How would you feel if one day, you discovered that you were being lied to your whole life?
What would you say if I told you that you have?
You’ve been lied to—and you’re being lied to every day. It’s the same with me, and everyone else on earth.
It seems our world is filled with lies and liars. Faking things and fooling others seems to be almost the standard way of living.
But far more than a method of tricking people, have you ever considered what a lie really is, and what it actually does?
A lie is an affront—an opposition to what is right and real. Its goal is to replace something that is true, with something else. It attempts to counterfeit or confuse the real with something false.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Jesus came to give you abundant life, but Satan wants to steal it from you. And the tool bag of this thief is full of lies. He uses lies to remove what is right from your mind, and initiate wrong thinking and wrong direction into its place.
And each lie—connected like moving gears with other lies—becomes part of the greater illusion. It’s always working to coax your mind off course—and ultimately, to veer your life off course.
This illusion is accumulative. If you accept one wrong premise, then it becomes so much easier to believe a second, and a third.
As a Christian, it is vitally important for you to understand what this illusion means and does—its cause and effect—and to be fully aware of the consequences of allowing such deceptions into your thinking space.
Your ability to distinguish the real from the illusion within your world may be the difference between standing faithfully for Christ in this hour, or tragically losing your way.
Thankfully, you have a manual. It is your Bible.
When read in a search for Truth, God’s word is like a living road map—always available to point you in the right direction, along the pathways of life.
And if you prayerfully look for them, you can see the signposts throughout scripture—guiding you, teaching you, and warning you. God’s truth is revealed, the lies are exposed, and the power of deception is broken.
So let’s shatter that illusion right now.
Recognizing the Illusion
Some years ago, I was about to purchase a car from a dealer when I noticed that he was changing the information on the contract. I angrily said, “Hey—that’s cheating!” But he simply replied, “That’s just business.”
Ours is a society filled of manipulative information. Many decades in the making, the art of illusion has flourished, taken hold, and has taken us by storm. It seems that lying to one another is the new normal.
Our times are rapidly changing to fulfill God’s own design, for these last days of the church age. Our present day world is becoming more complicated, distracted, and filled with confusion by the minute. But Christians don’t have to be a part of it.
“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:13)
“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.” (Ephesians 5:6-7)
Seen from a biblical perspective, this is undoubtedly the time spoken of in scripture when knowledge would greatly increase upon the earth. Can there be any question about that?
Christians today are increasingly faced with finding their way through a flood of misinformation. The vast majority of our media isn’t about truth telling. Our days are filled with scams and schemes designed to sway us and play us in some certain way.
We are being conditioned to regard the truth as something not all that important. It’s easier to not face the truth, because it can be so unsettling. And so the illusion is always there to dull our senses.
Think about how many avenues of distraction we have in our lives—the internet, television, movies, sports, “news,” gaming, reality shows, comedians, contests, concerts, talk shows—all of which are ready at the touch of an icon, on our ever-present smart phones.
Personal thought and deep introspection of life and God, that may have otherwise been reflected upon, are being relinquished to staring at a piece of glass.
But let’s be real. We all enjoy being entertained. And as long as it’s clean, entertainment itself isn’t evil.
It just isn’t the truth.
This world of illusion is all around us, closing us in, prompting some decision, and pushing the Biblical truth—that should be persuading and preparing us for life—into an ever more silent role.
Anything that isn’t leading us toward God’s eternal truth is leading us away from it.
No one is safe. Our children are especially at risk of losing their way.
But to navigate this sea of illusion, you need to understand where the art of illusion came from.
Understanding the Illusion
This is where the illusion was first introduced.
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”(Genesis 3:1-6)
The Hebrew word for serpent, “nachash,” means “snake.” No surprises there. But it also means to hiss, or to whisper an enchanting spell. And—to observe.
Have you ever felt like you’re being observed—watched—while being sized up for something? You should.
Your spiritual enemies are always watching, and waiting for your moment of weakness.
There is a process of deception by dark forces, that bring about the illusion within the minds of humankind.
Satan, masquerading as a serpent-like creature, begins on a pleasant note with the woman Eve. He softly whispers, “Yessssss,” and gets her attention—surely having noticed that she already has eyes for the forbidden fruit. His “yessssss” sounds harmless enough—friendly, even.
Satan quickly engages Eve—not with some statement that would put her on the defensive, but with a simple question—hoping to introduce that doubt into her mind. Eve takes the bait, and considers Satan’s question. She responds as he would expect, by reciting God’s command of warning.
But the enemy already knows that information. He’s not looking for enlightenment. He’s looking for a foothold, a way in—over that impenetrable wall of God’s truth.
For this, he must use a more forceful approach to gain entrance. So he knocks Eve off balance by coming straight at her with an opposing view of what she knows. He states flatly that God’s truth was not accurate.
He must have received his coveted response (Eve’s undivided attention) because he then went in for the kill—suggesting that her Creator had a hidden motive for denying her and Adam access to such a marvelous tree.
Satan then closed the deal by quickly announcing all of the supposed benefits of countering God’s command:
- your eyes shall be opened (asserting they were somehow held back, not yet allowed to see something important.)
