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 Breaking Spiritual Strongholds and Healing the Wounded Spirit: Dealing with Root Causes (book by Eric Gondwe)
Chapter 4. Deception, the No. 1 Doorway for Spiritual Wounds
This chapter covers on deception as the most prominent doorway of access or source for spiritual wounds and other unpleasant matters into our lives. It’s also a doorway for spiritual strongholds. However the most prominent doorway for strongholds is ignorance. In this chapter the nature of deception sources of deception, and the harmful role of deception is addressed. The other three doorways of access are covered in the next chapter. Sources of spiritual wounds and strongholds are avenues or doorways through which they come through. They are doorways Satan and his fellow fallen angles use to gain legal access in their mission or ministry to “steal and kill and destroy,” John 10:7. They are also doorways through which we’ve a vulnerability of falling due to our own fallen nature, if granted its sinful appetites. These four doorways of access are through: 1. deception (covered in this chapter),
2. ignorance,
3. sin, and
4. storms of life (when responded to in a wrong way) Satan’s access through any of these doorways or our falling due to our own sinful nature can result in spiritual wounds as much as it can result in other types of wounds - social, material, and physical. Spiritual wounds are however, the worst because they affect the other areas of life more severely. Spiritual wounds lead to inner ill health or spiritual illness. It’s also worth repeating that any of Satan’s access in our lives is through demonic influence. It is not through demonic possession. It is an external type of interference, not an internal one. If you need more detailed information on the difference between demonic influence and demonic possession please read my other book, Major Spiritual Warfare Principles: Biblical Do’s and Don’ts of Warfare. The topic is covered in chapter 5 “Demonic Possession: The Exception for Direct Confrontation.” The following is detailed info on deception as the most prominent doorway of access for spiritual wounds and other unpleasant matters into our lives. Please remember that spiritual wounds relate to our human spiritual faculties - mind, will, and emotions. What is deception?
Deception is a deliberate attempt to make something that is false to appear as if it is true. It is a lie made in such a way that the liar deliberately makes it to appear as if it’s true. Similar words for deceiving include: lie, snake, mislead, beguile, delude, dupe, defraud, trick, bamboozle, fool, swindle. The person making the lie is called a liar or a deceiver. It’s also important to separate deception from ignorance. Deception concerns wrong thoughts, words, and actions that a person receives or carries out while having some knowledge that they are wrong. Ignorance on the other hand, concerns wrong thoughts, words, and actions that a person receives or carries out while having no knowledge that they are wrong. It is unknown deception or deception without one’s knowledge. This is why knowledge or understanding on key matters in life is so important. Ignorance will be covered ahead in this chapter. Concerning deception, the wrong thoughts, words, and actions may be considered wrong from different perspectives. These include: from a moral perspective, cultural perspective, from a legal perspective, from a physical health perspective, from a religious perspective, or even a combination of any. It is the religious perspective that’s more important for us Christians. Applying the Christian faith in its true sense, with God’s Spirit effectively working in our lives, fulfills all fundamental human perspectives. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires,” Galatians 5:22-24 (emphasis added). How does deception work in people?
In every scenario leading to deception there’s an inner voice opposing the deceptive thoughts. The inner voice says why it is not worth carrying out the thoughts and actions. This inner voice is called the conscience. A conscience is easier to illustrate than to define. It is our personal judge that gives us the sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. It is a moral compass in us that works more from our emotions, rather than the mental side. The conscience uses the mind in guiding and revealing the moral basis. However it uses our emotions in creating an inner atmosphere that facilitates avoiding to think, say, or do wrong. When we think, say, or do anything that’s wrong our conscience rings a prolonged emotional bell in us that we’ve gone the wrong way. The emotional bell it rings is called guilt. Guilt makes us feel sad, unpleasant and it makes us to desire making up for the wrong, or desiring to correct it. This is why someone is said to have a “guilty conscience” when he/she has said or done something wrong. A person with a healthy conscience will experience some level of guilt for something wrong. Genuine guilt or true guilt is healthy to a certain level. Guilt is the emotional voice response from our conscience that enables us to stay or get back to behaving in a manner consistent with our beliefs and values. When we think or attempt to say or to do something contrary to our conscience a sense of guilt wells up in us condemning us and insisting to do or say the right thing. Most people have a working conscience. This is the case even for non-Christians. It’s just that unbelievers do not have the extra backing of the Holy Spirit to convict their conscience if they attempt to stray or end up straying from what’s right. The bible says about unbelievers (Gentiles), “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them,” Romans 2:14-15 (emphasis added). Thus everybody has a conscience. The only question is, “what percentage of their conscience is operating?” Some it’s 10%, others 40%, some 95%, and so on. Only God can accurately measure the weight of each person’s conscience on each matter in life. Some people have a higher sense of consciousness or awareness on matters to deal with the poor, others on children, on physical health, the environment, on animals, on morality, on civil rights, others on politics, and so on. For us Christians our sense of consciousness ought to be highest on spiritual issues. It ought to be highest on the spiritual poverty for those who have not yet received salvation through Christ. Then followed by other needs of our fellow humanity –physical health needs, material needs, psychosocial needs, and so on. The rest may take third place. Being a Christian does not automatically translate into being pure, godly and holy. However it opens an opportunity that unbelievers do not have. This opportunity is being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives a bigger boost to our conscience by making us receive the heart of God. We’re given a new heart once we become born again. