Remember Eve? Paul said that she was deceived. Eve had the knowledge to some extent but not the understanding to protect her from falling into the deceit presented to her. As she was falling into Satan’s web of deceit, she first listened, second, believed and third, lusted after the fruit filled with deceits. It looked good to her eyes. It looked good to her taste buds. The next thing that happened, she was eating it and sharing it with her husband, who deliberately fell into the deceit with her. At that point in time, there was not even the hint of evil in their mind and heart for her to think differently from the sphere in which Satan had her entangled. When Satan brought her to his mindset to think like him, his web took hold of her and then the power of sin enveloped her and she together with her husband suffered spiritual death. That was the price our parents had to pay and the entire world has carried the consequences since then.
Paul, in the letter to the Galatians, warned about the results of deceit. He said, Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at. For whatever a man sows that and that only is what he will reap (6:7). Here he applied the law of sowing and reaping. Deceit begets deceit in the seed that was planted. John recommended a way to escape such thing by testing the spirits to see which one comes from God: Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world (I John 4:1). To be under the teachings of a false prophet is to fall into the curse of sin and be led away from the truth. The Apostle John continued by telling how one knows the Spirit of God: Every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that YAHSHUA the Messiah has come in the flesh is of God this is the [spirit of] antichrist, which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world. (I John 4:3). This is the first step. That means that spiritual information we receive needs to be tested and not embraced easily, like many of us tend to do.
Knowledge and understanding of the Word of God are the best tools of protection against deceit, for they are solidified into wisdom. Proverbs praise the person who has wisdom: Blessed is the man who finds Wisdom and the man who gets understanding, for the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold. Godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Here ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy is everyone who holds her fast (Prov. 3:13-18).
When the Thessalonians heard that the great tribulation had arrived and they were in it, they were misled to believe a lie, for it contradicted the teachings of Paul concerning the pre-tribulation rapture. Paul challenged them saying, Do you not recollect that when still with you, I told you these things? What things? The revealing of the antichrist was not going to happen before the departure of the Holy Spirit and the church- the bride of Christ with Him, for the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His saints restrains the revealing of the antichrist. The antichrist will only be revealed in that defined time so that he can be manifested clearly from any doubt and be accepted. That means that neither the Holy Spirit nor the born-again Christians take part with him. In light of it, Paul warns the Thessalonians not to be deceived, to believe such lie, for the day of the Lord will not come until they would be taken away from it through the calling of the Trumpet sounding; until the Holy Spirit- the restrainer of evil will be taken out of the way, so that lawlessness can go out of control, because the antichrist will come through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of miracles and signs and delusive marvels lying wonders, and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, will be revealed (II Thess. 2).
One should never accept the idea that the Holy Spirit will submit Himself to the controlling of Satan. His presence in the world will always overcome the power of the evil one. Satan will not have the power to do what he is destined to do as long as the Holy Spirit is on the earth. He must be removed, for the power of Satan to be exercised over those who rejected and continue to reject the Truth. These are people who decided to believe the lies of deceit, whose hearts are hardened against the truth. They are the prey of Satan’s deceits and will be judged and condemned under severe eternal penalty. Deceit has taken many astray from the fold. They are sheep without a shepherd listening to every kind of doctrine and accepting them. They can’t test the spirits for lack of knowledge of God’s Word. Sandy soil is the foundation on which their belief is built. They do not have an anchor on which to hold on to. When the storm comes their way, they will sink in it for lack of knowledge. In the days of Noah, many ignored the truth and followed the deceit of doubt. They were caught unprepared, surprised for not knowing what was happening. And with the exception of Noah and his family, they all perished.
False Messiahs and false prophets are on the rise, fulfilling the words of YAHSHUA. They deceive and lead astray many by showing signs and miracles. YAHSHUA said even the elect are subjected to their deceit. He then warned the disciples to be on their guard (Mark 13:22-23). As were the days of Noah, YAHSHUA said, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:37-47). People will go about their lives doing the usual- eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage until those in Christ will be taken away and chaos will cover the world. Nature will be disturbed and what was the everyday normal will become foreign. Men will hide from all that will be happening, yet it will be too late for those who will be left behind. There will be also spiritual chaos and no other god will save men, for when the antichrist is revealed, he will seduce and deceive those who are perishing because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved. Therefore, God (will) send upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false, in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in the Truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness (II Thess. 2:10).
My friend, it is a fearful thing to incur the divine penalties and be cast into the hands of the living God! (Heb. 10:31) Embrace the Truth; free yourself from Satan’s deceits and be saved from all that is coming to this earth when God’s timing is right for all to happen. Remember, you must call upon Him while He may be found! Today is the day; now it is the time!
Light from the Word 