Spirit of deception

 First of all, I must stress the point that a spirit of deception is VERY SLY.

 

SLY – Stealthily clever; secretive rather than open; underhanded; deceitful. – The American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language

 

A spirit of slyness is almost the same as a spirit of deception, but is more secretive.  My advanced class research materials, to my surprise, did not specifically mention a spirit of slyness, but mentioned Deception with a description as being ‘very sly’.

 

An experienced Christian believer should be able to discern this type of spiritual attack.  How does this spirit function?  That's the whole point of this teaching.  This spirit is so tricky that it can fool the very strongest of Christians.  Let’s continue with some real life examples.

 

Provide things honest in the sight of all men. – Romans 12: 17b

 

It is crystal clear that we are to be honest.  We are not to DECEIVE.  Deception is sin.  That does not mean that you have to tell everyone everything that you know, but important details, you should obviate.  Here is an almost perfect example of obvious deception orchestrated quite well.

 

A person was selling a stereo I wanted and I made him an offer even though he was not taking offers – he had a firm selling price.  To my surprise, he took the offer quickly.  He seemed to work at what sounded like a large warehouse judging from the name of his business.

 

I drove about 90 minutes after being told the stereo was in excellent condition.  HOWEVER, HE WAS BEING SECRETIVE ABOUT MANY DETAILS.  And, as I mention later, he was very friendly and most helpful and so was his spouse.

 

The stereo was being sold out of his house, there was no business location whatsoever.  Of course, there was no remote control – about a $40 to $60 accessory.  I thought it unusual that he had the 4 speakers hooked up and ready to play.  I was surprised he was so nice while his wife might have been distracting me with her cooking skills.  He played a CD and I told him to break the stereo down and I would take it.

 

When I got home, I realized that the speaker wires (a $50 accessory) were home-made.  They were not originals and therefore were rather very short, especially for the surround sound speakers.  I ordered new wires and a new remote control – about $100.  I have yet to try out the stereo at home, but I did notice that a button on the control panel was very loose.  I am not yet sure that it works.

 

Do you see it?  The guy carried everything to my car for me and was as nice as could be.  But in reality, I was deceived especially with the speaker wires.  He tried to hide them from me by showing me other features.  He never said a word about the wires.  He deceived me and I hardly saw it coming.  This is what the god of this world has mastered.  I was tired from the trip and he probably knew it.  When Jesus Christ fasted 40 days and 40 nights, THEN Satan approached him and tempted him.  That’s how Satan operates – he’s nauseating, sly, secretive, underhanded, stealthily clever.  He plans his moves and remember, he only knows what you’re going to do or what you’re thinking if you tell him.  So be careful there.

 

I could tell you a thousand stories like this.  I believe this one should get the point across quite well and maybe a few other real-life events may also help.

 

I had a person who lived next door to me who had this spiritual influence.  A person who is influenced by a deceptive, slyness spirit will hide and observe your behavior without your knowledge.  I caught him a number of times.  I know that this is not a pleasant subject, but it is one that you should be aware of so that you are not tricked by Satan.  This devil spirit works by deceiving people using any means possible, such as lying, being pleasant, appearing to do good, etc.

 

A spirit such as this one usually operates in combination with other devil spirits.  However, a spirit of deception can function and afflict a person by itself.  To give you a different example, a person who is an alcoholic can also be afflicted with a spirit of deception/slyness.  You can be fooled by your personal adversary when you least expect it.  A spirit of deception is very good at this. 

 

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor:  for we are members one of another. -- Ephesians 4: 25

 

What does that tell you?  There are lying spirits also.  The enemy covered all his bases.  You must cover yours.  Deception, slyness, and lying are very similar.

 

For the love of money is the root [system] of all evil:  which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. – I Timothy 6: 10

 

Can you imagine that the love of money is the root of ALL evil?  Remember it is not just money alone – it is the LOVE of money.  So where does evil originate? 

 

If someone is only concerned about their financial gain, they will do anything in their power to extract money or finances from you.  If a spirit of deception is at work, it will act very friendly and trustworthy and all the while, it could be setting you up for a major scam.  This goes on every single day and you should know where it is prominent.  Right on your computer.  You receive e-mails from fake companies who imitate real companies such as PayPal.  You may receive letters that are from major banks, but in reality, they are fakes trying to get your money or your account password.  The point I'm trying to make is that you must study God's Word if you are going to get revelation concerning discerning of spirits.  Many times, for some reason, God will not let you know what devil spirit is operating unless you ask Him.