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws,” Ezekiel 36:26-27 (emphasis added). The dilemma is that being given a new heart under the influence of the Holy Spirit does not automatically translate into being pure, godly and holy. It requires our input and willingness to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in embracing this new nature. God through the Holy Spirit does not remote control us without our consent. He respects our free will (as Almighty as he is) and has thus chosen to work alongside our willingness. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it What about a seared or burnt conscience?
Although most people have at least a working conscience some do not have a healthy conscience. The bible speaks of people “whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron,” 1 Timothy 4: 2. A person with a seared conscience or burnt conscience is one that does not feel guilty for doing wrong. He cares little about other people’s interests and primarily only thinks about his self-centered interests. The conscience becomes seared when inner convictions of right and wrong are rejected on a constant basis that an individual blunts the conscience. It becomes dull, deadened, compromised, or ineffectual. The conscience grows weaker and more silent in the individual. With a dull conscience a person ends up experiencing little to no guilt for any wrong thoughts, words or actions. Thus he’s not able to have what is commonly called a “guilty conscience,” for committing a wrong. A person who’s able to experience little or no guilt over fulfilling a wrong desire becomes an easy vessel for deception. The individual becomes an easy vessel for being deceived and in deceiving others. The level a person has compromised his/her conscience to become seared will determine the extent a person will give in to deception. The higher the compromise the more he/she will be willing to embrace wrong matters. Think about it: a petty thief who snatches wallets and handbags has a less weak conscience than a criminal who’s ready to kill for gain or a person in the business world who for gain is willing to harm the moral, physical health or material lives of masses. A pimp who’s business is supplying prostitutes to willing clients has compromised his conscience more than the prostitutes he manages. The same can be said of some people with higher influence who compromise their consciences: top politicians, business people, media executives, educational heads, entertainment executives, and others with extensive influence on masses. Being given much responsibly a higher accountability is expected from them. Some (not all) compromise their accountability for self-gain. “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required,” Luke 12:48. Can a Christian have a seared or burnt conscience?
A Christian cannot have a seared conscience. Having a seared conscience cannot happen to a Christian, unless he/she has willfully fallen out of the faith. A person can depart from the Christian faith. This takes a lot of serious wrong choices knowingly and after ignoring repeated convictions from the Holy Spirit. How else can we explain those who were once in the faith and now want nothing to do with Christianity? “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons,” 1 Timothy 4:1. Needless to say that there is still hope to return for such individuals. Needless to say too that a person who has left the Christian faith does not automatically imply he/she now has a seared conscience. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it Three sources of deception: 1. Through deceiving spirits (fallen angels)
There are three sources of deception:
1. Deception through deceiving spirits (fallen angels): Covered Below 2. Deception through ourselves (self-deception) 3. Deception through other people: a) In the World 3. Deception through other people: b) In the Church 1. Deception through deceiving spirits (fallen angels, demons) In the spirit realm fallen angels are the source of deception. The greatest deceiver of all time is Satan. He and his fellow fallen angels (demons) are called deceiving spirits. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons,” 1 Timothy 4:1 (emphasis added). The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth” (John 16:13) while demons are deceiving spirits. The two spiritual camps are complete opposites in their work. Satan and his fellow fallen angels are the ultimate deceivers in all the depravity in this world. The Holy Spirit on the other hand is the ultimate conveyer of truth convicting each person through his/her conscience on what’s right and what’s wrong. Why is there the Holy Spirit single handedly doing his work of conveying the truth verses so many fallen angels doing their work of endeavoring to deceive people? It’s because the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. Omnipresence is only the ability of God in his Trinitarian nature (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). All angels, that is, God’s angels and fallen angels (including Satan) are created spirits with geographical limitation. Each angel (good or evil) can only be in one place at one time, not several places at the same time. For more info on the nature of angels please read chapter 6 “The Nature of Angels: God’s Angels and Fallen Angels,” in my book Breaking Curses, Including Generational Curses. Thus evil spirits being able to only be in one place at a time assign themselves to each person in a particular area. Each evil spirit strives to succeed in deceiving an individual it has targeted in a particular matter(s). If it succeeds the individual is said to be deceived. The street terms are duped, bamboozled and fooled. Being in this fallen world all of us have fallen to some deception at some point in our lives and in various ways. Deceiving spirits do have their areas of success in each of us. Fortunately we have the Holy Spirit. This is such a blessing. The Holy Spirit is God inside each of us. He is the “Spirit of truth” (John 16:13) that equips us with the truth against all the lies that deceiving spirits constantly throw at us. