“Without God’s Word as a lens, the world warps.”
Ann Voskamp
Deception is like bad breath; you’re the last to know about it. Being deceived implies not being aware of the deception. The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11: 3 writes a warning coming from the heart of a shepherd. We would do well to heed these words: “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
Deception began in the Garden of Eden when the serpent distorted God’s truth to Eve. When Eve tried to explain to God what happened, she said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13b). Satan is described as the “father of lies” in John 8:44, which is one of the main tools he uses in our lives. If something does not line up with what God’s Word says, don’t believe it.
There are various sources for being deceived. Deception sneaks in when we don’t want to see and believe the truth, so we turn blind eyes to it and pretend not to notice it. Fear can also dull us to the truth. Sometimes we’re afraid to hear the truth and so we live in denial of it. Periodically, people won’t go see their doctors because they fear hearing the truth.
Distraction, having our ears plugged or our eyes obstructed by secondary things, can also cause deception. Blindly following tradition or religious rules can deceive us from seeing the truth, just as the Pharisees missed seeing the Messiah, right in front of them. Pride also keeps us from discerning and believing the truth. Our selfish ambitions prevent us from perceiving God’s true assignments for us. When Eve saw that the tree was good for food, wisdom, and delighted her eyes, it trumped her obedience to God’s command. Our areas of affection are another source of deception which causes us to not see things clearly. When I find myself “feeling sorry” for someone, the possibility of being deceived is right around the corner.
The solutions to deception are having heart attitudes of humility, repentance, fearing the Lord, and submission to God. Spending time in the Word, which is the ultimate source of truth and getting to know God’s character so you’re able to discern who the author is of what you’re hearing, help prevent us from becoming deceived.
“An offending heart is the breeding ground of deception.”
John Bevere
Relevant Reflection:
Take a moment to humbly seek and prayerfully ask the Lord if there’s anything you’re deceived about. Ask Him to show you the truth.