By the Holy Spirit we see a trend developing that is like a straw in the wind, a warning of things to come. In Micah 2:8 the Lord warned, “My people are risen up as an enemy.”
How subtly the enemy comes to turn people from their loyalty to the Living Word of the Lord. In these days before us, many will be tested to the core of their being, and they may not know which way to go. The enemy will move to bring deception and to discredit the Word concerning the commissions and calls that God has given them.
From this hour, we must give ourselves to intercession to bind the deceptive spirits which come to turn people’s loyalties away from deep convictions and dedications that they have had, so that they rebel as God’s enemies.
Some have turned against me and are my enemies, as far as rejection and persecution are concerned. What is the explanation for this? I had not changed in my heart toward them, but they had changed toward me. Something had happened within their spirits.
A concentrated attack comes by demonic power to deceive people when a new move comes and new steps are taken in God. The Body of Christ is taking a new step now, and we will go through a similar thing again. It is a time for us to pray against the spirits of deception.
Do not give credit to the enemy, but recognize that the greatest battle in the end time will be against demonic deception. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets … insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24. We will confront not less deception in the future, but more. The spirit of deception will go out into the whole world, and it will hit at the very elect to deceive them, if possible.
One thing we must do; cleave to the Word that we have heard from the Lord. We must cleave to the vision that we have received. Paul wrote to the Galatians, But though we (“If I myself would come to you”), or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8.
We ministers of His Word say the same thing. If we teach anything that contradicts what I have taught from the beginning of this walk with the Lord, we could pronounce a curse upon ourselves.
This Living Word is unfolding! Do not let your heart be deceived. Do not let the hunger of your heart be strangled until the flow of life in the Word can no longer reach it to revive and bring life to you. Develop a resistant strain within your spirit to deception. Be determined not to be deceived.
When is a man first deceived? When he is not willing to do the will of God. Jesus said, “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.” John 7:17. It is a basic test. If you are set to do the will of God, you will not be deceived. If you are not set to do His will, somewhere along the line your reluctance to obey God will open the door to cloud your revelation of His will. You will never have a clear vision unless you have a pure heart to serve God. The only pure vision that sees God is a pure heart: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8. There is also a negative aspect that you must face. Woe to those who harbor rebellion or withdrawal in their hearts, because the things of God will always be clouded to them and the issues will always be confused.
Do not be fearful, but prepare your heart. Pray against the waves of deception before they ever get started. Have you ever studied ocean waves as they come to shore? A surfer looks for waves that could build up, and those are the waves that he catches. Sometimes one looks as if it will be a big one, but suddenly, it goes to nothing. That is the way with attacks of the enemy. When you see them start, rebuke them, pray against them, and they will flatten out.
We have authority over all of the assault of the enemy, more than we realize. Let us exercise it. In this time also there will be those who have named the name of the Lord and have followed Him who will rise as the Lord’s enemies. There will be those who think that if they killed you, they would be doing God a favor (John 16:2). Their deception will be deep; but we can rise in the Spirit and rebuke it.
Behind all vicious persecution, there is deception. Do not think that the men who stoned Stephen knew that they were hypocrites and liars. They did not know they were deceived. When Stephen dared to tell them that they were deceived and walking in rebellion, they were furious with him. They so totally rejected their own state of heart that they rose up in all sincerity and stoned him. Remember that Saul of Tarsus held their cloaks and consented to the death of Stephen (Acts 7:58). Do you think that Saul of Tarsus was insincere? Afterward, he found mercy because he did it ignorantly, in unbelief (I Timothy 1:13). So it will be in this hour. Ignorantly, in their unbelief, many will rise up to persecute God’s elect.
Deception will come; how will you know the truth? Your only guarantee is in John 7:17. If you are willing to do His will, you will know the teaching, whether it be of God.
A heart that is really set to do the will of God will not walk in deception, or at least not for long. You may not understand many things, but you need never be deceived; and you will press on, from glory to glory. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18. Stand on this promise. Do the will of God as perfectly as it is revealed to you, not only for what it will accomplish in the earth, but for your own sake. As you remain open to God, you will remain open to the truth; and you can “go from glory to glory,” if you are walking in the will of the Lord. Do this with all your heart to the best that you know how, and it will work.
A person who withdraws from walking with God may say, “There was no blessing in it for me.” If you trace back his life, you would find a season of disobedience, a season in which his conscience became calloused. He knew what to do and did not do it, but made excuses for his withdrawal. That was the beginning of his deception.
Disobedience is the beginning of deception. Will you believe this? What caused Judas to betray Jesus? Did Judas believe in Jesus Christ? It is apparent that he believed in Him, at first at least. Where was his deception? Did he not think that if he could trick Jesus by putting Him in a corner, He would rise up and strike down the rulers? Did he ever really believe that Jesus would be crucified? I think he believed that the Lord would perform a miracle and it would come out all right.
