As we have seen
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As we have seen, the Bible reveals that worldliness messes with our very thinking processes. Its hypnotic allure dupes us spiritually.
Not just worldliness, but many forms of spiritual attack do this. There are very many biblical warnings about the frighteningly real possibility of spiritual deception. Let’s look at a few examples.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Proverbs 16:2 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 30:12 . . . who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth Obviously, spiritually dangerous foggy thinking occurs among pagans:
Romans 1:21-22 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers . . .
2 Thessalonians 2:11 . . . God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (Emphasis mine)
Dangerous delusion can, however, also come to devout Bible believers:
2 Corinthians 3:14-15 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. . . . Isaiah 29:10 The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers). (Emphasis mine)
Moreover, it can happen to Christians. Wrote the apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 4:4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. And it was to Christians that he wrote:
Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? . . .
Consider this:
Matthew 16:16-18,21-23 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. . . .” From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things . . . and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Emphasis mine)
From before Planet Earth even existed, Almighty God had been meticulously planning humanity’s salvation through his spotless Son’s sacrificial death. The eternal future of our entire race hinged on it. Though Judas had no clue of the implications, Judas’s betrayal actually facilitated that critical plan. In contrast, Peter’s words, motivated by a loving yearning to protect his Lord from suffering, became a temptation (rendered sickening powerful by coming from Jesus’ dear friend) to split the Trinity and sabotage God’s eternal plans.
This is Peter, the Rock, who just verses before received Jesus’ high praise for his openness to revelation direct from God, rather than from humans.
Peter’s reaction flowed not only from a heart brimming with loving devotion to Jesus, but was based on his firm understanding of Scripture and the unshakable convictions of highly devout people, revered “church” leaders and respected conservative Bible scholars about the prophesized Messiah.
This highlights how terrifyingly little we know what we are doing much of the time – how any of us can become a pawn of Satan, not having “in mind the things of God, but the things of men,” and having not only no idea that we have been seduced by spiritually lethal human thinking but supposing that God is delighted with our stance. This can happen despite us being motivated by good intentions and by our sincere personal reading of the Word of God, confirmed by what seem the best and most trustworthy Bible teachers.
Scripture insists that even Christians who have “died with Christ to the basic principles of this world” can still be adversely influenced by the world, even though for them worldliness takes a religious form and has “an appearance of wisdom.”
Colossians 2:20-23 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
We all need to take seriously Scripture’s warning to Christians:
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Christians are so susceptible to ungodly influence that Scripture actually had to plead to Christians to no longer act like those whose minds are darkened, and whose thinking is bedevilled by futility:
Ephesians 4:17-18 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (Emphasis mine. See also Ephesians 4:14)
Likewise it is heart wrenching to realize that the following was written to Christians:
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray . . .
(Note yet again that it is the mind that is targeted.)
We Christians are so vulnerable to deception that over and over and over, the Bible warns Christians to avoid deception:
Colossians 2:4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way . . .
The Bible is filled with many more warnings to Christians about deception. More examples.
Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”
1 Corinthians 3:18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age [the world], he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise.
1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: . . .
1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived . . .
Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words . . .
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way . . .
James 1:16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.
James 1:22 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. . . .
1 John 3:7 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Scripture is particularly noteworthy because it implies those who have fallen prey to deceiving spirits once had faith in Christ:
1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Our capacity for deception is boundless:
Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
As Proverbs warns:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. (Repeated in Proverbs 16:25).
The disturbing quandary is that no one can ever know when he or she is being deluded. It’s a Catch 22: if you know you are being duped, you are not being duped. The proud think themselves incapable of deception, but our Lord “guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Psalm 25:9).
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