Demonic deception - by Pastor George Lehman

We are never deceived. We deceive ourselves.(we do it by believing anything that is contrary to God’s word)

To deceive is:  To make believe what is false.To mislead purposefully.

John 8:31-32 (Amp) – 31So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, if you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

If we allow ourselves to live contrary or disobediently to the word of God, we allow ourselves to be deceived.

It’s when you begin to approve wrong living as acceptable or okay, that you deceive yourself.

Understand this, Jesus said: After telling the religious (mmwc Main Mannes What Counts) that their father was the devil...WOW!

John 8:44b (Amp) - … he does not stand in the truth, because there is NO TRUTH in him… for he is a liar and the Father of lies and of all that is false.

It is important to understand the character of our enemy.

Revelation 12:9 (Amp) – And the huge dragon was cast down and out – that age-old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, he who is the seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him.

You see God is TRUTH there it NO LIE in Him he cannot lie He is all truth.

But the warning to us is there will be an increase in the Deception and lie.

Revelation 12:12 (Amp) - But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury) because he knows that he has (only) a short time (left)!

When God first disciplined the early church in Acts 5, He did it in a dramatic way.

Acts 5:3 (NIV) - Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit…

Then Ananias dropped down dead!

The bible says FEAR came on the people Imagine if that happened today, However Revelation 21:8 say all Liars will go to Hell! God hates liars.

God wanted the church to know that Satan, the deceiver, can ruin us if he can get us to believe and live a lie.If he could infiltrate the church, the home, the leaders, the members live undetected and deceive them into believing a lie. He controls their lives.If we take a stand for Christ, we’re not likely to fall for the lies and deception of the devil.That’s exactly what Satan is doing. His lie and deception are the focus of the battle.

One of the ways the world is being deceived is…

Lacking a reverence [respek/eerbied] for God.

The truth is multitudes of people are dying and going to hell because they have no reverence [to hold in deep/affectionate respect] for God or don’t acknowledge His existence.

Hell was not made for people, especially God’s people.  Yet because of people’s rebellion and sin against the creator, Hell has made room to hold people’s souls.

Here’s a real scripture for this year

Isaiah 5:11-15 (LB) - 11Woe to you who get up early in the morning to go on long drinking bouts that last till late at night – woe to you drunken bums.  12You furnish lovely music at your grand parties; the orchestras are superb!  But for the Lord you have no *thought or care.  13Therefore, I will send you into exile far away because you neither know nor care that I have done so much for you.  Your great and honored men will starve, and the common people will die of thirst.  14Hell is licking its chops in anticipation of this delicious morsel, Jerusalem.  Her great and small shall be swallowed up, and all her drunken throngs.  15In that day the haughty shall be brought down to the dust; the proud shall be humbled.

*More excitement in planning and expectation goes into our fleshly pleasures than for our love relationship with God.

Matthew 10:28 (NIV) - Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear HIM who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.

More and more the devil is attempting to portray God as a fictional character.

Rather than allowing people to see and know Him for who He is,  “The creator and sustainer of our lives”.

Acts 17:28 - For in (God) we live and move and have our being.

I really believe that if people had a reverence (respect) for God, they would become more aware of their actions and habits and compromising lifestyle and no longer get caught in deception.

The truth is we are in a fierce spiritual war.

Although demonic power is strong … Jesus is greater and stronger.

Jesus said:Matthew 16:18b (Amp) - I will build my church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall NOT overpower it (or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it).

God alone can give us victory over Satan.

Ephesians 2:2 (Amp) - In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God].

We are to engage in spiritual warfare not only for our own sakes.

But also, for the sake of the multitudes of people who are trapped by the deceptive power of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11-12 (Amp) - Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the *despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

*Despotisms: exercising power in a cruel and oppressive way; like a political system where the rulers hold absolute power.

Don’t be deceived, we are in a war of good vs. evil (right vs wrong).  It’s a crucial war for multitudes of souls.

A compromising, uncommitted, easy going, lack of seriousness Christian life, tolerating ungodly habits will not only result in you being deceived, but your life will enforce the devils’ deception on the ones who have been watching your ‘so called’ Christian life.

1 Corinthians 10:29b-33 (LB) - But why, you may ask, must I be guided and limited by what someone else thinks?   If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong?   Well, I’ll tell you why.  It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking.  So don’t be a stumbling block to anyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.  That is the plan I follow, too.  I try to please everyone in everything I do, not doing what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them, so that they may be saved.

Our way of living for Jesus, “must help free people from the attacks and control of Satan”.

Jesus said:Matthew 24:12-13 (Amp) - And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.

The gates of hell need to be bound shut because the enemy is spewing all kinds of evil forces into the earth.

Such as pornography, drunkenness and the destruction of marriages, homes, children, relationships.

God’s word is greater than any attack the enemy tries to come up with to attempt to deceive or destroy us.

TAKE your STAND

Luke 10:19-20 (Amp) -   Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven.

We have been given authority over the enemy – but with authority comes responsibility.

As a child of God, you must let go of:

Lying, bitterness, ungratefulness,Murmuring, moaning, unforgiveness, gossiping.Complaining, criticizing, and condemningbeing fearful

Arm yourself with the weaponry God has given you.

1 Timothy 6:11-12 (Amp) - But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness) godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike, faith, love, steadfastness (patience) and gentleness of heart.  Fight the good fight of the faith.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (Amp) – Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one].