Don’t Be Deceived

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:30)

Jesus answered them and told them the sign at the end of the age. “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

During end times, Satan knows his time is short, and he is desperately trying to deceive Christians to pull them away from God, and feeding his lies to non-Christians to keep them from accepting Christ.

Satan’s Tactics

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelations 12:9)

Satan is a master at deception, within the church and outside the church. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) Satan always tempts us to yield to our own fleshly desires, and he tempts Christians by posing as an angel of light with a goal of getting a foothold in their life.

For non-Christians, he plants lies such as: The Lord will take away your freedom, you will have to give up your current life for a life that will be boring serving the Lord, the Lord will not forgive you, and the Word is too complex to learn.

These are all lies from Satan that many lost souls believe.

One of Satan’s goals is to control the media, such as television, newspapers and radio, because he knows people tend to believe what they hear or read from the media. We can see changes in television today that were banned in the past.

Every Christian must know how to seek sources in the media that speak the truth and avoid things that are against God’s Word.

Truth about happenings around the world are found on Christian television, radio, and books. Reports about earthquakes and hurricanes can be found on most news programs. It’s political news where they distort their broadcast, or they omit certain news about religion.

The World Today

Today, we are seeing many people that are deceived and have a false belief about God, Christ, or the Word. We are seeing Christians deceived and moving away from the Word by conforming to the world.

Approximately 25 percent of Christians don’t fully believe the Bible, and this opens the door to adopt worldly ways that are against God’s Word. Satan deceives Christians, so they will twist the Word to satisfy their own desires. For example, some ministers preach false doctrine by twisting the Word.

Christians have to be careful to know the truth so they will not be deceived.

If we make ourselves accountable to a close Christian brother or sister, we will have someone to help us from being deceived. We read and study the Bible so we know the truth and won’t be deceived by false teachers or false doctrine.

However, it can be difficult to know the truth about the world because the media will omit certain things and will report their political opinion.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:1-4)

In the last days, these verses describe how many people throughout the world will become. As people change as above, they will change the world as we are seeing today, where countries are changing and moving against Christians.

They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. (John 16:2) Today, we are seeing people persecuting and killing Christians thinking they are serving their view of God. We can see this persecution occurring and increasing in countries throughout the world. There are many people today choosing death rather than deny Christ.

The Future

Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” (Matthew 24:12-13)

Everything Satan does is aimed at destroying God’s people; turning people against Christians and changing governments to be against Christians. HIs goal is to have the “man of lawlessness” rule the world, and he will set up in the temple in Jerusalem and war against Christians.

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (Matthew 24:3-4)

The man of lawlessness (also known as the anti-Christ and the beast), will not be revealed until the rebellion against God occurs throughout the world. Then people will accept the man of lawlessness who will deceive the world.

We are in a spiritual war, and everything is controlled by the spirits. We are spiritual people; our spiritual soul is our thoughts, personality, and will. Satan and his demons are spiritual and his lies and deception are believed by many people.

God is spiritual and is sovereign over all creation and He enables His people to overcome the world.

Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4) We live by faith in Christ and he will enable us to endure whatever the world puts in our path. He will return and take us home, to be with him forever.

We fight this spiritual war through prayer and by bringing God’s truth to the world. We minister to everyone by reflecting Christ and telling them about salvation in Christ, if they choose to listen.

We depend on the Lord to guide us through the indwelling Holy Spirit with His love, power, strength, wisdom, and courage. He will always be with us and carry us through any situation in life.

This world is temporary and our eternal home is Heaven.