Deception 5: False Dreams, Visions and "Miracles"
How many times have individuals told me about dreams or visions that were obviously Satan-inspired? Some thought they had seen Jesus. He supposedly appeared to them wearing the long hair with which He is commonly pictured in our society. But the Jesus of the Bible did not have long hair. Paul wrote: "Doth not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" (1 Corinthians 11:14, KJV). Jesus escaped out of crowds on several occasions because He looked like the average Jew of His day. Do not be deceived by dreams, visions, or appealing messages. The Apostle John wrote: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
The occult appeals to many people. Some try to contact their deceased relatives through mediums. Children read Harry Potter books and become fascinated with the occult. Satanic video games are popular. You need to educate your children on the dangers of the occult, satanic activities and other demonic influences. God Almighty condemns witchcraft and sorcery. He tells us, "For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 18:12). Be sure to read Deuteronomy 18:9–14 and Galatians 5:20 in this regard.
Satan will use dreams, visions and "miracles" to deceive people. The book of Revelation describes the great false prophet who will soon rise on the world scene. Be sure to read this in your own Bible. "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb [a counterfeit of Christ] and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived" (Revelation 13:11–14).
Do not be deceived! False religious leaders will perform great signs and miracles. Be sure that you test all such leaders with the Bible, the word of God. That is why we say in Tomorrow's World magazine, and on the Tomorrow's World telecast, "Don't believe us; believe your Bible!" As Scripture says, "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).
We can all look forward to the day when Satan the Devil will be cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. You can read about that in Revelation 20. In the meantime, we must remain watchful and on guard.
Deception 6: Bitterness
If we are not careful to watch our feelings, we can become bitter. Perhaps someone offends us. Then the hurt feeling turns into a grudge. Then we start thinking about revenge. If such feelings are nursed and encouraged, they can turn into hate. Then, that hate can turn into bitterness. Christians need to identify and overcome any feelings of hate and bitterness. Notice this instruction: "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled" (Hebrews 12:14–15).
Such bitterness can even lead to the unpardonable sin. How can we counteract those feelings? Simply by following Jesus Christ's instructions! He taught us: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:44–45).
Even professing Christians sometimes fall into the trap of plotting revenge for some offense or injustice. God warns us against that attitude: "Do not say, 'I will recompense evil'; wait for the Lord, and He will save you" (Proverbs 20:22). Our Lord and Savior set the example, that "when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:23).
Pray for God's intervention—that He will execute His righteous judgment. He will execute vengeance, if it is divinely warranted. Christians should not take vengeance into their own hands and succumb to Satan's attitude of hate. Scripture warns us: "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:30–31).
Christians need to pray for their enemies. Bless those who curse you. That is the Christian way! That is how we can overcome Satan's infectious attitude of hate and bitterness.
Deception 7: Lack of Faith
When Satan attacked him, the patriarch Job remained faithful to God—and learned vital spiritual lessons. At one point, Job said: "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me" (Job 3:25). In our modern language, we might call Job's experience a "self-fulfilling prophecy."
As Christians, we must face our fears with faith, and must pray for God's protection and intervention. When we study the Bible, and we believe God's promises, He gives us faith. Scripture reminds us, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
Lack of faith opens us to Satanic deceptions. The book of Hebrews recounts the faithlessness of those ancient Israelites who lacked faith and trust in God. We need to learn from their hardness of heart, and avoid it in our own lives. "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:12–13).
Those who lack faith in Christ, and who persist in trusting Satan, will ultimately be destroyed. "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerors, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8). Thankfully, there is also good news for those who have faith and avoid Satan's deceptions. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son" (v. 7).
God wants you to be His faithful and trusting son or daughter, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He will give you His faith, if you turn to Him with your whole heart. In the meantime, arm yourself with spiritual knowledge. Avoid self-deception. Avoid the world's deceptions. And avoid Satan's deceptions. As the Apostle Paul reminded us, Christians are not ignorant of Satan's devices. As regular readers of this magazine know, Bible prophecy foretells of a great future false religious system, inspired by Satan, that will influence billions of people all over the earth. By staying close to the true God, you can avoid Satanic deception. Do not let yourself be deceived!
