We live in a world bombarded with all sorts of philosophies of life. Some of these philosophies run contrary to the Word of God. It can be very deceptive when a thought seems to be as good to adopt but is filled with lies.
“Everything is permissible for me” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me: - but I will not be mastered by anything. (1Cor.6:12)
The Apostle Paul reminds us of the battle of the mind:
The weapons we fight are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor.10:4,5).
Satan is called the father of lies (Jn.8:44). But Jesus says: And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (Jn.8:32). Hence there is a truth encounter between the Word of God and the word of the devil. The tool Satan uses is deception. Eve was being deceived by the devil at the Garden of Eden. Just a few words, and Eve’s mind went into a spin. These words are still echoing today. The words – “but did God say” (Gen.3:1). It is so easy to doubt the Word of God once we stand on shaky ground.
What are the consequences of deception?
Rationalize
How would one rationalize? When we take the law into our own hands. We set the new rules for the day. A wrong can be made right. Self-justification breeds rationalization. We use reason for the wrong cause. It challenges the very Word of God. The subtlety of deception is that it makes us feel justified to do what we think is right. The only problem is that we don’t know what is right and wrong when we don’t know the Word of God.
Compromise
What does it mean to compromise? It is to take on a double standard. When we abandon the truth and allow peer pressures or temptations to overtake us. When we succumb to the pressures of life and take on ungodly stands, we have compromised. When the Word of God is no longer applied as the absolute truth, we turn to alternatives. When worldly wisdom appears good but can also be a road to compromise. We are into compromise when we dilute God’s Word with humanistic thinking.
Idolize
This is the worst stage of our spiritual disposition. When we ignore the truth, we actually set a new reference for our lifestyle. What does the Bible say about those who have ignored the truth?
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them (2Tim.3:1-5).
When men carve an image after their own thinking and philosophy of life, it becomes a form of idolatry. They can idolize themselves. Satan’s poison words to Eve were: “and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen.3:5).
What is Gods antidote to deception?
The Apostle Paul’s exhortation to us:
Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will (Rom.12:2)
By Pastor Titus Soo
“Everything is permissible for me” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me: - but I will not be mastered by anything. (1Cor.6:12)
The Apostle Paul reminds us of the battle of the mind:
The weapons we fight are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor.10:4,5).
Satan is called the father of lies (Jn.8:44). But Jesus says: And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (Jn.8:32). Hence there is a truth encounter between the Word of God and the word of the devil. The tool Satan uses is deception. Eve was being deceived by the devil at the Garden of Eden. Just a few words, and Eve’s mind went into a spin. These words are still echoing today. The words – “but did God say” (Gen.3:1). It is so easy to doubt the Word of God once we stand on shaky ground.
What are the consequences of deception?
Rationalize
How would one rationalize? When we take the law into our own hands. We set the new rules for the day. A wrong can be made right. Self-justification breeds rationalization. We use reason for the wrong cause. It challenges the very Word of God. The subtlety of deception is that it makes us feel justified to do what we think is right. The only problem is that we don’t know what is right and wrong when we don’t know the Word of God.
Compromise
What does it mean to compromise? It is to take on a double standard. When we abandon the truth and allow peer pressures or temptations to overtake us. When we succumb to the pressures of life and take on ungodly stands, we have compromised. When the Word of God is no longer applied as the absolute truth, we turn to alternatives. When worldly wisdom appears good but can also be a road to compromise. We are into compromise when we dilute God’s Word with humanistic thinking.
Idolize
This is the worst stage of our spiritual disposition. When we ignore the truth, we actually set a new reference for our lifestyle. What does the Bible say about those who have ignored the truth?
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them (2Tim.3:1-5).
When men carve an image after their own thinking and philosophy of life, it becomes a form of idolatry. They can idolize themselves. Satan’s poison words to Eve were: “and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen.3:5).
What is Gods antidote to deception?
The Apostle Paul’s exhortation to us:
Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will (Rom.12:2)
By Pastor Titus Soo