Protect Your Family *Excerpt from Relationship Topic – The Devil’s Lie to Young Adults Deception has always made me a little nervous; because if you are caught in it, you probably don't know it – that's what makes it deception.
The Bible tells us that the devil is called the deceiver who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, and in the last days many will be deceived.
Revelation 12:9 - and the great dragon was hurled down -- the ancient serpent, called the devil, and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.
John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Matthew 24:10-11 - At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
How will the devil try to deceive us?
1) that we need Jesus plus something else (like circumcision) - false 2) that we can compromise and live a sinful lifestyle - false 3) that Jesus has come and appeared again - false - you'll know 4) by false prophets and new teachings 5) by riches - the love of money
Several important things to know:
God's Word is clear: Don't be Afraid of being deceived - Just be on your guard.
Isaiah 41:10 - Fear Not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
I John 4:4 - You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
I Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 13:23 - So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
Seven Steps To Deception Prevention
STEP #1 of Deception Prevention: Soak In God's Word and Obey Immediately
Deuteronomy 17:19 - And it shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these decrees.
Get in God’s Word – throughout the day – not just morning devotions. Live it and breathe it throughout the day. (PRISM & PRISM Topics, Relationship Topics). Meditate on it, immerse yourself in it.
Make God’s Word your #1 Input and Influence over Twitter, SnapChat, Instagram, Vine, Music, TV, Movies, Netflix.
Bank Tellers' training to detect counterfeit bills was to handle hundreds of real ones! The more familiar they got with the real thing, the more obvious the counterfeit became. It just felt funny, something didn’t smell right, feel right – the difference was detectable.
Overdose on the Truth and Falsehood will start to smell funny. Red Flags will pop up, even if you can’t quite put your finger on it at first.
Also be sure to obey right away. Delayed obedience, is disobedience, and failing to make a habit of obeying God's Word immediately, will make you susceptible to deception.
James 1:22 - But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only; deceiving yourselves.
Step 1: Soak in God's Word & Obey Immediately
STEP #2 of Deception Prevention: Limit Worldly Inputs
Psalms 101:3 - I will set before my eyes no unclean thing, the deeds of faithless men, I hate, they will not cling to me.
Limit the time you spend on twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Vine, music, Netflicks, TV & movies. Not that you can never watch one, but if these are your daily habit, you will become dulled to the things of God. The counterfeit will begin appearing real to you. Compromise will become a way of life, it will become your habit. You will not be able to point people, to turn them from the things of the world, because you yourself are immersed in the attractiveness of it! Who’s hot, who’s dating who? Who's going where together? This will not help you be godly or help others be godly. You won’t be able to turn anyone from worldliness to Godliness.
Genesis 3:6 - When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom? She took some and ate it.
What? That’s embarrassing. Are you serious? How can a piece of fruit look desireable for gaining wisdom? Who you been talking to? You just got punked, you’ve been listening to someone again haven’t you, let me guess, you’re "thinking for yourself." Sounds a lot like the devil to me. But you wouldn't detect that, unless you’ve been overdosing on the WORD lately.
She wasn’t thinking on her own. She was buying - hook line and sinker - the word of the devil, over the WORD of the LORD.
Be brutal with what you set before your eyes – no unclean thing. Why? Because it looks good. Sin and temptation are always pleasing to the eye! They’re always “Hot”, they always look good. BUT if it doesn’t honor God, if isn’t the Fear of the LORD – Turn From It– RIGHT NOW! Walk away and keep walking. Nothing good is there, it seems fun, but it’s a trap, a curse, it will keep you from God’s blessing, it will cause you to stumble and fall and be lost in darkness. Step 2: Limit Worldly Inputs.
STEP #3 of Deception Prevention: Cut Off All Frienemies
They will always deceive you. It will be unintentional, because they themselves are deceived, but it will be inevitable. What is a Frienemy? Someone who appears to be your friend – but wars against your soul (worldly influencers).
[see Relationship Topic - Friend or Frienemy]
The devil has a whole set of friends (serpents), that he uses to plant seeds of darkness in you. If they do not seek to Fear God, and to learn to walk in the Fear of the LORD – they walk in darkness, and you will too, if you walk with them. Cut off all frienemies. If Adam had known what was at stake, he would have cut off the head of that serpent.
When it comes to Frienemies, cut them off. Love God enough to discontinue those friendships, no matter how good a 'friend' they seem to be. They may even go to your church or your Christian School, but they are not your friends. Continue those relationships and you will be compromised, undone. Step 3: Cut off all frienemies.
STEP #4 of Deception Prevention: Take It To God
When faced with something you're not quite sure about, that might smell funny... take it to God. Ask Him. He will reveal truth to you. The more you soak in the WORD and Cut off worldly inputs, and frienemies– the quicker deception will smell funny. But when you don't know for sure... Take it to God. Ask Him. Seek Him on it. Wait on Him!
James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives liberally to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.
This will help you grow in discernment. When God says, “That ain't Me” "that's not from me" "that is not what I want for you" or "that's not the person or persons I want you to hang around with. Then Turn From it - immediately.
Don’t delay or compromise. Don't be perverse: (slow to obey - always turning it over in your mind, until you go back to it).
Get in the habit of quick and complete obedience from the first time you hear God’s voice! It will put you on an entirely different path in your life, and your destination will be completely different.
The devil just wants to steal, kill and destroy. He makes it look attractive, but Resist him. You can’t if you are constantly allowing his voice in your ear, or his input into your mind.
Step 4: Take it to God
STEP #5 of Deception Prevention: Get Godly Counsel
Run it past a friend who Fears the LORD, not an occasional Christian, or a compromising Christian, not one who loves money, (because the root of all evil is in him, he can’t discern anything with his money colored glasses on). Seek counsel from those who have made obedience a priority and a practice in their life; who are seeking and searching after the Fear of the LORD.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 - One can be overcome by an adversary, but two can withstand him, and a chord of three strands is not easily broken.
The Chord of three strands could be more than one friend who Fears the LORD – a multitude of Godly counsel, or it could be you and a friend who Fears God, with the Holy Spirit in your midst – the third strand of that chord. He comes there, where two or three gather together in his Name. (Matthew 18:20) Step 5: Get Godly Counsel Step #6 of Deception Prevention: Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit that He would ask the Father to send would lead you into all truth.
John 14:16 - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
John 16:13 - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
If you are being led into all truth, by the Holy Spirit, you are not walking in deception. So walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit pray the very will of God the father in you. See the PRISM Topic: Holy Spirit Summary Step 6: Be Filled with the Holy Spirit Step #7 of Deception Prevention: Walk With Someone Daily
God designed us to walk with someone - equally committed to obeying him daily. A Daily Call can help you do this! Take the 3-Day Challenge!
Hebrews 3:13 - But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
A PRISM Topic: is God’s Word on a single subject. A Relationship Topic is a perspective from God's Word on relationships. A PRISM Topic Packet is a grouping of PRISM or Relationship Topics of similar subjects... part of the M: Meditate on theWord of PRISM – (5 Things You Can Do Daily in God’s Word) to transform the way you think. Ask God what PRISM Topic or Relationship Topic He wants you to meditate on today.Take your PRISM Topic, Relationship Topic or Packet with you! Come back to them multiple times a day! “It is to be with him, and he is to meditate on it day and night, so that he may learn to fear the LORD…” - Deuteronomy 17:19 PRISM Topics - RELATIONSHIP Topics - PRISM Topic Packets