Many people use financial protection agencies to help prevent financial deception. But how might we prevent spiritual deception by spirits or humans? We ought to know that the Holy Spirit uses the biblical Word of God to alert us to and avoid spiritual deceptions (Hebrews 4:12).
ORIGIN OF DECEPTION
When God made the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, God gave them “dominion over all the earth” (Genesis 1:26).The devil or Satan, as a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve and stole their God-given birthright of having dominion over all the earth (Genesis 3, Revelation 20:2).God told Adam and Eve not eat the fruit of a particular the Garden of Eden less they die. But, as a serpent, the devil led them to believe they would be like God if they ate from the tree They ate fruit from the tree. They were separated from God and died spiritual, followed by physical death, as a result of their sin of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1; Hebrew 9:27). The devil is the father of lies, which he has continues to use in deceiving people of this world (John 8:44).
However, God loved mankind so much that he provided for their redemption (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Romans 5:8). God sent his sinless and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 2:38).
MANKIND’S INHERENT TENDENCY TO DECEIVE
The Bible shows that humans have inherited the tendency of the devil, who became ruler of this world, to deceive for personal gain (John 12:31),.
JACOB. Using deception, like the devil, Jacob took advantage of his brother, Esau; and also deceived his father, Isaac. When Esau came home very hungry after hunting in the field, Jacob offered him a bowl of soup in exchange for his birthright as the eldest son. Because of a moment of hunger and weakness, Esau disregarded the value of his natural birthright and agreed to trade it for a bowl of soup. (However, Esau may not have known that God promised a special blessing through the chosen seed of Abraham–Genesis 22:18).
Later, Jacob and his mother, Rebecca, who favored him as her son, deceived Isaac to obtain Esau’s birthright for Jacob. Taking advantage of Isaac’s old age, ailments and blindness, Jacob and Rebecca fooled Isaac into believing Jacob was Esau. Unknowingly, Isaac pronounced what was to be Esau’s birthright blessing upon Jacob. Through manipulation and deception Jacob gain the right to become the principal heir of his family.
However, Isaac may have believed that God would bless Jacob in a more meaningful way. Isaac was near his own father, Abraham, when God promised Abraham: “Through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:1-18).
Nevertheless, God used Jacobs family position to fulfill a promise God made to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, to bless the world through his seed. The Lord inserted Jacob as a parent in the lineage of God’s promised Savior through the seed of Abraham. (Genesis 22:18; Matthews 1). God works all things together for good for those who love him like Abraham (Romans 8:28; Galatians 3:14).
FALSE TEACHERS. Many false teachers distort the Word of God’s for their own gain. They use deception and promises of immediate earthly prosperity to draw away people from the Lord Jesus Christ for self-recognition, monetary and personal gain. (Acts 20:30; Titus 1:11). False teachers and those who follow them may fail to receive God’s heavenly blessing if they do not repent (John 3:16-18; Luke 13:3)
PREVENTING DECEPTION OF OUR HEAVENLY BIRTHRIGHT
Through believing God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ and being born again, God has given us everlasting birthrights to heaven (John 3:16). However, we must be sober and alert to prevent the devil, our spiritual adversary, from successfully using his deceptive schemes against us (1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:11).The following are instructions in the Bible for drawing near to God and preventing spiritual deceptions of the devil.
VALUE YOUR BIRTHRIGHT. God promises to bless all of us as heirs of salvation who are born again through faith in Jesus Christ ( Acts 2:38-39; Galatians 3:6-9). We should value this as a heavenly birthright (John 3:16).
PRAY. We are told by God to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Praying continually keeps us connects with God who loves us, and can protect us from all harm. Jesus said without him we can do nothing (John 15:51). However, with the help of the Holy Spirit that the Lord sent into the world, we have power to do all things through Christ (John 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; Philippians 4:13).
STUDY GOD’S WORD. The inspired written words of God equips us to discern the devil and live according to God’ will (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Tim. 2:15; Hebrews 4:12).
DENY SELF. The devil and his workers seek immediate self-gratifications. The Word of God tells us to be like Christ, deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him (Luke 9:23). The Bible instructs us to seek first the Lord’s kingdom of righteousness, and believe God will add what we need and want according to his will at the right time (Matthew 6:33; Psalm 37:7; Colossians 3:2).
TRUST. The Bible instructs us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding. In doing so, he will direct our path to true happiness in life and to heaven (Proverbs 3:5-6).
OBEY. Jesus resisted the devils attempts to deceive him when he was weak and hungry. Our Lord tells us to live by every word of God, as he did when he overcame Satan’s (Matthew 4:4).
