The United States Secret Service Forensics Division is tasked with investigating the proliferation of counterfeit U.S. currency. They have numerous resources to help spot the bad bucks, including a pdf entitled, Know Your Money, available to the public. It features photos of authentic U.S. currency, including intricate details, so it will be easier to spot a counterfeit. Satan is using spiritual mass deception to fool the world, even many professing Christians. The cost of spiritual deception is far greater than being conned by counterfeit currency because it has eternal implications.
Satan doesn’t appear as the enemy of souls; instead, he comes as an angel of light to soothe seared consciences and lull apathetic Christians to sleep. To the unbelieving world, he diminishes the finished work of Jesus on the cross and presents it as foolish irrelevant antiquated superstition. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Satan uses spiritual mass deception to delude lost souls into seeing evil as good and good as evil. He uses media moguls, talking heads, and celebrities to deceive people into exchanging the truth for a lie. Romans 1:25 The fact that today’s masses nod their heads in approval is very telling. Even though sin has been around from nearly the beginning, the spike in lawlessness and disregard for others in our time is unprecedented. Matthew 24:12
It’s worth noting that the word deception in various forms is used over two hundred times in scripture. The Bible is replete with warnings about spiritual deception because it always leads to destruction. The fact that Satan uses deception to steal, kill, and destroy people in the world is eternally tragic. But here’s the thing, he uses the same tactic among believers in Jesus. What makes spiritual mass deception in the church so insidious is that many people don’t recognize or inadvertently embrace it. Although the source of deception is always the same, Satan uses people to do his bidding. Ephesians 6:12 The deception might be the new best-selling inspirational book everyone in your Church is discussing. Maybe the deception is a ‘hidden truth’ in scripture someone has uncovered. Oftentimes, it will be a preacher whose messages are pep talks filled with spiritual-sounding platitudes, not dying to self and repentance.
As we look closer at the many facets of spiritual mass deception, there is one common denominator. It’s the focus on people and experiences, not Jesus and the Bible. I use the term spiritual mass deception because whole groups of people often unwittingly form movements around the very thing that is meant to destroy them. When this happens in the life of a church, denomination, or individual, the result is spiritual shipwreck. The worst part of the deception is that the people being deceived don’t even realize it. 2 Timothy 3:13 Attempts to contend for the faith and lovingly warn people are often met with hostility and disregard. There is usually a personal benefit to the person being deceived. They might buy into the lies that they are ‘little gods’ or are meant to live their best life now. When you explain that there is only one God who won’t share His glory or remind them that we will have tribulation in this life, it usually falls on deaf ears. 2 Timothy 4:3
So many people in America and other western nations identify themselves as born-again Christians, yet the amount of spiritual mass deception shows otherwise. Collectively we read the same new-age books masquerading as self-help. We watch the same coarse television shows that entertain the world, complete with sexual innuendo, filthy jokes, and disdain for anything wholesome. Many believers are dabbling in Eastern mysticism, yoga, and visualization. Numerous churches have become Christian country clubs, and pastors have become life coaches. People seek signs, miracles, and experiences instead of the Lord. The end result is a different Jesus. Here’s how one Bible teacher explains it in his timely book:
“One of the dangers of apostasy we face right now is a “Jesus” who is both inaccurate and incomplete. Because many today have molded Him into whatever they want or need Him to be. He has become a conjured-up Christ: loosely biblical but with all the practical details filled in by human imagination. He is a god of our own making.”
-Mark Hitchcock –The Coming Apostasy
This is truly spiritual deception on a massive scale. I’m not overstating the problem because many Christians are oblivious to a different Jesus being preached. In fact, Jesus warns about spiritual deception in the last-days repeatedly. Matthew 24:4-5, 24:11, and 24:24-26.
Spiritual mass deception will culminate with the greatest hoax in human history. The Antichrist will arrive on the scene with all wicked deception, lying signs, and wonders. He will come on the false pretense of being a peacemaker. Instead, he will unleash hell on earth. The coming satanic deception will be global, and many people will be swept up in it because they refuse to love the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
As we covered earlier, the way to distinguish truth from the counterfeit is to become a student of the real thing. Christians must use the Bible to discern the truth from a lie, just like the Secret Service uses highly detailed photos of authentic currency. Acts 17:11 Using our God-given spiritual discernment is paramount in these days when satanic lies are designed to be indistinguishable from sound biblical doctrine. Philippians 1:9-10
Our days are filled with mass spiritual deception, just as Jesus warned would be the case prior to His return. Let’s do everything possible to warn lost people about the lies they are being fed and that all roads don’t lead to heaven. Share the gospel with them and reason with them from the scriptures. Lovingly contend for the faith with fellow believers who are being deceived by false teachers. Jude 1:3 You might be used by God to bring a person back from spiritual mass deception. God bless you as you contend for the faith.
All for Him,
Howard