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it How do deceiving spirits, including Satan, operate in our time? Deceiving spirits, including Satan, do not operate the same way they did in the Garden of Eden. We do not see snakes or other animals talking to us with evil intent. Satan and his evil team endeavor to work against us in the unseen spirit realm. However we’re also to be mindful that there are more forces from God’s kingdom in the spirit realm than Satan’s forces. God’s angels outnumber fallen angels by a 3 to 1 ratio. When Satan rebelled he somehow persuaded one-third of the other angels to join him (Revelation 12:3-4). Fallen angels are no match against God’s angels. That is why the bible says, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them…Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha,” 2 Kings 6:16-17. Thus we’re not to be afraid that evil spirits or fallen angels are plotting against us. We have more spiritual forces on our side working to stop their evil schemes. Chapter 6 “The Nature of Angels: God’s Angels and Fallen Angels” in my book Breaking Curses, Including Generational Curses has more info on the nature of angels. When fallen angels succeed in deceiving a person the result is that the person will follow their proposals instead of God’s proposal. In other ways, the person will sin against God. This is what Adam and Eve did when they bought Satan’s lies and abandoned God’s truth. As Christians we have extra strength at work in us to overcome such attempts. May our abiding in Christ be healthy enough to overcome the lies from deceiving spirits. Three sources of deception: 2. Through ourselves (self-deception)
There are three sources of deception:
1. Deception through deceiving spirits (fallen angels): Covered Above
2. Deception through ourselves (self-deception): Covered Below
3. Deception through other people: a) In the World
3. Deception through other people: b) In the Church 2. Deception through ourselves (self-deception) Having the fallen nature makes us naturally imperfect. Some of the deception that people experience is self-made. It is true that Satan and his fellow deceiving spirits do labor to take advantage of our fallen nature. However there are instances where it is purely out of our own exercise of the freedom of choice that results in willful wrong choices. In such instances demons play no role in influencing us. Remember that evil spirits, including Satan, cannot read our minds. All angels whether fallen angels or God’s angels cannot read our minds. They are created beings that God limited in their abilities. One of these limitations is that they cannot read our minds. Fallen angels are able to whisper corrupt ideas to our minds but they do not know what we’re thinking in our minds. The only way they can later tell is through the way we respond to the ideas they try to plant. If fallen angels could read our minds they would not have influenced the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus knew his mission yet fallen angels, including Satan, had no idea of what was ahead. Fallen angels remained ignorant even when Jesus preached about his mission many times. His crucifixion marked their ultimate downfall. Had they known exactly what Jesus knew they would not have influenced Jesus’ opponents to crucify him. Satan and other fallen angels being unable to read our minds means they do not control what and how we think. We’re in charge of the thinking process, what preoccupies us and how we respond to our thoughts. That is why everyone, including unbelievers, will be judged on how they acted upon the thoughts in their minds. God gave us full custody over our own minds and will judge us on how we allowed our minds to do the things we did – good or bad. Satan will not be part of the excuse. Our biggest enemy is therefore within us. It is our own fallen nature. Some of the matters we think and how we think are due to the fallen nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve. God cursed Adam and consequently all humanity after he sinned in the Garden of Eden. The whole world, including us God’s children is under the curse of the Original Sin. Such a curse is better called the fallen nature, the corrupted nature, the flesh, and so on. The fallen nature is what makes us imperfect physically in our physical health and physical looks, and spiritually in our minds, understanding and behavior. In our minds this fallen nature can be seen through the following thoughts and actions: self-centeredness, greed, pride, territorialism, materialism, lustfulness, gluttony, jealousy, anger, vengeance, unforgiveness, laziness, workaholism, and so on. “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death,” James 1:13-15 (emphasis added). Notice in the passage that it says a person is tempted by his own evil desire. It does not say tempted by Satan. There is a realm of temptation and wrong thinking that can go on in our minds without any input from evil spirits. The wrong or bad thoughts that go on in our minds without any input from evil spirits are what constitute our own evil desires. They are products of our own fallen nature. