“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” Leviticus 19:11 NIV. Those are the words that God spoke to Moses that he should speak to the entire assembly of Israel. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.” Ephesians 5:6-7 NIV. Paul addresses the church at Ephesus.
What can I say about deception? I know, based on the verses above, that our God doesn’t want people to deceive nor does God want you to allow yourself to be deceived. Deception by “empty words” is straight to the heart of what deception really is. It is something said or things said by someone that are not really going to be carried out and are made to motivate, maneuver, control, or manipulate someone else. I suppose there can be many reasons that someone chooses to deceive another. However, all reasons I believe boil down to the same symptom…selfishness. The deceiver wants a particular outcome or result in their favor, and unfortunately to the loss or unfavorable result to the person being deceived. A truly evil deed…
The first act of deception by satan in the Bible happens in Genesis 3:13 NIV. “Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” In John 8:44, Jesus is speaking of those who follow satan who is a liar and the “father of lies”. Proverbs 14:5 NIV “An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.” I say that deception is a symptom because it is a true symptom of satan and his followers.
What is the outcome of deception for those who are deceived? In my experience I feel that there is a great loss of trust. How could you trust someone who has deceived you? “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” Proverbs 12:22 NIV Trust is a very important component in any relationship. Without trust you only have fear. Fear could be the very thing that motivates the deceiver. If I were to write one formula for deception it could look like, (fear causes mistrust which leads to deception that causes mistrust leading to fear), a circular pattern. The sin of one person can easily lead to the sin of another. What happened right after Satan deceived Eve? Eve turned around and offered the fruit to Adam, who trusted Eve, and he ate as well. Sin is a vicious cycle that can only be broken by the intentional seeking of God, and our trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus took all sin onto Himself; He bore our sin so that we are redeemed and made justified through Him. That doesn’t mean that we will never be tempted by sin again, but Jesus provides a way from sin; a new path that anyone can take no matter where you are or what you have done. You can be saved for eternity if you ask Jesus to forgive your prideful ways, repent (or change your direction from a sinful path to one seeking God), and believe in faith that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead and is now at God’s right side. Jesus intercedes for all of His children. His children are those who follow Him.
I believe that people desire to trust others. We want to do the right thing and doing the right thing involves trust. We trust that our brother, sister, mother or father has our well-being in mind and that when one makes a promise or says they will do something we want to trust that they will do what they say. The sad truth is that deception is sin, and we live in a fallen world. We must continue as Christians or followers of the Way, to love others, even when they sin against us.
This doesn’t mean that we should allow ourselves to be deceived by others. Remember what Ephesians 5:6-7 says, you being deceived can lead you to sin and sin leads to God’s wrath. You can be “tricked” into sin or as a result of being deceived; your anger and mistrust can lead to a sinful pride. We must be on guard and “wise to the ways of a slick salesman” as the old saying goes. Once you let it in and you don’t confront the deception it can work into you resulting in the accomplishment of Satan’s task, to turn us away from God and Grace. Deception can be a win-win for Satan from the deceiver to the deceived. Be alert, pray, and dive into God’s word for strength. God Bless.
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