 

Oh, I know what you are saying.  These are just people who are corrupt or evil.  Not all things that happen are the result of devil spirits.  My, oh, my.  HA!  That may be what you say, but it is not what the Word of God says.  Many people never realize the powerful principles expressed in the next verse.

 

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.[from on high] -- Ephesians 6: 12

 

We deal with people who are influenced by devil spirits every day.  The Christ in us is greater so there is no need for over-concern.  If you study God’s Word, you are ready for the enemy.  It’s not a big deal unless you do not keep God first by your own free will.

 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -- Matthew 6: 33

 

Seek anything else first and everything will be subtracted from you.  

 

So now we have a fairly good introduction to a spirit of deception.  I have resolved my life to exposing the devil and all of his devil spirits which make up his kingdom.  This takes his deception and brings it out in the open and seriously diffuses his power.  I choose to do God's Will and I will continue regardless of any amount of tribulation.  We as Christians should live our lives to expose evil.  This teaching will be straightforward and very clear to any true Christian who really wants to know the truth.  The Bible, God's Word, is the only truth in the world today.  Everything else is factual and a fact can be disputed.  Truth can only be witnessed to and that is what I'm doing here.

 

There have been a lot of stories in this teaching, but as far as I am concerned, not a sufficient amount of God’s Word and examples directly from His Word.  To conclude this teaching, we will now go to as many examples as God sees fit directly from His Word pertaining to our subject.  Let’s get to these examples in the New and Old Testament so that God’s Word can strengthen your mind and aid you in your understanding. 

 

Biblical Examples of DECEPTION:

 

Let’s talk about the most prevalent senses deception since the beginning of time.  The context is speaking about the man who is evil and his fate.  This type of deception can be deadly to any person, so listen up.  It’s happening right now, countless times.

 

Plain and simple, this verse is speaking of a whore, a prostitute, a slut, a woman without morals and having zero respect for herself.  It applies to men also.  Speaking of the ways of the froward man and where his paths will lead him:

 

For her [the prostitute’s] house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.  None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. – Proverbs 2: 18, 19

 

All that I remember about these verses is that there is nothing worse that a man can do but take advantage of the services of a prostitute.  He not only sins against God, but he sins against his own body.  I cannot understand how a man can pay for sex – it just never registered with me.  But it’s so easy to cheat, isn’t it?  That temptation is great.  Did you ever cheat on your girlfriend or wife especially when you truly love them?  Why, it eats away at you like a cancer.  You can hardly live with yourself.  Why?  Because you were deceived by Satan himself.  The only way out is to confess that sin to the one you love and it hurts them.  But maybe you can go on and maybe you will receive forgiveness.  Maybe.  Just don’t ever do it again.  All of this is the result of deceptionand that spirit runs rampant.  Only a knowledge of God’s Word in the renewed mind will protect you from this type of attack.  Remember this example – you’re going to need it.

 

Deception works hand in hand with a spirit of intellectualism – yes, Satan has one of them also.  How many people do you know that think they know it all?  Their mind seems to be closed to learning anything new.  Did you know that everyone (not born again) thinks, in their own mind, that they are ALWAYS right?  Did you know that John Dillinger, a mass murderer, thought he was liked and admired by everyone??!!  He would tell people that they now had a great story to tell their grandchildren, when he was robbing their bank?!!  He would walk in a bar and announce himself “Hey, I’m John Dillinger” expecting praise and worship from people.  He really believed he was a great man.  Imagine that.  Now that’s what you call deception.  Let’s see what the Word of God says, again in Proverbs.

 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes:  fear [respect] the Lord, and depart from evil. – Proverbs 3: 5 – 7

 

Don’t trust the world – it will ALWAYS deceive you.  It’s your decision.  But, in turn, trust God and His Word and not your understanding.  Go to God, not man!  God will direct your paths, then you will have the strength to depart from evil.  Deception versus true understanding.  Which one will you choose?  God’s paths or your ways?  Which one? You have free will to choose.  Don’t let Satan deceive you.

