How Not to Be Deceived

Godly Discernment

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the signs of the end of the age, His very first words were, “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4, NKJV). Notice — the responsibility rests on you. Yes, false teachers will face stricter judgment for misleading others (James 3:1), but on the Day of Judgment you will not be able to shift the blame by saying, “But my pastor taught me this lie.” God has given every believer His Word, His Spirit, and His people as safeguards against deception. It is your duty to know the truth, to test every teaching against Scripture, and to walk in the light you have received. In eternity, ignorance will not be an excuse — diligence and discernment are your personal responsibility.

Even the most experienced professionals — judges, doctors, or financial experts — can give wildly different answers to the same problem simply because of irrelevant factors like the time of day, their mood, or a recent experience. If this is true in law courts and boardrooms, how much more does it affect the church? Why did some Christians fully condone the COVID vaccine while others opposed it passionately? Why are there so many opposing doctrines, beliefs, and denominations — all claiming to follow the same Bible? Why do some Christians vote Republican and support Donald Trump, while others vote Democrat and champion the opposite values? These differences are not always about pure truth or pure error. Often, they arise from filters — our personal experiences, upbringing, education, culture, and even our emotional state. But here’s the danger: when those filters replace the authority of Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we open the door to deception.

Yuval Noah Harari

Historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book Nexus uses the image of a pigeon (not a dove!) on his book cover. In the Bible, Noah sends out a bird to test if the flood is over. Harari says we are now in a flood of information, and our challenge is to discover what is safe and true.

The Power of Stories Over Truth:

• Truth is costly, complex, and sometimes painful;
• Fiction is cheap, simple, and flattering;
• People prefer simple, emotionally satisfying stories—even if they’re not true;
• Whoever controls which stories people hear holds enormous power. Self-correcting systems are needed where every truth-claim and every power structure must be open to testing, correction, and accountability and ultimate direct DIALOGUE! Face to face, contact.

Kathryn Schulz in Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error points out that being wrong feels exactly like being right — right up until the moment we discover otherwise. She writes that error isn’t an occasional accident; it’s a permanent feature of the human condition. The danger is not simply in making mistakes, but in our inability to recognise them while we’re making them.

• We confuse certainty with truth.
• We resist admitting error because it threatens our identity.
• Overconfidence can lock us into wrong paths.

Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass Sunstein in Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment demonstrate how our decisions are often shaped by subtle, invisible “noise” — random factors, moods, context, or biases — that cloud judgment. Even experts give wildly different answers to the same problem simply because of irrelevant factors like time of day or recent experiences.

• Decisions can be swayed by irrelevant factors (time of day, emotions, environment).
• False confidence in “objective” human judgment.

Barry Schwartz – The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less. More choices don’t always bring more freedom; they can paralyse us, create anxiety, and leave us less satisfied. In a world of unlimited spiritual, moral, and lifestyle options, choice overload can make discernment harder.

• We mistake abundance of options for abundance of wisdom.
• We delay obedience to God because we keep “shopping” for a better option.
• Dissatisfaction can grow even after choosing, because of “what if” thinking.

Malcolm Gladwell in Talking to Strangers shows how easily we misread others. We assume we can “read” people, but in reality we default to trust, misinterpret cues, and underestimate cultural differences. He recounts real-life cases where well-meaning, intelligent people made catastrophic errors in judgment because they thought they understood someone — but didn’t.

Michael Shermer – Why People Believe Weird Things explores why people embrace pseudoscience, superstition, and conspiracy theories — often not because they are unintelligent, but because beliefs serve emotional, social, or identity needs. Humans are pattern-seeking creatures who sometimes see patterns that aren’t there.

• Believing things that “feel” true without evidence.
• Accepting ideas because they align with our group identity.
• Clinging to comfortable falsehoods rather than uncomfortable truths.
• Living in an echo chamber where only confirming ideas are heard.
• Being shaped more by social group identity than by truth.

1. The Universal Danger of Deception

“There is so much deception in this world, but no deception is more dangerous than spiritual deception.”

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” – Proverbs 14:12

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Rom 1:25).

The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer 17:9)

Peter was certain he would never deny Jesus — and did so three times (Luke 22:33–34).

The Pharisees were convinced they were defending God’s truth while rejecting the Messiah (John 9:39–41).

Paul warns Timothy about myths and endless genealogies that promote speculation (1 Tim 1:4).

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”  (Colossians 2:8)

Eve was deceived because the forbidden fruit “looked good” and “desirable” (Gen 3:6).

• We are all wrong about something.
• The human mind tends to believe falsehood more easily than truth.
• Scripture warns that the greatest danger is what looks right but leads to death.

GODLY DISCERNMENT:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11).

Test every spirit (1 John 4:1).

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Her 4:12)

2.Actions speak louder than Words

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”– James 1:22–25

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven… And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:21–23

• Hearing truth without applying it, is self-deception.
• Like looking in a mirror and forgetting your reflection, we quickly forget what God has shown us if we don’t obey.

3. Pride and Overestimation

Pride blinds us (Prov 16:18). Without humility, we won’t admit error or seek correction.

“The pride of your heart has deceived you…” – Obadiah 1:3

“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” – Galatians 6:3

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” – 1 Corinthians 10:12

• Pride convinces us we cannot be deceived.
• Humility and self-examination are essential safeguards.

4. Isolation and Lack of Accountability

“A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment.” – Proverbs 18:1

• Those who cut themselves off from spiritual authority and Christian fellowship are more vulnerable to deception.
• Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). God will never isolate you, from the Church and the greater body of Christ.

5. Sin and Self-Indulgence

“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.” – Romans 7:11

“Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites…” – 1 Corinthians 6:9

“Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’” – 1 Corinthians 15:33

• Sin blinds us and makes us more susceptible to lies.
• Surround yourself with people and influences that strengthen your faith, not weaken it.

6. End-Time Warning

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” – 1 Timothy 4:1

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” – Colossians 2:8

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan… with all unrighteous deception among those who perish…” – 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12

• Deception will increase as we approach Christ’s return.
• False signs, empty philosophies, and man-made traditions are tools of deception.

7. The True Test of Discipleship

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim 3:13-15

• Being trained in the knowledge of Christ (Eph 1:17) and the first doctrines (Heb 6:1-2) and continuing in apostolic doctrine raises a Godly Standard of TRUTH within you.
• But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel (Gal 2:14) We need apostolic (elder/father) type leaders that corrects us.

8. God’s Natural Antidotes Against Deception

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22).