How did deception first enter into Judas’ heart? John 12:6 states that he was a thief. He “carried the bag”—he was the treasurer, and he kept taking money from it. All of the disciples had needs, but he took care of himself first. He had the stewardship of taking care of all of them, and he took care of himself. He was a thief, but do not forget that at one time, he was an apostle of the Lord. There is no reason to believe that he did not cast out demons and heal the sick. In Luke 9 we read that the twelve went out, and the Word does not say that Judas was an exception. But he fell from his position when a little deception entered his heart, when he withdrew from doing the perfect will of God.
I am not teaching legalism. I want to teach the carefulness that Paul taught the Galatians. The carefulness that they had in the beginning finally became a legalistic religion because of Judaizers who came among them, saying that they had to be circumcised. We are not asking that you be legalistic or religious; just be careful. Always study in your heart to be careful. Be careful not to become calloused or withdrawn or bypass the thing that the Lord says.
When you fail, do not make excuses for yourself or blame others. Go before the Lord humbly and ask Him to help you. You may be one who loses his temper several times a day, and it will not stay lost. Do you think, “But I feel like a fool continually asking the Lord to help me.” Then consider this: In Matthew 18:22 He said to forgive anyone who sins against you seventy times seven! That is a lot of sinning and it also is a lot of forgiving. If a man sins against you 490 times, and each time he says, “Forgive me,” what are you to do? Forgive him! If God tells you to do that for your brother, knowing how weak you are, what do you think He will do for you? Do not excuse your sin, but keep calling on the Lord, “Forgive me and cleanse me.” Because your heart is honest and is set to do His will, God will bring you out. You will never be deceived and you will overcome, because you are being an honest soul before the Lord.
What carefulness God wants us to have. Peter said, “Give attention to these things and you shall never fail.” Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble. II Peter 1:10. You will not fall on your face; God will always catch you up in His arms, as long as you are careful, as long as you give diligence to these things. Isn’t that a good insurance policy to have?
The careless person who becomes calloused about what God has told him to do eventually can become open to deception. Some people are “half-way.” They listen to the Word and love it, but they are just enough out of the will of God that they are confused most of the time. Are you in confusion? Get rid of it! Confusion is dissipated by a carefulness to walk in the will of God. Remember this! “Whatever He says to you, do it.” John 2:5b. Be concerned in your heart to do what He says to your heart, and you will never be deceived.
When the Lord shows you to do something and you do it, greater light comes to your pathway, even if it is a humble place. That is why He said, “He who is faithful in the little things, God gives him greater things” (Matthew 25:21). Do not start doing what He says and drop it because it is a little difficult, and then start something else. The “promoter” spirit who starts many different things and does not follow through on any of them always winds up deceived and critical. Invariably, he attempts to chew to pieces the spiritual authority over him. When God sets before him His will, after walking in it awhile, he drops it and turns to something else, not willing to follow through faithfully what God told him. He opens up to deception, and then criticism and rebellion come in. Remember this little character analysis.
A man may come along who can start businesses or worthy projects, but look to see if he is a man who will stay true to the Word that is given him, year in and year out. That man is constantly blessed of the Lord. He is “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58). The man who is commissioned to do a thing, starts it, tires of it, drops it, and wants a different assignment has everyone wringing their hands. Everyone is always looking after him, wondering how to keep him interested. He will end up in confusion, under deception, filled with criticism and bitterness, and eventually he will wander away, because he has not done the thing that was set before him to do.
In the end, faithfulness is the thing that counts. Faithfulness is not merely a quality of perseverance. It is more than “sticking with it.” Faithfulness is being true to the Word that God has spoken. Be true to the Word. Let His Word abide in you. How will you know the truth and abide in Him? By the anointing that abides in you (I John 2:27). As you listen to it, it is made real to you. You will never be in confusion then.
Those who seek to walk with God on their own terms may profess willingness to “lay it all at the apostles’ feet.” However, there are conditions in the fine print: “You are to be to me what I want you to be. You are to do what I want you to do.” Deception comes when we want everything on our terms. It does not work that way. We must relate in the spirit and set about to do what God wants. We want the pure vision to see exactly the way God wants us to go.
There is much to be learned from the Lord’s messages to the churches in the book of Revelation. They approach problems from different angles, but what did He tell the church at Ephesus, which left its first love? Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works. Revelation 2:5a. If you feel guilty or troubled in your spirit, do you know the best way to clear the deck for action and get back in the battle again? Go back to your beginnings and review your dedication to the Lord. Review what He called you to do. Open your heart, because to the extent that you get away from that Word, to that extent you get away from the first love.
When the love wanes and the joy and blessing diminish, it is difficult to walk with the Lord. In fact, after a while you have all the “rubbish” and none of the blessing. Then it is easy to drop out.
Go back to your first love. Say, “Lord, if anything is poorly maintained in our relationship, it is ended now. I am going to act as I did in those first hours of dedication, when you became real to me. I shall walk in that first love with the Lord.”