Being Deceived

I wish I had a better image to share with you, but on a recent trip together, while our family was driving past some hay fields, our three year old got very excited at this sight. "Look," he said, "look at those huge marshmellows!" Giving him a bit of credit, as soon as he said it, we could all see the resemblance too - but there was no convincing him that they were wrapped bales of hay, in his three year old mind, they were the biggest marshmellows he had ever seen!

We can laugh and think how childish, but how easily are we deceived from time to time? All of us have some area of weakness that the enemy is watching for a chance to feed us a lie or myth that we will buy into. To someone who is not susceptible in that area it may seem as silly as a giant marshmellow in a field, but to the one is open to deception in that way, it will seem as real as it did to our three year old. How can we be guarding ourselves against the enemy's deception? How can we become more aware of the dangers?

I think we can go back to Genesis and see quite clearly where the first deception took place, with woman - we may be more at risk than our husbands even - and how the enemy accomplished the great lie. God had been very clear with Adam and Eve and they knew what was true - we know this because she repeated back to the serpent when tempted. But in Genesis 3:1 we see where the downfall came, it says, "He (the serpent) said to the woman, 'Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" We have all heard it before - Satan took the truth and twisted it. But I think the defining moment must have been in the second when Eve questioned what she had been told when she heard "did God really say?".

That is how we can best guard against the enemy's deception - we HAVE to know God's truth, His ways and His commands if we are to stand up to the moments of temptation that we come across. I have found that I will go along and foolishly start to think that I have really come to a safer place in my "spiritual journey" and then BAM - I seem to get broadsided with something I didn't even see coming. That is one of the ways we can be more aware of the dangers - not in looking for a demon behind every bush, but being honest and real about our weaknesses or where we have been tempted in the past. It is especially important if it has been an area that we have not just experienced temptation, but actually given into sin - the enemy will be that much more aware of our vulnerability in that place.

Remember in II Corinthians, where Paul is talking about forgiveness, he says, "In order that Satan may not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." But I would challenge myself and others, that sometimes in our culture, I think we are unaware of his schemes...we cannot assume exemption, we must be pursuing wisdom and awareness. Then in Ephesians, we are told how to properly protect ourselves - God has provided all we need and sometimes I think we take the gift lightly and do not utilize what He has provided for us. In reference to the armour of God, Paul says in chapter 6, verse 10, "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God SO THAT you can take your stand against the DEVIL'S SCHEMES."

If one of our children was going out for the rugby team and during the big game, looked at all the gear provided to him and then looked at his coach and said, "Thanks but I really don't need this stuff, I been playing for years and I know the dangers", as a mother or even the coach, we would be horrified. Of course, we know that in the game of rugby you take all the protection you can get and then there are still risks. How much more, in the battle we are part of (if we have called ourselves a Christian) should we be utilizing all the "gear" that God has made available to us? Paul even goes on to remind us in verse 12 of that same chapter that, "Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." That should not bring any fear to your life - don't let it - Jesus already won the victory, we just need to walk it out with the provision He has made for us.

Be strong, my friend, in the Lord - and be aware of the devil's schemes. Do not rest in your own strength but in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. And go out with JOY and be led forth with PEACE!