Protection From Deception by Derek Prince

Author:Derek Prince
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Non-Fiction
ISBN: 9780934920681
Publisher: Whitaker House
Published: 1995-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

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Defeat Satan’s

Deceptive Schemes

You must make an honest self-evaluation to gauge the degree to which you are susceptible to deception, for only then can you arm yourself against Satan’s tactics. These characteristics are not exhaustive, but are rather the most prominent features of people who are most likely to be deceived.

Characteristics of Candidates for Deception

Reliance on Subjective Impressions

Subjective impressions—formed from emotions, intuition, and senses—generate conclusions that are often ill-founded and incorrect. Subjective evaluations are highly suspect, skewed by our sinful nature and biased minds.

Someone might say, “When so-and-so prophesied for me, I felt so good. His message must have been from God.” This type of evaluation is dangerous because it stems solely from sentiment. Many tests are more important than how you feel about something.

Looking Only to Human Leaders

Some people place complete trust in human leaders, whether they are pastors, priests, prophets, or spiritual mentors. No human leader is infallible. Believing everything anyone says without checking it against Scripture or testing it in other ways is dangerous.

Accepting Supernatural Signs as a Guarantee of Truth

Jesus Himself said that false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders—the key word is false. The mere fact that a sign is supernatural does not suffice as a guarantee of its authenticity.

False prophets exist, and Satan is capable of supernatural signs and wonders, too. As we have discussed, anyone who accepts these things blindly and assumes they come from God is sure to succumb to deception.

Unwillingness to Face Suffering or Persecution

The Bible warns us that as believers, we must expect to face persecution and suffering for our faith. Peter wrote, “Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1–2).

Second Timothy 3:12 likewise tells us, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Suffering is a reality of the Christian life. God uses it to shape us. Anyone who expects or promises only good things is a false prophet or a misled individual.

Ignorance of Scripture

Some people in remote, unreached countries do not have a Bible; they have only a word—perhaps the teachings of missionaries or a spoken explanation of the gospel. God will be merciful to them. But for those of us who have Bibles at our ready disposal, neglecting to study them sets us up for deception. By arming ourselves with the truth as expressed in God’s Word, we can avoid much deception. But if we remain ignorant about His truths and teachings, we deserve to be deceived.

A Series of Safeguards

Now that you have a better understanding of what makes people susceptible to deception, you will be more equipped to recognize falsehoods and resist deception. To foil the schemes of Satan, practice the following four safeguards when you are tempted by pride, when you encounter signs and wonders, or when your awe of God wanes.

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