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God,” Romans 8:5-8. Notice the distinction between the “sinful mind” and the new nature. They are opposites. The “sinful mind” is “set on what that nature desires” while the new nature is a “mind controlled by the Spirit.” One is self-controlled by the inborn fallen nature while the other mind is powered by the Holy Spirit. We therefore all need the Holy Spirit to help us to restrain the fallen nature from having its wishes. Salvation is the first step. Obedience to God’s word and the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate step. Philosophy, psychology and other noble human fields cannot work to restrain the fallen nature from having its wishes. Neither can socialism, communism, and worse, capitalism, work to tame the flesh. Other religions too preach goodness, cooperation, love and charity, yet they have no power over the flesh. As well intentioned as they may be they have no power over the flesh. Only the Holy Spirit who gives us the new nature, the new mind of Christ, is able to tame the flesh. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it What is self-deception or deception of our own ourselves? Having settled that our own fallen nature does exist and shown how it works it’s worth moving on to defining self-deception. A good definition of self-deception is given by Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia. It says, “Self-deception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument,” (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia, “Self-deception”). From a Christian perspective we can say self-deception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of promptings from the inner conscience in order to satisfy the desires of the fallen nature. The definition is this straightforward. Self-deception is basically self propaganda. Propaganda is deceptive or distorted information that is tactfully spread or broadcasted to people in order to promote a false idea, cause, policy, or doctrine. In relation to self propaganda or self-deception a person acts to convince himself that fulfilling a false or wrong matter is good or worthwhile. Here are a few quotations that illustrate the unredeemed and unrestrained fallen nature: - “Man’s mind is so formed that it is far more susceptible to falsehood than to truth,” by Desiderius Erasmus ((1466-1536) Dutch theologian).
- “No man was ever so much deceived by another as by himself,” by Brook Fulke Greville (1554 - 1628)
- “A fraudulent intent, however carefully concealed at the outset, will generally, in the end, betray itself,” by Titus Livius (Livy).
- This is why humanity so desperately needs the heart of God. People remain vulnerable to sinful ways without the heart of God. God’s spiritual heart comes through salvation and through the inner filling (anointing) of the Holy Spirit.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws,” Ezekiel 36:26-27 (emphasis added). People without a new heart remain vulnerable to the influence of the human fallen nature and to evil spirits (fallen angels). Some would collapse from shock if I were to chronicle the wickedness in many of the world’s highest levels of politics, business, the media, and other influential areas. But the right time for much hidden matters will be at the end of time when all things will be revealed to us. Everything including our own lives and the deep secrets of those in high places. Three sources of deception: 3. Through other people: a) In the World
There are three sources of deception:
1. Deception through deceiving spirits (fallen angels): Covered Above 2. Deception through ourselves (self-deception): Covered Above 3. Deception through other people: a) In the World: Covered Below 3. Deception through other people: b) In the Church 3. Deception through other people: a) In the World (The Fallen World) Not only do we have to confront deception from ourselves through the fallen nature and deception from deceiving spirits, we also have to confront deception from our fellow humanity. Deception from other people can be influenced by their own fallen nature or they could be influenced by deceiving spirits. It is largely not our business trying to find what’s influencing them to attempt to deceive others. For the most part we’d only be guessing on whether the deception was influenced by the person’s own fallen nature or by deceiving spirits. It also matters less on knowing what influenced a person to deceive than knowing the effect or impact of the deception on other people. Knowing the effect of any deception on other people is important because it helps us to work on assembling the truth against the deception. Telling people that they’re being deceived by their fallen nature or by deceiving spirits may only work to irritate them. They’ll be annoyed with your self-righteous overtures and why you’re trying to be their judge. The story changes when you share the truth on matters that they are being deceived on. In most cases, people who intentionally seek to deceive others take advantage of their ignorance. When the truth is shared on what others are ignorant from it safeguards them from being deceived. Once they know the truth in an area of potential deception the only way they can fall for the lies is by willfully embracing them. Those who end up falling in this category basically end up being partners with the deceivers. The bible says, “Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived,” 2 Timothy 3:13. Evil people are those with wrong motives in life, always willing to gain even through taking advantage of others. Impostors are people who pretend to be something that they really are not. The easiest area to give examples of impostors is in politics. They’re willing to express what their target segment of voters want. Sometimes they are even willing to put some action to what they claim to believe in. In actual fact what they believe in is acquisition of power above being of service to the electorate. Their thirst for wielding power and influence is later found out once elected into office. Their fruits or behavior reveals them. They shift to the usual politics: representing the interests of the wealthy and powerful groups with little to no constructive