Good morning people who refuse to live by the lies of the enemy
James 1:16 NIV Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
James instructs us plainly and succinctly, “Don’t be deceived.” This is a command; an instruction; something that can be followed and that we have a choice about.
Simply put, deception is, ‘believing a lie and thinking it is the truth.’
Satan is the father of lies, and he is skilful at trying to deceive people, yes, even believers.
So what is the safeguard against being deceived?
Live with a humility of heart before God, and a covenant commitment to stay anchored in truth. Live in God’s Word. Live listening to and quickly obeying the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to lead you into all truth.
The moment pride or second-guessing God creeps in, deception is lurking and it will derail us without us knowing it. Deception is often based in lots of truth mixed with a little bit of lies. It’s the mixture that is powerful. This is what the devil did with Adam & Eve, and he has not changed his method since.
So, the moment your circumstance, another person’s circumstance, feelings or rational thoughts even have a flicker of question that leads to ‘why that scripture can’t mean what we have always been taught’, pause and step in close to the Holy Spirit. Yes, it might be a legitimate question, but more often than not, it is the enemy trying to lead us astray.
So, my friends, don’t be deceived. Live humbly in truth.