Intellect & Deception

By in large man lives by his intellect. God gave him the ability to think and reason. He gave man the power of choice, so he is capable of making both wise and unwise choices, to believe in God or not believe in Him. It also means he can become misled and deceived, mistaking untruth for truth. Being deceived is unintentional, or it would not be deception. However, a man who desires to know the truth of God and is open with his spiritual brothers, will not be deceived for long. That is because God is truth and His truth sets men free. See John 8:31-32

There are individuals who are very good at coercion and deception. These people want to persuade you that they or what they are selling is indeed the real thing or something you simply cannot do without. Their pressure to purchase this, “once in a lifetime deal” is often “too good to be true.” They want to catch us off guard and prey on our vulnerabilities as well as the vulnerable. In a way they want to convince you to believe a lie, which is much the way Satan works. It may be difficult to catch us with outright lies, so he uses alternative methods to trip us up.

One day while searching the internet for a set of battery-operated tools, I came across what looked like a name brand website, with all the tools I was looking for at a greatly reduced rate. At the onset I felt a little skeptical that they could sell these tools at such a reduced price. However, after looking the website over it looked legitimate, so I decided to go ahead with my purchase. As soon as I had placed my order, I realized that something was not right, the website was indeed fraudulent. They used the name brand tools coupled with low prices as the bait to lure people, and had done a pretty good job of imitating a real store. Even after I cancelled my order and retrieved my money, I continued to get order and shipping updates. I am sure that they made a lot of money off unsuspecting people like me. Really I should have known better, something that seems too good to be true, likely is. However, my desire for the good deal overrode my better judgment. In a sense you could say, I deceived myself.

Deception comes in many different forms. We were walking along the streets in Krakow’, Poland enjoying the old part of the city with the thousands of other people. As we walked, we passed this bronze statue of a man, standing on a low wall next to a small chapel. I did not think much about it, but on our second pass, it was a great shock to my wife when it smiled at her! The man was amused to see her surprise! He was a street actor earning a little money while amusing the crowds. 

What got me thinking about intellect and deception was a couple accounts I ran across in the Old Testament,  Isaiah 29:10-16 and Jeremiah 14:13-14. Because of their disobedience, the people became deceived. Another example is found in 1 Kings 22, where God allowed a lying spirit in the mouth of His prophets to deceive king Ahab. Would God intentionally allow His children to be deceived?  Could it be, the people had already left off their obedience, and He was giving them their own desires? It impressed me that the reason God gave them over to deception was because they were already living by their intellect. They had forsaken the true way and were living according to their own lusts and desires. They had forsaken the Truth. When man continues to walk in his own way, following his own intellect, God will turn them over to their own ways and allow them to believe a lie, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, and the spirit of slumber,  Romans 11:8.

In the Old Testament God governed man by His law, which was mainly given through the prophets to direct His people. It appears that the Holy Spirit was poured out in a measure upon chosen individuals, yet not like today where He lives in the hearts of all true believers. He is the proof of genuine Christian faith. Romans 8:9  Since Jesus died and the Levitical priesthood was removed, everyone can experience the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them in the way of truth. John 16:13 In our day, God leads His people through the Holy Spirit which in turn witnesses to others who also have the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:16

We know that God is truth, John 13:17, and so we can rest assured that His Holy Spirit will only speak the truth. With His Spirit dwelling in our hearts it will always speak the truth, promote the truth, and guide us into the truth. John 16:13 This is a comfort to the believer, because he loves the truth and desires the truth. He knows that truth is the only think that can truly set him free from bondage and sin.

Man left to himself is subject to deception. Without the Holy Spirit in his heart, he will follow whatever seems right to himself. His very nature is prone to deceive him through his own earthly desires. This was proven by our first parents in the garden of Eden. Genesis 3 Therefore it is necessary for a power beyond our own to keep us from being led astray. Since the fall of our first parents, sin passed upon all man. Man is therefore subject to the same deception they fell for. Man has a desire to be someone, to be well thought of, which gives him the sense of power and subjects him to the possibility of deception.

Man’s desire for self-sufficiency is proof of him being prone to deception. It is only when he runs out of options, or as we say, “to the end of his rope” that man becomes willing to reach out to God for help. We are wired to be complete in ourselves, yet that is a falsehood promoted by our flesh and Satan. It may be possible to live our lives successfully on earth; a good living, nice family, comfortable surroundings, but be empty inside. No lasting comfort, and no hope beyond this life. Deception has us focus on the here and now and not to worry about the future. However, we know that no one lives forever, and God’s laws are still in motion. Ezekiel 18:4 There is no goodness in man that can earn a home in Heaven after this earthly life is over; neither is there a promise that we will have a long life and in the end time to turn to God. Matthew 7:23 No one can escape, so it is important that we make a choice to believe the call of God and heed the voice of the Holy Spirit.

In this life we may be tricked and taken advantage of by men. Terrible things may happen and we may be tempted to get even, however God has a different plan. Paul writing to the believers at Corinth reproves them for their retaliation, 1 Corinthians 6:7  and Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek. Matthew 5:39 God will be the final judge in these matters and we must leave the judgment to Him. Romans 12:17-21

We must keep an open heart, free from of offense, bitterness, and unforgiveness, to avoid spiritual deception. It is not worth the risk of losing the way of truth and forfeiting our eternal home in Heaven. However, it may take becoming vulnerable to God and those around us if we want to become free. God has given us the Holy Spirit, as well as our brethren to help us; therefore, it is important to be attentive to them as they are our line of defense against deception. Like one brother said, “Satan deceived me, but he did not deceive my brethren!” What a testimony! May we place that confidence in our spiritual brothers and sisters. In so doing, we can be assured we will not go astray very far before God’s Spirit will speak to us through our brethren. Psalm 133  

Sometime ago, I had an experience that helped me discern the voice of the deceiver and the voice of the Holy Spirit. It came clear to me, that the questioning voice I was hearing in my mind, was not of God. No matter how much I would try to bolster my faith with scripture, the question remained. It became impressive to me that a voice of question that disquiets the heart, is the voice of the enemy. When God speaks, it is with direction, not question. It promotes unity. His way is full of light, even though it may not be easy. By God’s grace I was able to place judgment on that questioning voice which then brought peace and rest to my heart. Satan seeks to undermine our faith in God and the brethren, where as the Holy Spirit will draw us together. If God chooses to lead us, His way will not be divisive. However, we will need to have open honest hearts with God and our brethren. They will be able to see if our spirit is right.

May God grant us grace in this our day to avoid deception.