The very nature of deception is that it presents itself as truth, when in fact it is a lie. Some of the dictionary's meanings are: not honest; ensnare; to be false; to fail to fulfill; cheat; to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid; to lead astray. Here are a few of the verses which address this issue:

"Take heed to yourselves, lest your [minds and] hearts be deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them," Deuteronomy 11:16.

"With Him are might and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His [and in His power]" Job 12:16.

"Then I [Jeremiah] said, Alas, Lord God! Surely You have greatly deceived and misled this people and Jerusalem, [for the prophets represented You as] saying [to Your people], You shall have peace, whereas the sword has reached to [their very] life. At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness [comes at My command] against the daughter of My people--not [a wind] to fan or cleanse [from chaff, as when threshing]. A wind too strong and full for winnowing comes at My word. Now I will also speak in judgment against [My people]" Jeremiah 4:10-12.

"And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword; and they shall have none to bury them--them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their wickedness upon them [and not on their false teachers only, for the people could not have been deceived except by their own consent]" Jeremiah 14:16.

"Your [object of] horror (your idol) has deceived you, and the pride of your heart [has deceived you], O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock [Sela or Petra], who hold and occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle's, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord" Jeremiah 49:16.

"[The prophet has not been granted permission to give an answer to the hypocritical inquirer] but if the prophet does give the man the answer he desires [thus allowing himself to be a party to the inquirer's sin], I the Lord will see to it that the prophet is deceived in his answer, and I will stretch out My hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel" Ezekiel 14:9.

"And they both shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the iniquity of the [presumptuous] prophet shall be the same as the iniquity of the [hypocritical] inquirer, that the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, says the Lord God" Ezekiel 14:10-11.

"The pride of your heart has deceived you, you dweller in the refuges of the rock, whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, Who can bring me down to the ground?" Obadiah 1:3.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality, nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God" 1Corinthians 6:9-10.

"Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. Awake [from your drunken stupor and return] to sober sense and your right minds, and sin no more. For some of you have not the knowledge of God [you are utterly and willfully and disgracefully ignorant, and continue to be so, lacking the sense of God's presence and all true knowledge of Him]. I say this to your shame"

1Corinthians 15:33-34.

"Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap" Galatians 6:7.

"But wicked men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves"

2Timothy 3:13.

This listing is just a sampling of what the Scriptures state concerning deception, deceivers, and those who are deceived. The first reaction of the natural man is to dismiss these warnings as applying to himself; while readily applying them to other people. How is it that it is always the other guy who is in error and deceived? While we stand confidently in our chosen belief, that it could not happen to us (?), we are too wise (?), we would know (?) if false teaching were presented to us (?). Is it possible that we could ourselves be deceived?

Does becoming 'religious' somehow guarantee that we will be able to withstand or avoid deception? Have we considered the critical importance of knowing what we believe and why we believe it? Christianity today contains a veritable smorgasbord of beliefs. One can pick and choose from an incredibly wide variety of teachings and doctrines, all using scripture. People today pick their Church according to what they have been taught growing up; what their denominational background is; whether or not they are attracted to the leader; the way the services are conducted, where there friends are, any number of variables.

We have centuries of theology and traditions on which we base our faith. How does what we believe differ from the Church down the street or across town? Are these differences important or trivial? Is our religion a matter of convenience, an attempt to fit in? or are we in possession of a living relationship with God? Do we read our Bibles, making ourselves familiar with God's Word to man? Or are we content and satisfied to trust that job to our leaders, while we contentedly let them tell us what the Bible says (? ) concerning what we should believe, how we should conduct our lives, and whether or not we have any hope of making heaven our eternal destination?

Man's truth is neither established nor immovable. Mankind's beliefs can change with time and experience; with societal trends and cultural differences. What is approved in one part of the world is scandalous and unacceptable in another. Within the brief history of America, people's beliefs as to what is and is not acceptable behavior has undergone drastic changes and revisions ...so how is one to judge and determine what truth is?

Reasserting what deception means: the practice of deliberately making somebody believe things that are not true; to intentionally mislead; dishonesty, trickery, ruse, sham, fraud, con. Deception is an age old device that has thrust its ugly head up from the depths of man's fallen nature since the dawn of time. No one is exempt from deception. It preys on all, regardless of gender, social status, age or income. It has flourished in every age and dispensation of time right up to the present. Yet for all the irrefutable evidence of deception's existence in all arenas of life, few will even consider that they could be deceived. By its very nature, deception is one of the most successful tools in the devils arsenal. From the Enron scandal in the financial world, to the lies that flow from the mouths of our politicians, to the simplest white lie told by the little child caught misbehaving, deception is inherent in our carnal nature. Know also that denial is the close companion of deception. Both are widely used by the deceived as well as the deceiver. How interesting that the scripture in Job states "that both are in God's hand."

The only constant throughout history, is the Word of God. Only in God are there absolutes, that do not change. He is constant as testified to in Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." And Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages)."