regard for the masses. How many politicians have you come across that after being elected have not fallen into the status quo? They find themselves getting into politics as usual. Even some that may have breakthrough ideas and desires they find out that the system is bigger than them. They find themselves bowing to the wishes of those who rule by secrecy and actually have power and influence in the system. Many find themselves representing Mystery Babylon. The nature of this Mystery Babylon is covered in my other book titled: Breaking Occult Spells: Protection from Witchcraft and Occult Influences. This scenario is not only a feature of developing nations. In developed nations the political system has graduated to using the most sophisticated methods of maintaining the status quo. If one wants to master the crafts of deception they’d be in a good position learning the principles from some developed nations. (Won’t pick any names. Do your own research on this one). The methods used are so sophisticated that it takes an investigative mind to uncover them. Notice I didn’t say it takes a university or college mind to uncover them. Andy Rooney says, “You meet a lot of dumb people who went to college,” (Andy Rooney, Common Nonsense: Addressed to the Reading Public,” p.137). I too have a number of university degrees so no Christian in the academia ought to take any offense for this statement. The main status quo that even well intentioned and noble politicians find themselves bowing to is that of guarding the interests of the rich and powerful. The rich and powerful in this context are not the Hollywood actors, musicians, or other wealthy and famous people in the entertainment world. These are just blinders to divert people’s attention from those who really have worldly wealth, power and influence. They’re not public figures –for the most part. They rule in secrecy, a real biblical testament of the end-times. The tools used to endeavor to deceive masses include the most obvious and some least obvious. Someone around 2003 described them as “weapons of mass deception.” All along many have called them propaganda machines. Although the public deception tools can be listed, the methods of using them are not clear-cut. They are for the most part sophisticated and highly secretive. The most obvious propaganda machine is the media. In most countries, developed and developing nations, the media is primarily owned by a few players. In developing nations the primary or dominant owners are the government, owning the greatest share of the media pie. In most developed nations the primary owners are a handful of corporations (large private companies). These few media corporations have unholy alliances with other giant private corporations, such as in banking, technology, pharmaceutical industry, food industry, oil industry, and so on. Thus in both scenarios, of developed and developing nations, media ownership is controlled by a few key players. Worldwide, this trend has been growing and not diminishing, in the last 50 years. It is another biblical testament of the end-times. Media ownership is very important real estate. The real estate that the media controls is the minds of people. Gone are the days of using physical force to influence and control people. The “civilized” way now is to use information that gets to them. This smarter way dawned after those that have motives of power, control and influence began to learn from the noble fields of psychology, sociology and related fields of study. They learnt the principles from these fields and began to use them for deceitful reasons. They keep improving their skills as time, increasing technological advancements, and experience helps them. The other tools that are part of the propaganda machine include the least obvious. These include books, educational system, internet, and the principles of divide and rule. The internet however, is also working against them. A great deal of suppressed information is abundantly available online. For now they are largely focusing on other avenues for propaganda. For example, on the educational system countries have entire government ministries of education, culture and other branches. For the most part the ministries have a lot of positive contributions. On the negative side some of what they decide as the standard of instruction ends up being distorted to suite whatever goals they have. Anything that one distorts ends up losing its truthful validity, objectivity, and true meaning. Here is an example from countries I can easily relate with. When Zambia and Zimbabwe got their independence they embarked on indigenization programs to transform the countries from colonial rule to independent countries. Part of the indigenization programs included transforming the educational system. Previously what was taught as history was distorted and biased to suit the biases of the colonial governments. This was quickly changed, now biased to suit the biases of the independent nations. The change may have been valid to remove the previous biases. The problem concerns creating another bias. Zambia and Zimbabwe are merely examples to show that deception is all around us. No country can claim any innocence –including the Vatican (the world’s smallest independent nation and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church). Napoleon Bonaparte, a 19th century legendary French ruler said, “What is history but a fable agreed upon?” (1769-1821). He said this in the 19th century. How much more does this apply in our 21st century where information (about the past and the present) is major real estate for power and influence? A lot. “The falsification of history has done more to impede human development than any one thing known to mankind,” by Rousseau 1712-1778. “After you’ve heard two eyewitness accounts of an auto accident, you begin to worry about history,” by an unknown author. As Christians we’re expected to rise above human biases that only serve to continue dividing us, whether by race, nationality, gender, and so on. More importantly we’re expected to rise above the deception that is sweeping masses through the media through some parts of news, some entertainment, and so on. Just one look at the entertainment world shows Christianity is far from the life they are promoting. The entertainment world has largely grown to be a tool to serve three main purposes. Christianity is not one of them: - To promote consumerism and materialism to make people to keep spending on bling, bling (material goods) produced by the big business world (corporations),
