We’re going to study the topic of deception this evening.  There are five things that can deceive you and you must defend yourself from each of these.

Riches will deceive you – Mk 4:19.  Our country’s problem is not an economic problem.  Rather, it’s a righteousness problem.  Righteousness exalteth a nation.  Your problem is not an economic problem.  It’s a righteousness problem. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto thee”.  In Laodicea, riches have deceived the church and the word is well nigh choked out.

Defense: Labor not to be rich.  The love of money is the root of all evil.  Trust not in uncertain riches.  Live by godliness with contentment.

Sin will deceive you – Heb 3:13, Rom 7:11.  “Be not deceived God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap”.  You cannot sin without paying the cost.  You can’t just try it like one Lay’s potato chip.  And you can’t even sit around and just think about it without a bad consequence.

Your defense.  Acknowledge what God calls sin and avoid it, refuse it, and run from it.  Be quick to confess it and forsake it.

The devil will deceive you – Rev 12:9, 2 Cor 11:13-14.  He is the master deceiver.  In Revelation he deceives the whole world and he deceives nations, Rev 20:3, 8.  He is the author of religions, of evolution, of many scientific theories, of mythology, and even of modern translations.  He’s involved in commerce, in governments [the authority has come from the Lord but the devil has usurped the kingdoms], in many churches, in most communication, and in the world.  He is the god of this world.

He is a liar.  Defense.  The best way to protect yourself from his deceit is to know the truth and believe it.

Men will deceive you– Matt 24:4, Eph 5:6, 2 Thes 2:3.  If you want to find out the truth about any man, go to the Bible and check him out.

I checked out my old religion and I found out two things.  One, it was man-made deception.  My old religion used the Bible to reinforce its doctrines but it was not Biblical.  The truth had been twisted.  Two, it had a supernatural “hold” on people, though it was being propagated by men.  Religious men are deceiving and being deceived.  That’s true of all the religions of the world.  The devil is behind them and men are out front pushing them.

Your defense.  Read and believe what the Bible has to say about your religion and its doctrines.

You will deceive yourself – 1 Jn 1:8, Jas 1:22, Gal 6:3.  The heart is deceitful above all things.  You can easily be deceived about your motives, your judgment, and your will versus God’s.

To avoid deception, you have to step back and see what you’re doing the way that God sees it.  The thing you may be deceived about has to fit the Bible not just one or two verses in the Bible.  You must be willing to receive reproof and rebuke, be willing to admit that you are wrong, and be willing to humble yourself.