 

There was a person I knew who was wrongly accused of a criminal act. The police would not help him so he was forced to hire an attorney.  The charge against this man was ludicrous to put it mildly, but there was a sale on donuts, at the time, so the cops weren’t about to do any work.  It cost my friend over $1,000 for about 3 hours with a mediocre attorney only interested in money.  When the charges were finally dropped, my friend was relieved, but he was out $1,000.  He was furious, angry and tempted by a spirit of DECEPTION that he had a right to get his money back and then some.  He shoplifted about $2500 worth of merchandise and never got caught.  This act of stealing eventually caught up to my friend and started to sicken him.  There was nothing he could do but tell God how sorry he was, try to overcome the guilt and keep living.  He was completely deceived at first, into thinking that what he was doing was justified, even though he knew what the Word of God said about stealing.

 

Well, my friend is fortunate that he is walking around.  I decided to go to a record in Acts, chapter 5 that startles many people, even myself.  You see, everyone suffers when the Word is broken by all parties.  The person who wrongly accused my friend took a serious stroke and suffers brain damage.  The husband is a hopeless alcoholic and my friend sometimes, still struggles with the guilt of stealing so much merchandise from random stores.  NOW, WATCH WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS RECORD IN ACTS.  Wow.  Don’t ever do wrong to a believer or you could suffer the following fate.  The subject matter conveniently deals with the subject of stealing as a result of being DECEIVED BY SATAN HIMSELF.  You will find it hard to believe what happened to these two believers, husband and wife.

 

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,  And kept back part  of the price, his wife also being privy to it,  and brought a certain part, and laid it  at the apostles' feet.  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost [Spirit], and to keep back part  of the price of the land?  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?  and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?  why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?  thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost [he died]:  and great fear came on all them that heard these things.  And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him  out, and buried him.  – Acts 5: 1 – 6

 

It’s some record, isn’t it?  They sold a property and conspired together to keep some of the money for themselves.  How did Peter know?  By revelation from God.  Ananias and Sapphira were DECEIVED BIG TIME to steal from the apostles.  Peter told Ananias that he not only lied to the Apostles, but to God.  To make quite an understatement, it was a bit much for Ananias to take and he literally dropped dead and they took him out and buried him.  This is only one half of the record.  Let’s continue with Acts Chapter 5.

 

And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.  And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much?  And she said, Yea, for so much.  Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?  behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.  Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost [she died]: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her  forth, buried her  by her husband. – Acts 5: 7 - 10 

 

Watch the wisdom of Peter.  He has Sapphira trap herself in her own words.  Her and her husband, inspired by Satan, were DECEIVED into conspiring together to lie and to steal from the Apostles.  The consequences for both was death.  Who killed them?  Satan used them for his purposes and when he was done with them, he killed them. That’s how the god of this world operates – he steal, he kills, and he destroys.  Sapphiraalso could not handle the truth with her sinful plan being exposed by Peter.  Peter outright told her that the ones who buried her husband shall do the same with her.  Then she fell down dead.

 

It’s quite a record, isn’t it?  I believe it should conclude our teaching.  I guess it could shake some people up and maybe that’s what some people need.  Life is not a game and it is only by the grace of God that many of us are still walking around. 

Deception is something we hate but something we cannot avoid, for there is deception everywhere. When sin entered the world, Eve explained: "The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (Gen. 3:13). Satan is called 'the deceiver of the whole world' (Rev. 12:9) — no more so than when people do not believe that he exists.

We were made for truth — what Simone Weil beautifully called "the radiant manifestation of reality". Yet somehow we are immersed in deception. Television deceives us, advertisements lead us to Vanity Fair, educators deceive us, politicians seem to be able to do little else to us, false teachers abound in the church, and, worst of all, we deceive ourselves. In Paul's testimony, even God's law can be used to deceive us: "sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me"(Rom. 7:11).

We deceive ourselves mainly because we are proud and it suits us to deceive ourselves. Paul warned the Corinthians:

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 1 Cor. 3:18

How many human beings have deceived themselves that they could mingle with worldly people without doing harm to themselves? We tell ourselves: "They may indulge in folly, but I know better deep down and can handle this." But we deceive ourselves, for bad company ruins good morals (1 Cor. 15:33). We deceive ourselves that we can sow indifference and selfishness and reap all kinds of wonders, but, alas, "whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Gal. 6:7).