- To influence people into adopting certain beliefs and behaviors (such as accepting sex outside marriage, unfaithfulness, homosexuality, magnifying and playing on our insignificant human differences for divide and rule purposes, and so on),
- To serve as a tool of distraction, diversion, or interference from focusing on matters that are really important to the masses: empowerment, equal opportunity, dealing with poverty, health-care, crime, discrimination (gender based, age, racial, ethnic, economical, etc), and so on.
Here are some quotations that relate to deception and our need to be vigilant: - “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps,” Proverbs 14:15.
- “Politicians are masters of the art of deception,” by Martin L. Gross.
- “In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant,” by Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970) French politician.
- “Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory (of the masses),” by John K. Galbraith (1908-2006) Canadian born economist.
- “Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can’t stop them from doing,” by Joseph Heller (1923-1999) author, USA.
- “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal,” (i.e. anything considered legal doesn’t necessarily make it right) by Martin Luther King Jr., Church minister and civil rights leader, USA
- “It’s useless to hold a person to anything he says while he’s (madly) in love, drunk or running for office,” by Shirley MacLaine (1934-) actress, USA.
- “There are two kinds of statistics, the kind you look up, and the kind you make up,” by Rex Stout (1886-1975) writer, USA.
- “What is the difference between unethical and ethical advertising? Unethical advertising uses falsehoods to deceive the public; ethical advertising uses truth to deceive the public,” by Vilhjalmur Stefansson.
- “Racism keeps people who are being managed from finding out the truth through contact with each other,” by Shirley Chisholm (b. 1924), African American politician, USA.
I have used politics and the big business world as examples to illustrate what deception from other people is. It is not intended to cause fear in you. It has been shared to make you aware of behind-the-scenes matters going on this world. If taken for granted these matters have the potential to wreck havoc on our Christian lives. Expect the matters to happen in this fallen world for three major reasons: - They were prophesied to come to pass,
- They are natural or instinctive acts of the fallen nature that people without the new nature given by the Holy Spirit are vulnerable to, and,
- Satan and his fallen angels endeavor to exploit or to take advantage of the fallen nature in people.
Notice I said expect them to happen in this fallen world, not accept them to happen in this fallen world. As you know better, expect and accept are two different words meaning two entirely different things. As Christians we’re not to accept the matters to happen in this fallen world. This is in spite of expecting them to happen due to the three reasons outlined above. We’re to refuse them from influencing us and from influencing others. It’s not enough to feel safe that we’ve been rescued from them –at least spiritually. We’ve a mandate to rescue others from matters that work to destroy them in the long-run. The most important matters are those that concern their spiritual lives. Yes there are matters bringing people down in their material lives and physical health as well. However it is their spiritual lives that ought to be our biggest concern. Through evangelism of the gospel we make known God’s truths about their spiritual lives and their eternal destiny. This is why many of us in the body of Christ cannot be politicians. Politics has to do with temporal things of “bread and butter.” As noble as it sounds to have a godly and born again person in top political office it’s not God’s major priority. Otherwise God could have brought down many of the big business-serving and greedy politicians in this world. He would have easily exalted many of the godly and born again people willing to serve in the political field. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it Three sources of deception: 3. Through other people: b) In the Church
There are three sources of deception:
1. Deception through deceiving spirits (fallen angels): Covered Above 2. Deception through ourselves (self-deception): Covered Above 3. Deception through other people: a) In the World: Covered Above 3. Deception through other people: b) In the Church: Covered Below 3. Deception through other people: b) In the church, the body of Christ People from the secular world are by no means the only potential culprits of being sources of deception. Other people right close to each of us can potentially attempt to deceive us if their intentions are not well aligned to the scriptures. Yes, we too can deceive others if our desires and intentions are not well aligned. But let’s focus on deception in the church or the body of Christ from leadership positions. In the body of Christ, for the most part, people who deceive others do it out of one or any combination of the following reasons: - They are themselves deceived (whether through deceiving spirits, self-deception, or deceived through other people in the church). Thus they‘re merely blind or ignorant on certain matters. It becomes Jesus’ scenario of the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14) on matters one is blind in. For example, the false teachings on spiritual warfare and deliverance have spread to people and groups who are not aware of or who are in denial of long established biblical doctrine in these areas.
