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Dec 05, 2024 18:00pm

What Now?: Deception

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The following comes from the devotional book “What Now?” by Ashley Akers. To learn more, go to www.whatnowdevo.com.

Deception

Have you ever been deceived? Recently, I spoke with a very nice customer service representative about upgrading my television service. I asked about upgrading because of issues we were having with our system and he agreed that we could upgrade with a small increase in my bill, in fact he kindly offered me a discount. Sweet! We set up an installation date.

The technician came to install my system and two hours later handed me paperwork to sign. The first page explained the job he had done, and the second page was an expensive 24-month agreement. A contract had never been mentioned so I was not happy. The tech and I called customer service and they spent a lot of energy justifying their actions. Turned out a contract is automatic with an upgrade, but they failed to let me know that. I felt deceived. The upgraded system looked good, it was desirable, but in the end it wasn’t what I wanted and I was locked in for the next 2 years.

This is exactly how the enemy works in our lives. He tricks us and leads us into a trap. But, if we are paying attention we can be prepared to fight back. Not against each other, but against the enemy and deception and we must fight using weapons of spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says,

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

These *weapons include the belt of truth (knowing what God says), armor (protecting your heart and emotions), shoes (standing firm), shield (trusting God), helmet (salvation by accepting Jesus) and the sword (Bible). These are weapons of spiritual warfare that help us win.

Satan and his demons are consistently working against you. Most people fail to ever recognize this truth because we don’t literally see them or recognize their presence. But, stop and think about it. These attackers are very real. You have an enemy! They take you captive through strongholds, shame and accusations about doing the very things they convinced you to do. They use deception to steal your peace.

The enemy starts by planting a seed…a “thought” …in your mind. It could be a desire for a person, a new car you can’t afford, an idea or a lie about who you are. Whatever the thought is, it will seem true, appealing and beneficial. This is where the rubber meets the road. You can water the seed and it will grow, or you can choose to throw it out. If you choose to water it, the thought will become your focus—the desire of your heart—and the thing you believe. Keep in mind that the seed is growing because you are feeding it in your mind. Eventually, you will have yourself convinced (deceived), you will make a plan and you will act on what you believe. The seed of deception has you bound. Locked in.

1 Peter 5:8 reminds us to be on guard.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

When a thought comes into your mind, question it. Is this of God or not? Will it produce good and expand the Kingdom of God, or will it be used for deception? Is this a temptation that will lead to sin? If the answer is not of God, get rid of it. Refuse to be deceived. Let’s practice. (For more details on these weapons, please see “Armor.”)

Reflection Questions

1. What current thought are you struggling with? Do you think it is true and from God or a lie from the enemy? Why?

2. How can you be on guard from being deceived by the enemy?