Because we come into the world with a corrupt nature, and are more ready to believe falsehood than God's truth, we are prone to deception. We easily deceive ourselves regarding immorality, impurity, and covetousness, and the judgment of God, but the Word of God tells us:

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Eph. 5:6

We can profess the name of Christ, indulge in an ungodly lifestyle, and delude ourselves that we will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21). Such a sad state of affairs has probably been quite common down through the ages, but at no time more so than today when trusting in Jesus as Saviour is often equated with believing that He will help me cope with life. We can hear something that sounds Christian, believe it, and carry on unchanged, as though the Holy Spirit ­the Spirit who makes holy had never come into it. Hence James tells us to "be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"(James 1:22).

Deception can come upon us regarding events leading up to the second coming of Christ. Some Thessalonian believers had given up work, thinking that there was no point to it as the Day had come (2 Thess. 2:3). They have not been the last group in the history of Christendom to be deluded in this area. By definition, the workings of temptation deceive us. We tend to minimise it or evade our responsibility for overcoming it. Sin is just a problem in our lives, and sins are rather like mistakes. In any case, no one is perfect. However, James tells us that desire leads to sin, and sin leads to death. We ought not to be deceived regarding this (James 1:13-16).

We deceive ourselves if we say we have no sin, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Grace is not lawlessness. It is free, but, as Bonhoeffer said, it is not cheap. Christ did not save His people so that they could continue in unrighteousness but in order to practise righteousness (1 John 3:7). To believe otherwise is to be deceived, no matter how evangelical we try to sound.

Now we come to the most damning and beguiling aspect of deception. This may be best illustrated through recounting the conversion of Arthur Pink. Pink was raised in a Christian home, but sometime in his youth he embraced the tenets of Theosophy. By 1908, at the age of 22, he had become a medium, and practised clairvoyance, divination, and magical healing.

As was his custom, he came home from a Theosophy meeting one night, but this particular night his father greeted him with the text: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov. 14:12). Pink was struck, indeed convicted, and was so disturbed that he did not leave his room for three days until he could profess Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour.

That is the truly terrible thing about deception. We can be deceived when we think we are doing right. And we only know we have been deceived after we have been delivered from deception. Are you deceived? Virtually nobody believes that he is, but God tells us that many are.

The Greek word planos, translated as "deceiving" (NKJV) or "seducing" (KJV), is the same word from which we derive the English word "planet." It conveys the idea of wandering. To the astronomers of ancient Greece, the planets appeared to wander in a heaven populated by other, relatively fixed lights. Thus, evil spirits induce people to wander from the true path of God's Word. These are the principalities and powers against which we wrestle (Ephesians 6:10-12). John W. Ritenbaugh Damnable Heresies Related Topics: Deceiving Spirits | Deception | Demonic principalities | Evil Spirits | Principalities | Seducing Spirits