- Others out of a desire to embrace the ways of this fallen world compromise or twist the scriptures to suite their aims. They also compromise the Christian fundamental tenets and focus primarily on teachings that are peripheral or secondary in the Christian faith.
The most prominent of such deceptive teachings in our times include glorification of earthly riches, worldly pleasures, power, and status. In such circles people are so preoccupied with their material success, comforts, and welfare that the major Christian concerns become secondary. In many cases the major Christian concerns are seen as tools to serve their own long-term welfare. For example, a person may perceive being generous and giving offering primarily as a means to end up receiving more in return. The primary motive that God expects of us, that of an inner desire to make a difference in the lives of others becomes secondary. This is materialism packaged with a Christian face by using selective bible verses that are itchy to our ears. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths,” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (emphasis added). “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people,” Rom. 16:17-18 (emphasis added) are. - For some it’s out of compromise to make the message of the gospel more pleasing to certain groups. Instead of sticking with God’s standard some choose to embrace the people’s standards. It could be out of financial reasons to keep the offering flowing or out of wanting to please people without offending anyone.
- Some who fail to live up to Christian standards of righteousness, holiness, love, charity and other Christian disciplines end up projecting their compromised standards to other people. Thus out of personal failures of living up to the righteousness requirements in God’s word some adopt the lukewarm gospel.
Their teachings are variously labeled as the liberal gospel, lukewarm gospel, all grace gospel, and once saved always saved gospel. This all grace gospel with little personal input or responsibility is a major form of deception that is a thorn in the body of Christ. Compromising of ideals of the Christian faith works to even eliminate the chances of some people to make it to heaven. “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 5:20. Modern Pharisees are leading masses to follow their own carved out Christianity. Sadly they block the chances of entering into God’s kingdom not just for themselves but also for those they minister to. Apostle Paul, God’s prominent early church vessel said he strived to enter into God’s kingdom so that he would not be disqualified. In other words, he wanted to make it as much as he wanted others to make it. If ever he failed to make it he would not lower the Christian ideals to mirror his own personal failures. We know that he made it. Like Paul and other servants of God, it’s also my prayer that I make it. If ever (God forbid) my own commitment to the Christian ideals are compromised I would not resort to lowering the standards to those God reaches through me. I’d rather be the only one to fail to make it than take many others with me to the spiritual failures’ world. Neither will I be enticed to preach teachings that exalt material success above spiritual success. I would quietly pursue earthly riches without showing or proclaiming it to vulnerable believers that driving the latest Mercedes or having a private jet is fulfilling the ultimate dream in this life. It is fulfilling the ultimate lie in this life. By God’s grace and the power of choice he has given me I’ll not fall for such. I will thus make it into heaven as much as those God uses me to minister his pure truths to. “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified,” 1 Corinthians 9:26-27. - Through occult infiltration into Christianity. Some deceptive and false teachings end up in the body of Christ through the infiltration of people from occult groups into Christianity.
There are some occult groups with an agenda to destroy Christianity. The most prominent among these groups are Freemasons. The main occult group responsible for most infiltration into Christianity is Freemasonry. Ralph Epperson in his book, Masonry: Conspiracy Against Christianity--Evidence That the Masonic Lodge Has a Secret Agenda, covers on how Freemasons are working against Christianity. The position where they’re most able to broadcast and market their false teachings are pastoral or church leadership positions. So their focus is to work from the top influential positions in order to choke Christianity’s spiritual power. From the top influential positions they’re also able to influence not only church members but other church leaders and church bodies. Many of them secretly use financial resources specifically allocated for infiltrating Christianity from their Freemasonry group. This is how some of them are able to rise to high prominence in the body of Christ. Such prominence gives them easy legitimacy that they’re genuine Christians. It also makes their teachings to easily be adopted by genuine Christian leaders who admire the secret infiltrator. Since he (the infiltrator) seems like a genuine Christian some Christian leaders end up adopting his teachings without question and without any sound biblical scrutiny. In the long run the body of Christ ends up being littered with false teachings that the secret infiltrator introduced. My other book on breaking occult curses has more detailed info on how this works and what role we can play in doing our part to safeguard ourselves and the body of Christ. The book is titled: Breaking Occult Spells: Protection from Witchcraft and Occult Influences.
