Beware of Deception

••NOTE•• I wrote this post a few months before we were all sent into quarantine due to Covid. At the time, things were so up in the air, I put it aside and nearly forgot about it. Today, I re-discovered it in my files, and felt the time was right to post it. I hope you read to the end. May you be blessed.

One night I was awakened out of a sound sleep by two words: “Spirit of Deception.” I wasn’t dreaming. I know I had been sleeping. Yet, these words, though spoken quietly within my spirit, were loud enough to wake me and cause me to sit straight up in bed.

Maybe that sounds spooky to you, but to me those words were confirmation, an answer to prayer, and also an assignment. I will get to the assignment in a bit, but first I want to address the confirmation and answered prayer part.

I had been struggling with some things within my life both spiritually and emotionally. I was also struggling with things going on around me and was beginning to get concerned about what I was witnessing. As cryptic (or mysterious) as that sounds, I’m purposely leaving out these details for privacy reasons.

I had been praying, rather struggling with praying, trying to figure out what I should be praying about, whom I should be praying for, and exactly what was gnawing at me that I just couldn’t identify. Have you ever felt that way? Something is bugging you, yet you can’t put your finger on what it is. This was me.

Therefore, sitting straight up in bed in the middle of the night literally hearing, “Spirit of Deception” was both welcomed and dreaded. There was a spirit of deception. Was it coming? Was it already here? Who was it attacking? How many were being attacked by it? Was it me? Where do I even start? Maybe it was the where do I even start, or the following, what does this even mean, that awarded me the next two statements: Spirit of Control and Religious Spirit.

For those of you who like spiritual things, this is some heavy stuff. My point is this: these three things became a prophecy that would last for quite a while. At least, until someone, somewhere, did something.

I quickly learned that, with a spirit of deception came the spirit of control and the religious spirit. The three of them wreaked havoc with many people, including people I love. What do I do, then? What is my assignment in this? What does this mean?

This meant war.

I now knew why I had been struggling with my prayer time, my praying, and why it was filtering into my home life, writing, Bible reading, ministry, relationships, marriage, and so much more. I remember vaguely making a comment to someone, only to hear them say to me, “Don’t get sucked in.”

Questions then began swarming within me regarding the validity of my healing, the sanctity of my marriage, the sincerity of my worship (and that of others), along with the validity and truth of the sermons I was hearing! What was real and what wasn’t anymore?!

Before you begin questioning my sanity, read on. While this was going on, there was still that ever-present still, small, voice within me (the Holy Spirit), speaking God’s Word over every thought, every question, every confusing episode I was having.

Dear, lovely, beloved one, I and many others were in the most heavy of spiritual wars we have ever encountered. I still prayed, though it became silent. I still desired prayer. I still desired a close walk with the Lord. Except now, it seemed more difficult to access Him, even though I knew He promised never to leave me nor forsake me! Yet, somehow my prayers didn’t seem to be going anywhere but lost in space. What was happening?!

Spirit of Deception.

I was being told that the things I was reading, the things I believed, were not really what the Bible really said (that’s the Spirit of Deception talking). However, an amazing thing was also taking place, which none of the naysayers knew. Because every word that was spoken to me against everything I had believed since my own healing experience, I was being given a positive, clear, reassuring, and truthful answer from the LORD, straight from His Word! Still and quiet within my soul.

My friends, regardless of what anyone says, God’s Word is true, right, trustworthy, and you can believe everything in it. The Word of God is alive. It’s breathing. It will always tell you the truth. It will never twist anything to confuse you because God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Did you read that? PEACE!

Slowly, I began to realize that what I was hearing from others was not “what the Bible really says.” Sadly, having been waylaid by this movement, I had begun to question everything, when in truth I should have been fighting harder to fight through the spiritual warfare. Because not only did it cause emotional and mental stress, it was also causing physical issues which I knew better than to fight with.

However ridiculous this may sound to you, I want you to get this from what I’m saying: The Bible clearly says these things will happen. Jesus even warned us to watch out for false teachers who come to us. He called them “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and warned us, “but inwardly they are ravenous wolves,” (Matthew 7:15, NKJV).

Where it gets really interesting, and where I find myself having to repent to the Lord for not paying attention, is when I was scrolling through memories on Facebook and came across a post I made FOUR YEARS AGO making a statement, warning people about a coming Spirit of Deception! Along with that post, I posted a video by John Bevere talking about people being deceived, not by evil, but by good things that are not of God.

Say WHAT?!?

Yes! Good things that are not of God. Can that really happen? Yes, it can. Yes, it does. It has been going on since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. What struck me as so profound is that John said that Eve wasn’t deceived by the evil of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She was deceived by the good thing. Because even though the fruit was good, it was not permitted by God for her to have. Still, she got sucked in by something that looked and sounded good, thereby making a life-altering mistake.

This brings me back to the night I sat straight up in bed, hearing those words which I now realize were being repeated to me: “Spirit of Deception.” I knew this is what I needed to be praying against. I also began sounding the alarm, warning others, “Begin praying against a spirit of deception.” It should not have been a surprise to me when seemingly all hell broke loose not long after that.

We often find ourselves in situations, sometimes even watching as they happen, when we probably should have known they were coming. Yet we sat idly by and did nothing to prevent it. Sadly, this is how I felt when it happened around me. I should have done more. Which is why I find myself repentant to the LORD.

Does He still love me? Sure. He said nothing could ever separate me from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Is He mad at me? No (Hebrews 6:10). Will He forgive me? He already has (1 John 1:9, 2:12).

So what happens now? I continue to speak what He has assigned me to speak. Every day, as often as I can, to whomever will listen. God loves you. He wants to save you. He wants to heal you. He wants to restore you. He has chosen you and has a fantastic plan for your life, regardless of what you’ve done or are doing.

He also wants you to beware of a spirit of deception; things that seem good, but God never said was permissible. Beware of a spirit of control; those are things and people which suck you in and keep you so busy you don’t have time for your relationship with the LORD, or family, or anyone else. And beware of a religious spirit; being so caught up in the rules and regulations of denominations and churches that you find yourself getting bent out of shape over the excitement others have for the Lord because they don’t adhere to the rules, or that “we’ve never done it that way.” Beware of those who use God’s Word, trying to get others to know the truth, yet while they’re doing so are bashing others in ministry who are doing a great work and seeing results. It’s almost a Catch-22. How will we know the difference? We focus on the LORD and not people.

Sometimes love is tough. The things we must hear are difficult to hear, and even more difficult to put into practice. I know. I’ve lived it. But while we ponder this message for a minute, let’s also remember that God was never passive in His discipline. He was assertive. And sometimes the discipline hurt. Yet, never for long. Discipline is meant to cause us to repent, to turn away from what we were doing and turn back to the One who loves us more than anything: God. His discipline is for a moment. His love is for eternity.

It would do many of us to remember that.

Beware, dear friends, of the Spirit of Deception. It comes from none other than our enemy, the devil. But remember as well, that Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the devil. Therefore, we need to take a stand over all the lies being told and begin to pray against the deception trying to infiltrate the Church – meaning the body of Christ – meaning the People!

Will you stand with me today?