2 Peter 3:1-4 At the very core of the gospel message is the assurance that Jesus Christwill return and establish His Kingdom on earth. Our hope is in His second coming because we recognize that we need His merciful intervention before humanity wipes itself out. As things continue to deteriorate, we keep returning to this confident expectation that there is a solution to the problems that mankind faces, but that solution is still just over the horizon. However, it seems like His return has been “just over the horizon” our entire lives, and we may wonder at times why the end has not yet come. In this regard, II Peter 3 is invaluable for keeping the right perspective on Christ's return, and especially its timing. The apostle Peter helps us to focus on the right things in anticipation of that day. Peter begins the chapter with a reminder of all the things the prophets and apostles had been inspired to preach. The timing of Christ's return was the source of quite a bit of confusion in the first century, and so Peter reminds his audience that a tremendous amount of God's Word has to do with that very topic. The Bible contains a solid foundation for at least a general understanding of the end times, even though the exact timing is not spelled out. In these verses, Peter addresses the prevailing notion that “life goes on” and the public's scoffing at the idea that the Creator would return and intervene in human affairs. In the previous chapter, he paid considerable attention to false prophets, false teachers, and false doctrines that were troubling the church from the inside. In chapter 3, Peter draws attention to all that the true prophets and apostles had written because their writings needed to be the basis of evaluating what the contemporary teachers were saying. Along the same lines, Paul says in I Timothy 4:1 that “the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. . . .” A picture emerges of people who had “the faith”—a specific faith—at one time, but whose natural desires have overshadowed it. They had regressed to the place where they scoff at the idea that there is anything more to life than what they can discern with their senses. As their faith deteriorates, they conclude that nothing has really changed in the millennia of (accepted) human history, so it is doubtful that this world will ever end. So Peter writes to those who have not departed from the faith, pointing out that God's Word is filled with examples of His intervention, so that they—and we—might be bolstered in the face of the scoffing. In Matthew 24, Jesus responded to the questions that the disciples asked of Him pertaining to “what would be the sign of his coming and the end of the world” with a warning that deception would be prevalent in the earth, especially religious deception.  His words warned us of the danger of being deceived by men. This being the case, we need to understand what to look for and also we should be aware of how we can be deceived. Jesus told us to be on guard and to be careful so that no man would deceive us; and he tells us that much of the deception would come from people who would be using His name and even some people would be so deceived they would literally claim to be Christ, Himself. Jesus, said deception would come from two sources: People who would come in His name.These would be people who falsely represented Christ presenting themselves as pastors, prophets, teachers, evangelists and so-called Christian leaders, but were really wolves in sheep’s clothing. People who would actually claim they were Christ. This has actually happened, as researching this subject, I found there were over 37 people who have claimed the title of Christ reincarnated in the last few centuries.[1]Among them were Jim Jones (1931–1978) and Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012). While I believe that Jesus’s prophetic Words have been and are being fulfilled at this time, by so many claiming to be Christ, I also think there is a spiritual interpretation of this scripture as well. When Jesus said people would say “I am Christ,” it would be equivalent of people saying, I am anointed or I am chosen. If we look at the Greek meaning of the word Christ it comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning the “anointed one” or “chosen one.” Jesus was His human name given to Him by Mary, while Christ is His title, the anointed one. Today many ministers are claiming to move in the anointing of God and declare they are chosen of God to demonstrate His power in miraculous ways. Many of these men and women are certainly called and chosen to represent God and do exploits in Christ’s name and are truly under His anointing and they are His genuine servants. However, there are also false prophets operating under a false anointing that Jesus warned us about. Here is what He said in the Bible in Matthew 7:15-23about the false ones: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 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. Here the Lord is talking about how we need to be aware of the danger of being deceived by men. He does not tell us to judge them by their “gifts,” but rather by their “fruits.” Some ministers may be very gifted speakers or move in prophecy or have the gifts of the Spirit operating in their services where people are healed or delivered from demons and yet, they may not be sent of God. How can this be? It is because the devil uses people to counterfeit the true gifts of God and the true anointing of God. How can we know the difference? Jesus said look at their “fruits.” One of our major faults as Christians is that we tend to quote men on certain subjects instead of referring to the Bible, the Book God gave us. We recognize that God gave us men to lead us into the truths of God, but our problem becomes who are the true men of God and who are the false ones that Christ warned us about? Sometimes we tend to evaluate men according to the size of their ministries, their popularity with men, or their endowment of certain gifts, etc. Just because some miraculous thing occurs in a service, it does not mean it came from God. Remember the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11:14: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”  Matthew 7:20: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” What are these fruits? Galatians 5:22-24 defines them as being the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” We are told to look at their lives and see if these fruits are predominant in