- you’ll be as gods (asserting the idea of freedom, independence from God, and self-rule.)
- knowing good and evil (asserting they would gain wisdom and knowledge of hidden things that were being withheld.)
And Eve’s response? She seemed fairly quick to agree with a plan that she so obviously was already in favor of. We see her thought process as she took the fruit.
At that moment, Eve and Adam fell for what humankind continually craves:
- the lust of the flesh
- the lust of the eyes
- the pride of life.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17)
Remember: Satan, with all of his cunning, could not force Adam or Eve to make a single decision. However, his job proved rather simple.
With just a little carefully placed doubt, and a few lies, our lovely couple was hooked—by their own covetous desires. If that were not the case, then why do we find them standing there, gazing upon what they fully understood they must not have—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
That day, they fell into Sin. And yet, they could not know the far reaching implications that their own personal disobedience would have.
Their disobedience would somehow ripple forth, like a stone thrown into a quiet pond, distorting truth through generations of time, to become the illusion of lies and deception we know today.
And here we are, painfully aware of our last days world. Many Christians struggle just to survive, in a society that is bent on burying the truth of God.
Friend, take heart. God’s truth will prevail. But there’s a fight to be fought and won. Right here. Right now. And it won’t wait. Because our enemy is desperate to destroy whoever he can, while he can.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:6-9)
Satan is after anyone with their spiritual guard down. But he is also perfectly aware of your position in Christ. Satan has a real fear—of you—because he understands the arsenal of weapons you’ve been given. Do you?
Do you fully recognize what you have been given by your God? No one joins an army just to be handed a soda straw to fight with. Never.
Christian, you have been given real weapons. You are clothed with a real helmet, and real boots—you’ve been given a sword, and a shield, and communication equipment. It’s time to put them on, soldier. This is war!
The enemy isn’t playing around, and neither can you. This is the good fight of faith that you were born for. And the battle is on.
Exposing the Deception
From our Bible’s unique perspective, we see deception by the enemy termed as, “the wiles of the devil”.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:10-13)
“Wiles” comes from the Greek word, “methodeia”—Satan’s “method” of operations. His method is the device he cunningly and craftily uses to trick you.
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:14-15)
Carried away with every wind of doctrine? That sounds like such a helpless position.
And can you imagine—if the Apostle Paul was deeply concerned for the Christians of his time, that they must be on guard—then how much more do those wild winds of doctrine blow today!
God’s word is clear on this. False doctrine and unbiblical beliefs are not just merely errors, but devices. They purposely “lie in wait to deceive” you.
Ephesians 6 explains that we are not to live our lives exposed, but to be covered with the full armor of God. The reason? This is a spiritual conflict, not fought against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of dark places.
Your armor is an armor of light, exposing the darkness. Your armor is an armor of faith, that holds against the fiery darts of the wicked.
The Greek word for “dart” here is “belos,”—a thrown missile, spear, arrow, or javelin. It sure doesn’t sound like the enemy is playing, does it?
Put your armor on!
Once again, what exactly is this deception—this illusion that plagues us, and presses us to fight for our very lives?
Look at Adam and Eve again. Satan promised that they would be god-like, and know what only heavenly beings could know. They forgot that by knowing God, they already knew everything they needed to know.
They traded the truth for the illusion. And this is the illusion we still face today—it is the knowledge of good and evil.
This particular word for “knowledge” goes back to a pair of Hebrew words, which together mean “to ignorantly perceive.” Ignorant perception!
This illusion of knowledge for humankind—which is actually an ignorant perception—is what makes us exposed to the enemy’s devices. It leaves us unguarded, uncovered, unprotected, naked, and ashamed. It strips us of God’s glory.
What do we do about it?
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)
The dictionary defines “reprove” as disapproving, correcting, criticizing or scolding. My own personal definition of “reprove” is: to expose the lies of the deceiver. Expose the lies—by standing for, speaking, and walking in truth.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
The master of the illusion longs for you to conform to his rebellious way of thinking and doing things. But we who are transformed to know the perfect will of God, do not follow such paths of misdirection.
God’s will can be proven. Dare to counter the world’s philosophies. The illusion quickly dissipates under the scrutiny of God’s righteous truth.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
Deception. Really, it’s the enemy’s only weapon. It’s actually pretty pathetic.
Because the gifts of the Holy Spirit—given by God to His church—are an unmatched arsenal of strength for all believers.
Imagine that you are standing before a vast table, filled with the weapons of spiritual warfare. Now, choose that weapon that fits you.
You’ll know it—by the way it fits in your hand. How it’s handled in your grasp. Because it was made just for you.
Take it, and use it—prove it—move those mountains that are in your way. Speak the truth. Pray that prayer of faith that arises within you.
And with the strength and courage of your Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, forward march into the battle.
It is the battle of your life! And you will win.
You will win, because the mighty Holy Spirit of God goes before you. You have been sent forth—in the power and authority of the mighty Name of Jesus Christ!
No weapon of deception formed against you can prosper. The illusion, the lies and the confusion are dispelled before the truth you hold.
Christian warrior, you have been given a weapon. It is your greatest, sharpest, and most powerful weapon.
That weapon is Truth.
Don’t leave yours on the table.