In almost all cases where people are being taught matters that are deceptive there is an insulated mindset. I’ve been there too so it’s a very familiar scenario. The people are so closed in their own box of perspectives and understanding that they shield themselves from any other different Christian perspective. Their minds are made up. They are not even open to go through a doctrinal analysis. Thus their minds unconsciously work in defense mode to their understanding with little or no openness to biblical analysis. This scenario has historically happened in all denominational circles in the body of Christ. No church body has been immune. When a church body or a Christian as an individual adopts an insulated mindset to erroneous teachings there is what can be called self-propaganda. Below is a good definition of self propaganda that beautifully sums up what I’m talking about: “Self propaganda is a form of propaganda and indoctrination performed by an individual or a group on oneself. Essentially, it is the act of telling yourself (Or a group telling themselves) something that they consider to be true, or to convince themselves, with the unfortunate repercussion of their having no doubts. “Because of what they do to themselves, they will go over every aspect of their side of the “argument” to prove to themselves that they are right, and will refuse to look at any alternatives. Self propaganda is a form of self-deception and indoctrination. It functions at individual and social levels: political, economic, and religious. It hides behind partial truths and ignores questions of critical thought,” (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia, “Self propaganda” (emphasis added). Most teachings that are “itching” to the ears do not go through critical biblical analysis. They appeal to the emotions and those that embrace them move on to find scriptures to justify their understanding. The scriptures they use are either taken out of context or are made to seem as if they are paramount tenets of our Christian faith. Taking scriptures out of context is not critical biblical analysis. It is critical biblical carelessness. Scripture can be used to justify almost any matter but it does not necessarily imply it is being applied or interpreted correctly. Didn’t Satan also use the bible in trying to tempt and deceive Jesus? Wasn’t the bible used for centuries to justify subjugation of women, certain ethnic groups and non-Christians? The ministers who preach this gospel knowingly projecting their compromised standards to other people end up falling in the category of false prophets or modern day Pharisees. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it How deception yielded to can result into a wounded spirit More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it Some examples of deception resulting into a wounded spirit 1. Unforgiveness More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it 2. The Love of Money and Worldly Pleasures More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it 3. Deceptive or false teachings in the body of Christ More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it 4. Sexual sins or sexual immorality More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it Breaking Spiritual Strongholds and Healing the Wounded Spirit:
i. INTRO: Breaking Spiritual Strongholds and Healing the Wounded Spirit
Chapter 1. Our Triune Nature: Spirit, Soul and Body
Chapter 2. Nature of Spiritual Strongholds: In the Mind, Emotions and Will
Chapter 3. The Nature of a Wounded Spirit, Crushed Spirit, or Broken Spirit
Chapter 4. Deception, the No. 1 Doorway for Spiritual Wounds
Chapter 5. The Other Three Sources of Spiritual Wounds and Strongholds
Chapter 6. Effects of a Wounded Spirit (Broken or Crushed Spirit)
Chapter 7. Personality’s Role in Influencing our Spiritual Health
Chapter 8. Healing the Wounded Spirit: The Christian Approach
Chapter 9. Healing the Wounded Spirit: With Secular Approaches
Chapter 10. The Enemy Within: Breaking Strongholds Hiding in Our Lives
Chapter 11. Maintaining a Healthy Spirit and Embracing God's "Plan B"
Chapter 12. Overcoming Guilt, Guilty Conscience and Self-Condemnation
Chapter 13. Deliverance from Demonic Experiences and Demonic Manifestations
Chapter 14. Deliverance and Healing from the Occult, Witchcraft & Satanism
Appendix 1. Cognitive Biases: How we Think Inside our Boxes
* Breaking Strongholds Book References
* Breaking Strongholds Book Index Breaking strongholds & healing wounded spirit book 1: Breaking Spiritual Strongholds and Healing the Wounded Spirit
©2008 Eric Gondwe
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