them and examine if they are living the crucified life. Of course, we must allow for imperfections that have not been overcome yet; but we should readily see the fruit of the Spirit in more abundance than the imperfections. One way we can check this is to notice the words that a man speaks. The Scripture says in Matthew 12:33-35: “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Many people have been led astray when they could have recognized the wrong spirit simply by the braggadocios and prideful words of men who exalted themselves instead of Christ. Others would have been spared if they had examined the lifestyles of certain men who claim to be God’s anointed if their lifestyles are far from being temperate; reflecting the most expensive and extravagant clothes, diamonds, homes, cars, etc. This is not referring to well-dressed men and women, and nice homes, but the extremes which reveal anything but the nature of Christ. Of course, neither is the other extreme of poverty the nature of Christ. Men of God should live temperate, moderate lives, overcoming poverty and avoiding extreme wealth. Jesus always went about giving to the poor. He never stored up His wealth even though He apparently handled a lot of money, thus the need for a treasurer, Judas. He gave away the things He could have used on Himself, yet He never lacked as He went about ministering. He should be our example today. The affection and lust for the things of this world do not portray the Spirit of Christ. 13) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.--This verse is closely connected with the following (2Timothy 3:14), to which, indeed, it serves as an introduction. 2Timothy 3:14 takes up again the exhortation to Timothy begun in 2Timothy 3:10 : "But thou hast fully known my doctrine," &c. 2Timothy 3:14 takes up the thought: "Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." Here, in 2Timothy 3:13, these evil men and seducers (or better, perhaps, deceivers) are spoken of as advancing towards the worse. History has borne witness to the accuracy of these prophetic words. The false teachers known to St. Paul and Timothy developed into the leaders of the various wild and speculative Gnostic sects, whose connection with Christianity consisted alone in the name; and each succeeding age has witnessed a development in opposition to the truth as it is in Jesus. In this allusion to the gradual development of hostility to the truth it will hardly be out of place to instance the eighteenth Christian century, when opposition to the teaching of Jesus had reached such a pitch that, with the approval or even the applause of thousands, the most brilliant writer in Europe wrote of Christ and His religion in the well-known words, "Ecrasez l'infame!" while it was reserved for our own century--the nineteenth--to witness the rare, though we believe ephemeral popularity, among so-called Christian peoples of a work which, with honeyed phrases, and in romantic, graceful language, paints the Redeemer of man in the strange and apparently contradictory characters of a loving enthusiast and of a conscious impostor! Pulpit Commentary Verse 13. - Impostors for seducers, A.V. Evil men (πονηροί). In 2 Timothy 4:18 it is παντὸς ἕργου πονηροῦ. The adjective is applied indifferently to persons and things - evil men, evil servants, evil persons, evil generation, evil spirits, etc., and evil deeds, evil fruits, evil eye, evil works, etc. Satan, the embodiment of evil, is ὁ πονηρός. Impostors(γόντες); only here in the New Testament. In classical Greek γόης is a juggler, a cheat, an enchanter. St. Paul still had the Egyptian magicians in his mind. Shall wax worse and worse (προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον); see above, ver. 9, note.  Parallel Commentaries ... Greek while δὲ (de) Conjunction Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc. evil πονηροὶ (ponēroi) Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 4190: Evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful.  men ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi) Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.  imposters γόητες (goētes) Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 1114: A conjuror, juggler, sorcerer; a tricky (crafty) deceiver, imposter. From goao; properly, a wizard, i.e. an imposter. go [from bad] προκόψουσιν (prokopsousin) Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Strong's 4298: From pro and kopto; to drive forward, i.e. to advance. to ἐπὶ (epi) Preposition Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.  worse, χεῖρον (cheiron) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular - Comparative Strong's 5501: Worse, more severe. Irregular comparative of kakos; from an obsolete equivalent cheres; more evil or aggravated. deceiving πλανῶντες (planōntes) Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 4105: To lead astray, deceive, cause to wander. From plane; to roam. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.  being deceived. πλανώμενοι (planōmenoi) Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 4105: To lead astray, deceive, cause to wander. From plane; to roam. There are figureheads who have risen to seek control of the masses; disrupt and infiltrate long-standing freedoms instituted through godly leadership.  There is an emergence of features warned of by the Prophet Isaiah: Woe to them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight (Isaiah 5:20-21).   Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him (Isaiah 20:23).  We are seeing a rising of ungodliness that is condemned in God's Word; through ungodly figureheads used as promotional tools. Characteristics of a Deceptive Spirit The Psalmist David identified the characteristics of a deceptive spirit: There is no faithfulness (uprightness) in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness (destruction); their throat is an open sepulcher (tomb); they flatter with their tongue (Psalm 5:9). We are seeing these characteristics manifested today.  It was noted that there is no truth in them; not only being wicked but very wicked, such wickedness being flaunted, and accepted, by those who swallow their lies.  There is an attempt to intermix righteousness with unrighteousness; to temper the criteria of the wicked.   Cleverness of Disguise The Psalmist wrote: They encourage themselves in an evil manner: they commune (talk) of laying snaresprivily (secretly); they say, who shall see them (Psalm 64:5).  