Understanding the wiles
of satan is the first step towards winning the battle against deception. For we
must not be ignorant of satan’s devices.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing
but inwardly are ravenous wolves
Of the various end times characteristics—deception, persecution and turbulent
times*—mentioned by Jesus in
Matthew 24 (The Olivet Discourse), deception seems
to be the most prominent. Even
the elect—supposedly mature leaders—can be deceived. If leaders are deceived,
don’t you think the flock will fare even worse?
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing
but inwardly are ravenous wolves
How many times did
Jesus warn believers in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24) not to be deceived? Four.
- Take heed that no one deceives you (vs. 4).
- For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many (vs. 5).
- Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many (vs.11).
- For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (vs. 24).
Even though it may
appear convincing, Jesus warned believers not to believe it. How many times did
Jesus warn them not to believe? Twice.
- If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. (vs. 23).
- If they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it (vs. 26).
Notice
that this warning ‘not to be deceived’ is coupled with the warning ‘not to
believe’.
Like
a serpent, deception slithers through the whole Bible from Genesis to
Revelation. It is one of the most effective tools that satan employs in
spiritual warfare against believers.
Though
Eve was warned by God not to eat the forbidden fruit as she would then die, she
disobeyed. She was beguiled by
the cunning serpent (satan) (Genesis 3:13).
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to her. “For
God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3: 4-5).
Joshua
was deceived by the Gibeonites because he did not inquire of
God (Joshua 9:14). After the miraculous crossing of the river Jordan and
victory at Jericho, Joshua might have thought that possessing the Promised Land
was like accepting a walkover. He presumed that the Gibeonites were from a
distant land and signed a peace treaty with them. Actually they were inhabitants
of Canaan whom Joshua was supposed to defeat.
Jeremiah warned:
"Do not listen to what the false prophets are
prophesying to you; they fill you with false
hopes” (Jeremiah 23:16).
Jesus warned: Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves (Matthew 7:15).
The apostle Paul cautioned: “I am afraid that
as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure
devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The last days will see the unveiling of the false prophet
who performs great signs and wonders—including the calling down of fire from
heaven—and deceives many through these signs (Revelation 13:13–14). The
role of the false prophet is to promote the worship of the antichrist
(Revelation 13:15).
That’s why we must not judge ministers/prophets by how many or how spectacular are their signs and wonders but by their faithfulness to the Word and by their fruits. “Watch
out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious
wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them" (Matthew 7:15-17).
How are
we going to live our lives in this tumultuous end times where deception reigns?
1. Focus on Jesus. Let
Jesus be our first love.
“Do not love the world nor the things in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not
from the Father, but is from the world. (1 John 2:15-16).
“But I have this against you, that you have
abandoned the love you had at first”
(Revelation 2:4).
2. Study and obey the
Word.
Jesus said, “If you abide in
my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31).
“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to
God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed,
correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling
and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
3. Be vigilant.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour” (1
Peter 5:8).
4. Sharpen our discerning
skills.
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because
many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
5. Seek to know and do
God’s will.
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as
unwise men but as wise, making
the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians
5:15-17).
“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the
will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).
RELATED
POSTS
SHOULD WE RUN AFTER SIGNS AND WONDERS?
Is there a rationale for pursuing signs and wonders?
RUNNING AFTER PROPHECY
C'mon, this anointed prophet is in town. You needn't be confused anymore when you come to life’s crossroads. Don’t miss the opportunity. Get a personal prophetic word direct from heaven’s throne.
THE FACES
OF DECEPTION
Be aware, be warned.
It’s already here. Deception can present itself in the areas of teaching or
supernatural manifestation.
TESTING THE SUPERNATURAL
Are the supernatural manifestations
in church today invariably of divine origin?
FALSE versus TRUE PROPHECY
Do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false
prophets have gone out into the
world.
DANGER
OF IGNORANCE
Satan’s ability to entrap believers depends on these
factors: ignorance and lack of vigilance on the part of believers and deception
on the part of the evil one.
HOW TO QUICKLY ACCESS PORRIDGE
For a quick overview: http://bit.ly/1ijiXHp
To access similar articles, type 'Porridge' in the search box of http://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/
or type ‘Lim Poh Ann’ in the search box of http://www.asianbeacon.org/
Footnotes:
* Turbulent
times—wars, rumours of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes.
Recently, the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine by Russia
and the resultant crisis between Russia on one side and Ukraine, European Union
and the United States on the other side is an example of ‘rumour of war’.
No comments:
Post a Comment