There are deceivers in government; in churches; in medicine; and they are powered from the spirit realm. Information is both the tool of deception and the means to truth. Knowing your enemy is crucial when defending against the wiles of that enemy.

There is only one way to be deceived concerning your obedience to God, and that is to lose touch with Scriptures intended message. Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul were concerned for those who were listening to their messages as they spoke them. This is why they also spoke their warnings of deception.

The Scriptures were being inspired by God’s Holy Spirit as they were being given and penned over hundreds of years; way before Christ. This was the same Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent into our inner man to teach us the truth of those very same Scriptures, and the ones still being penned in Paul’s day. All of this He (the Holy Spirit had inspired.

We tend to think that to come to belief in and to know the Lord Jesus is an automatic guard against being deceived. But Jesus, in at least one case, warned His own disciples. Listen:

Matthew 24:3 While Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and said, “Tell us, when will this [destruction of the temple] take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?” 4 Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. (AMP)

If Jesus was concerned for the very ones that He chose to bring us the Gospel; then no one is exempt from the possibility of being deceived. Therefore praying for His understanding as we read and study is our duty to ourselves; and to our family. Being able to recognize when others fail to discern what God is saying is also a duty to oneself. Walking in the Holy Spirit; walking In communion with Him, and in a constant state of prayer is our way to understanding.

Some deception is very obvious to you and to me, if we know the word, if you were raised with the scriptures teachings; but some is very subtle. Satan can appear as an Angel of light, as he has in one religious leader named Michael. Who he is comes out in his teachings. I share him with you as an example of New Age deception. You will notice with him there is very little Bible involved in his teachings: you need to learn what to look for with deceivers. His lack of scriptural support is a dead give away, but also notice he still claims his authority from God, he often uses the terms Bible and Jesus. He is a New Age twister of his chosen passages and familiar terms. The spirit he serves is not guiding him to understand the word of God. He has thousands, perhaps millions of followers. He lured them in while using these biblical terms and phrases, and of course coupled to that is his New Age flavor. Discernment is truly needed in these closing days of the history of mankind.

We must spend time in the word, in order to avoid deception.