There is a cleverness of disguise being exercised to lay snares towards the demise of any godliness that would hinder the ungodliness being presented. They conversed together, consulting with one another to lay snares, entrapment, with victims  being unaware of the motive for doing so; a deceptive spirit by hiding the real intention from the masses, until entrapment is complete. Abominations Committed Scripture reveals a time when the Lord spoke to the Prophet Ezekiel concerning the abominations being committed in the land, saying: Son of man (Ezekiel) have you seen what the ancients (elders) of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery (room of his idols)?  For they say, The Lord sees us not: the Lord has forsaken the earth. Turn you yet again, and you shall see greater abominations that they do (Ezekiel 8:12-13).  After revealing those abominations, the Lord asked Ezekiel: Is it a light (trivial) thing that they commit the abominations they commit? A deceptive spirit had invaded the land; deceiving even the elders of the land into believing God no longer took notice and had forsaken the land!  The Psalmist noted: The Lord looks from heaven; he beholds (sees) all the sons of men.  From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth (Psalm 33:12-14).  The fallacy that God is not taking notice was, and is, of a deceptive spirit and far from the truth! Ungodly Lifestyles King David declared: He that works deceit shall not dwell within my house: He that tells lies shall not tarry (be established) in my sight (Psalm 101:7).  Such an attitude needs to be of every nation that has been infiltrated by the ungodliness of man; rather than appease and accommodate their desired lifestyles, to stand against such! There are those who wear a mask of deceit; not easily detectable until acceptance comes into place!  David stated that such would have no place in his kingdom; not even allowed to tarry in his sight! Had once godly nations displayed such an attitude; the ungodly would not have had room to maneuver towards the ungodliness of man. Let No Man Deceive You Apostle Paul wrote: Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words: for because of these things come the wrath of God upon the children (sons) of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6).  It was noted that no man deceive you with vain words (a deceptive spirit); is not to be carried away by erroneous speech and deception.   Apostle Paul told Timothy, a young evangelist: Evil men and seducers shall wax (grow) worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.  But continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of knowing of whom you have learned them.  And from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15). Intermixing of the World A deceptive spirit has evaded many lands that once upheld the Word of God; who are now allowing the intermixing of the world; being witnessed today through tolerance and acceptance.   Apostle Paul wrote: Come out from among them, and be you separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:17).  Apostle John wrote: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world (its evil influences) 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 passes away, and the lust thereof; but he that does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).  It was noted that the term world signifies the evil desire and sin that is so much a part of human existence. Condition of the Church Addressed Noah H. Mack, in a sermon titled "Little Foxes" noted: This writer with much interest and prayer observed the movements and the efforts of the church for more than thirty-five years; all this while it has developed a great power to work, but almost as fast as she grows in efficiency for labor she drifts into worldliness in one way or another and all because of fostered pride and love of pleasure. Those who have been responsible for the housekeeping of the church has not been watchful enough and let the little foxes (a deceptive spirit) creep into the vineyard and now they are so numerous and big that they cannot be driven out by ordinary methods of teaching and warning, for they well-nigh have possession of the vineyard. Prophecy Given A prophecy given in a Camp Meeting: In the last days shall come deceiving spirits that shall turn many of My anointed ones away.  Many shall fall through divers (various) lusts and because of sin abounding. But if you seek Me diligently, I will put My spirit within you.  When one shall turn to the right hand or to the left you shall not turn with them, but keep your eyes wholly on the Lord. God's Word continually enlightens one to what is to be avoided; to be aware of the devices of the enemy (a deceptive spirit) that would lead one astray from adherence to the Word of God.  Apostle Paul spoke of those who need to recover (come to their senses) out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at (to do) his will (2 Timothy 2:26).  The enemy of one's soul (the devil) knows the right bait to allure one into his kingdom; away from the influence of God's Word. Freed from Entrapment I saw a butterfly that had been caught in the snare of a spider's web. I freed it from its entrapment, for the spider had not yet began its work, and it flew away "freed!"  It was a beautiful sight to behold, and that is what God wants to see in His people, freed from the temptations that so readily ensnare them in a modern day culture. The ugliness of what the spider was going to do to such a beautiful butterfly was undone by a moment of kindness and such is the beauty of salvation that frees one from the ugliness of a sinful life into the beauty of holiness.  Apostle Paul wrote: Being made free from sin, we become servants (committed) to God, having our fruit unto holiness; and the end everlasting life (Romans 6:22). Renewed in the Spirit A deceptive spirit was pointed out by Apostle Paul: Beware lest any manspoil you (take you captive) through vain (empty) deceit, after (according to) the traditions of men, after the rudiments (basic principles) of the world, and not after (according to) Christ (Colossians 2:8). Put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) of the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts (a deceptive spirit).  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.  And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24). Apostle Paul encouraged, at the moment of conversion, to put on the new man; a new nature (character) and conduct (life) in Christ!