Jesus repeatedly commanded us to "Follow ME"... "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Yet we choose to follow men rather than Christ. We seek the teachings of those among us who claim to be learned, rather than seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Is it any wonder that one of the prime places where deception is rampant, is within that which calls itself the Church? We should take into account that no one starts out believing that they are going to be deceived. The individuals who were caught up in the error of following false leaders, such as David Koresh (Waco) and Jim Jones (Guyana) did not knowingly, purposely decide "I'm going to be deceived." Between the two atrocities, over 1000 people died. People who had no way of foreseeing that the beliefs they chose to embrace and the leaders they chose to follow, would cost them their lives in a violent manner. Sincerity is not enough. Deception is not fair ...it doesn't play by any rules ...the aim of deception is to destroy.

In spiritual matters, the enemy will employ any tactic. It is no challenge for Satan to masquerade as an angel of light. Those who discover that they have been deceived are the lucky ones. To uncover deception ...to learn that things in fact are not as they were presented ... that all you believed in was in actuality a lie ... is utterly devastating. Yet to never be enlightened is even worse.

Even as you read this, part of your mind is separating yourself from it. We can see it all so clearly in others, especially if they are of a different persuasion from ours, but we fail to acknowledge that we are no different than anyone else, except in our own estimation. We are just as susceptible to deception as our neighbor.

Psalms 118:8 "It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man." Yet in our natural state, it is easier to put our trust in someone we can see. We continually place our faith in other men, trusting that they will speak only the truth, and not lead us into error. When we have placed someone else on a pedestal, giving them credit for being in possession of a closer walk with God than we have; or for having had more training and schooling, consciously choosing to put ourselves under their tutelage, we seldom take into consideration that they are no different than us. That regardless of their training, they are just as susceptible to deception as anyone else. That they are called to a higher standard is irrefutable. There is a place for Pastors and Shepherds in the Church, just as the other offices. But they are not to be a substitute for your own relationship with God. There job is to encourage your spiritual growth, to guard the flock from ravaging wolves. They have not attained anything that is not available to everyone who believes. The object of our desire must be to know God, not to sit under the most charismatic leader, with the newest, the biggest, and the best the world has to offer in a religious setting.

Our relationships with others are important. But our relationship with God is critical. Jesus promised us in John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever." And John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

We must be born again. We must learn to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh. Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

We must believe God's Word to us (as revealed by the Holy Spirit) above and beyond the doctrines of men, or popular opinion.

Jesus also warns us in Luke 21:8 'And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them."

We have a responsibility here folks. It is our duty and responsibility to believe and obey.

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." We must believe, and then we must obey. Another verse which speaks of this from the Old Testament, is offered as an example of how easily we can miss the message.

Exodus 15:26"And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for am the LORD that healeth thee." We must be careful not to receive only the parts of scripture that appeal to us, while neglecting the parts that are less attractive. Many have quoted the above verse, zeroing in on: 'for I am the LORD that healeth thee,' while neglecting the steps that clearly bring us to the desired healing. That being...the diligent listening (to hear intelligently, with discernment & obedience), and doing what is right (pleasing in God's sight). In addition, we must 'give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes' ...or we have the responsibility 'to listen to and perceive God's laws, and to keep and observe all of His commandments to us.' Partially listening and partially obeying will not get us anywhere. God requires our all; our total commitment and allegiance.

David comprehended this:

"Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently" Psalms 119:4.

We are exhorted in Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

As well as by the Apostle's :

2 Peter 1:10 "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."

Jude 1:3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

Hebrews 10:38 "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

Deceivers are not going to have horns and carry a pitchfork, they are going to be indistinguishable by their outward appearance. They are not going to rail outlandish blasphemies that are easily recognized with the carnal mind. They are going speak smooth words, that are pleasing to the ear, using scripture to their own ends. If we are not walking in relationship with God; if we are not led by the Holy Spirit, exercising true spiritual discernment, we will be deceived. The aim of the enemy of our souls is not to keep us from becoming religious; his aim is to keep us from living by the power of the Spirit, to delude us into thinking we are farther along than we are. It is easy to lay claim to all the promises, without taking into consideration that the promises are made ... "to them that believe" ...and "obey." We are responsible for whether or not we avail ourselves of the opportunities afforded us. We can seek the Lord with our whole heart, making a priority of knowing for ourselves what the "Gospel of Christ" is and following all of His commandments. Or we can imagine that we can receive this life in Christ by following some other path, listening to some other voice, and operating in some other spirit. We choose, abundant life, or a compromised gospel. Mixture and polluted teachings are abundant today ... and many love to have it so. The themes applauded today in the Church world are compromise and tolerance, for the sake of unity. How many today recognize to what extent blatant humanism has infiltrated the Church? How many are so caught up in doing "works" that they have no time or energy left to press in to a relationship? How many have placed their trust in and devotion to a man, rather than Almighty God? Far more than we can imagine.

Have you never wondered who Jesus was speaking to when He said in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

This is not past tense, as having already taken place. He is speaking here of those in every generation, who claim to be doing the "Lord's work" ....but without the Lord's endorsement or authority. How much of a shock must it be, to be convinced that what you are doing is right, and when you stand before the King of kings, He denies ever knowing you?!!

Could we safely consider this an example of those who are operating under deception?

As believers it is not our responsibility to become theologians, but it is our responsibility to love God first, and secondly to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are indebted to know the teachings of Christ our Lord, not the teachings of men. Let us heed Peter's admonishment to us: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall".... knowing that "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"Phi 1:6).