Hard Falls, Pt. 2

The Movement Church of San Antonio was founded 2014

Overcoming Deception:

Thanks for hanging in there! These are some practical things that you can do to guard yourself against self-deception:


1. Realize that God’s Word Is Never In Error.

I have never been deceived by the Word of God. Not once! If it ever happens, I will close the Book and never read it again. Nor would I preach or teach from a book that might cause someone to fall into deception. But of this much I am certain; God’s Word will never fail. The God of the universe has already made that promise:

1 Pet. 1:24-25 All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.

The most important test for whether something is true is to measure it according to God’s Word. In accuracy, God’s word stands above your feelings, education, conventional wisdom, worldly advice and all of life’s experiences. It is the only living book you will ever read.

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

God is still speaking from His Word today. Read it and you will ALWAYS hear the truth. Another thing that we need to do in order to steer clear of deception is this:


2. Realize that You Could Be Wrong.

If someone confronts you about your thoughts, convictions, or actions, stop! God may be speaking to you through someone else. Sometimes we can be so hard headed that God has to get the attention of someone else who can get our attention. It may be a husband or a wife, a friend or a boss. Take the time to examine yourself. Socrates said that an unexamined life is not worth living. The Bible says it even better,

2 Cor. 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?

Have you ever driven down the highway and made an abrupt turn into another lane? Then suddenly, you hear a car horn frantically blaring away at you. The person honking at you was driving in your blind spot. Everyone has blind spots. Satan loves to drive in your blind spots. Let him go unnoticed and he’ll drive you insane or over the guardrail.

Satan is a liar and a deceiver. He will delight in the volumes of truth you believe as long as he can fill your mind with a few lies. Once embraced, just one lie can destroy a person. Any lie will do. Lies build little beachheads that seek to bring down the fortresses of truth.

If you stand in humility, you can stand to be corrected. If you can be corrected, you can win the war against any lie. The knowledge of God can beat down any degree of falsehood or self-deception that holds the mind captive.

2 Cor. 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (NIV)

Come back for “Hard Falls,” Part 3, and I’ll teach you how to take a courageous dive into the river of risk. Seriously!

Contact Pastor James