A few days ago we considered Legitimate Questions, Legitimate Answers, and warned against believing things diametrically opposed to God’s Word. In that post, I promised to return to that idea and today’s the day!

Deception is pervasive and growing more so every day. Our society is steeped in lies and perversion of truth, and if any of us believes we are immune from it, we are delusional. Matthew 24:24 and Mark 13:22 warn of a time when deception is so fierce, it will even threaten God’s elect.

Who avoids deception? Only those fully anchored in the truth of God’s Word. The fools of the world will be deceived. The wise of this world will be deceived. The rich…the poor…the sophisticated and simple…they will all be deceived. Only those who firmly stake their life on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ and the Word of God have any chance of freedom from deception.

Ready for your list? Here we go…

10 Ways to Be Deceived in 2024:

1. Stop reading your Bible! This is a sure-fire way to be quickly deceived. In fact, you may not have to get beyond #1 if you do it well! Paul told Timothy, “Son, give attention to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine, and don’t turn your ears from truth!” (1 Timothy 4:13-14, 2 Timothy 4:3-4) Get in the Word!
2. Slow your spiritual growth! Junk food stunts physical growth, while nutritious meals help us grow appropriately. What worldly “junk food” are you feasting on? The lukewarm church of Laodicea was spewed from the mouth of the Lord. Don’t be spewed! Rather, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)
3. Turn your eyes and ears loose to do as they please! Deception happens when diligence wanes. Instead, distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean (Leviticus 10:10) and be prepared to fight evil (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
4. Stop trusting God! It’s a sure way to be deceived. Proverbs 3:5-8 exhorts us to trust in the Lord with our whole heart and not to lean on our own understanding. If you experience worry or anxiety, delight yourself in the law of God (Psalm 1:1-2) and entrust yourself to Him.
5. Think constantly about yourself! Jump on social media to gather clicks, likes and friends. Bury yourself in entertainment that fails to edify. Those things will lead you quickly into deception. Instead, God tells us over and over in Scripture to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23). It is difficult to be deceived if you are carrying your cross and following Him!
6. Focus on being bored! Boredom and discontentment fit hand-in-glove. However, there is nothing boring about walking with the Lord!
7. Be unproductive. Similar to boredom, laziness and lack of productivity will steal time…time that could be spent drawing near to God. In Ephesians 5, Paul warns of evil days that will overtake us if we fail to walk circumspectly. (Ephesians 5:15-16) That speaks of diligence and redeeming the time He gives us. Proverbs 24:33-34 also teaches us to be diligent rather than lazy.
8. Put trust in yourself and others rather than God. Just as God was with Moses as he led the Israelites through the wilderness, He will lead us. (Joshua 1:3, 5-9) But we must shift our focus to the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and stop gazing at our own belly button!
9. Be dumbed down by the constant stream of nonsense swirling in our world! Disregarding the exhortation of Hebrews 10:24-25 to gather together with like-minded believers to encourage one another, and to stir up love and good deeds, will lead to deception. We need each other! It is much more difficult to deceive an entire group than to deceive a lone ranger. Don’t be a lone ranger!
10. Run your spiritual tank down to empty! The parable of 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) illustrates what happens when the oil in our lamp runs dry. The Holy Spirit (represented by the oil) has never been more relevant. When we are not filled with the Spirit, we are incredibly vulnerable to deception. Imagine thinking we know our Beloved Bridegroom, yet we miss Him because our light has gone out.

Dear friends, times ahead will be difficult. Deception is real, it is growing, and it will crash upon us like a gigantic ocean wave. Seek shelter in the shadow of His wings. Only there will we be safe from the wave of deception and delusion that is coming.

PS: This post was adapted from Pastor Jack Hibbs’ sermon on New Year’s Eve. You can catch the full teaching here.