Today’s New Covenant nugget is from John 8:44 (b)
The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The Greek word for ‘liar’ is ‘pseústēs’, literally meaning ‘falsifier, deceiver or, one who breaks faith’. Deception is more powerful than lying… most people can discern an outright lie, but deception can only be avoided supernaturally, by the power, ability and discernment imparted through the Holy Spirit.
Deception contains some truth, but leads a person to a wrong conclusion. Deception is not easy to discern because of the element of truth. Deception is a lie with some truth in it… let me give you and example… ‘a mother asks her child, “did you take a bath yet?” the child answers, “yes, I did take bath” the child purposely leaves out, “last week.” His answer has an element of truth, but the whole truth would reveal that the child is actually leading his mother to a wrong conclusion…’ that is what deception is. Con men and con woman are experts at deceiving, but the devil is the father, or the king of all deception.
Look at the first recorded deception of the devil… “Has God really said that you cannot eat from any tree of the garden?” There was an element of truth to what the devil said… God did say that Adam and Eve could not eat from one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, but God did not say that they could not eat of any tree. The devil went on to accuse God of not wanting Adam and Eve to be like Him, knowing good and evil – again, an element of truth… Adam and Eve were already like God, but God did not want them to be sin-conscious. The devil twisted, or falsified the truth in order to gain power over them, to break Adam and Eve’s faith, to rob them of the relationship that they enjoyed with God, and to steal their inheritance!
The Passion Translation says, ‘He’s been a murderer right from the start! He never stood with the One who is the true Prince, for he’s full of nothing but lies—lying is his native tongue. He is a master of deception and the father of lies!’
I asked someone once, “If you are deceived, how would you know?” the answer to the person was… “you would not know, if you were deceived, because you would be deceived.” Many good hearted believers are very deceived on many levels. The core of the devil’s strategy is to deceive, because when believers are deceived, they can be lured into the devil’s traps to kill, steal and to destroy.
Many deceived people say, “the Lord told me…”, or “the Lord showed me”, or “the Spirit led me”… now, of course the Lord does speak and show, and the Spirit does lead, but a person who has fallen into the ‘deception’ trap can be easily misled into thinking that something is “the Lord”, when it is not – this is why fellowship and accountability towards people of like faith is so important.
It is majorly important to surround yourself with people of ‘like faith’, who love you enough to tell you the truth… people beyond your immediate family or your spouse. Make yourself accountable to your pastor or spiritual leader, to other strong people who have a proven ability to hear God, and to people who are in the Word, and who have a strong revelation of the New Covenant. Have these people pray with you about all aspects of your life – encourage them to speak into your life and to raise concerns if they feel that you are going astray.
You do not have to do everything they tell you, and you do not have to be controlled by them, but you would be wise to listen and to pray about what they say. When you are yielded to the Spirit, and to the Word; when you make yourself accountable to your pastor, to spiritual leaders of like-faith, to peers of strong ‘like-faith’, to family members and, if you are married, to your spouse, then, in doing so, you will minimize the likelihood of getting caught in ‘the deception trap’.
Do not let the fear of being controlled stop you from being accountable, and from being open to the prayers and observations of others. The Lord has brought people into your life as ‘rear-mirrors’… just like a car has rear mirrors to help you see ‘blind spots’, so do the people that the Lord has put in your life. They act as rear mirrors and help you to see the blind spots in your life.
As you spend time in the Word, as you deepen your relationship with the Lord and learn to recognize His voice, and discern His leading, and as you learn to discern the anointing, the less likely you will be to be deceived, but it is ALWAYS wisdom to surround yourself with PEOPLE to whom you can be accountable!
Of course, the opposite of deception, is walking in TRUTH, and the TRUTH that you know and operate in will set you free, keep you free, and will make those around you free… glory be to God!
In His amazing love, Nick
