body of Christ from leadership positions.

 In the body of Christ, for the most part, people who deceive others do it out of one or any combination of the following reasons:

(i)     They are themselves deceived (whether through deceiving spirits, self-deception, or deceived through other people in the church). Thus they‘re merely blind or ignorant on certain matters. It becomes Jesus’ scenario of the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14) on matters one is blind in. For example, the false teachings on spiritual warfare and deliverance have spread to people and groups who are not aware of or who are in denial of long established biblical doctrine in these areas.

(ii)   Others out of a desire to embrace the ways of this fallen world compromise or twist the scriptures to suite their aims. They also compromise the Christian fundamental tenets and focus primarily on teachings that are peripheral or secondary in the Christian faith.

The most prominent of such deceptive teachings in our times include glorification of earthly riches, worldly pleasures, power, and status.

In such circles people are so preoccupied with their material success, comforts, and welfare that the major Christian concerns become secondary. In many cases the major Christian concerns are seen as tools to serve their own long-term welfare.

“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceives the hearts of the simple,”

Rom. 16:17-18 (emphasis added)      

(iii) For some it’s out of compromise to make the message of the gospel more pleasing to certain groups. Instead of sticking with God’s standard some choose to embrace the people’s standards. It could be out of financial reasons to keep the offering flowing or out of wanting to please people without offending anyone.

(iv) Some who fail to live up to Christian standards of righteousness, holiness, love, charity and other Christian disciplines end up projecting their compromised standards to other people. Thus out of personal failures of living up to the righteousness requirements in God’s word some adopt the lukewarm gospel. Their teachings are variously labeled as the liberal gospel, lukewarm gospel, all-grace gospel, and once-saved-always-saved gospel. This all-grace gospel with little personal input or responsibility is a major form of deception that is a thorn in the body of Christ.

(v)   Through occult infiltration into Christianity. Some deceptive and false teachings end up in the body of Christ through the infiltration of people from occult groups into Christianity. There are some occult groups with an agenda to destroy Christianity. Many Christian leaders have adopted these false teachings without question and without any sound biblical scrutiny.

So far we have dealt with how strongholds are formed through deception and the various sources of deception. We have leant that strongholds are built upon deception and lies that we've accepted into our minds. In the concluding part, we will look at how to discover and expose deception in our lives and the church.

            …to be continued…