Symptoms of Deception - Am I deceived?

by Marietjie Chase


Medical websites helps even the most ignorant of us, to discern what is going on in our bodies. I can find the symptoms and if most of them match my experience, I have some idea of what is going on in my body. The Bible says in Galatians 6:3 that a person who has an insane estimation of himself/herself is self-deceived. Deception is a way of thinking.

Here are some symptoms of deception:


1. If you think in terms of "us" and "them" you are in the flesh. Galatians 5 clearly states that those who have a party spirit or schisms attitude are in the flesh. If you think that you are walking in the Spirit and have this "apartheid" attitude.... you may just be deceived.


2. If you think that you and those who believe just like you are the only ones who have it right and that it's your mission to set every one else straight..... you may be deceived. Obadiah 3, Gal 6:3, Eph 5:21


3. If you find it easy to talk about(negative), malign, slander and accuse some member of the Body of Christ... If you have no problem with gossipping - Yes, we all know when you are doing it, it is "discussing the issues"...... you may be deceived. Jms 1 :26, Jms 3


4. If you think that hearing the teachings and knowing about it in a mental sort of way and yet have never put what you believe into action.., I f you think knowing is having it.... you may be deceived. Jms1:22, Heb 4, Heb 5:14, I John2:3-5


5. If you blindly accept every supernatural manifestation or thing as from God and do not try the spirits according to ! John 4:4, by their fruit or result it produces.... you may be deceived. 2 Cor 11:4 &14, Acts 16:16-19, 2Thess 2:10


6. If you think that serving God, preaching the gospel or "living by faith" is a way to get rich or a way to get you needs met without labor....you may be deceived. Mark 4:19, 1 Cor 4:12 2Thess 3:12 1 Thess 4:11,1 Peter 2:16


7. If your relationship and believe in God rests completely on what God did, or is doing..., When you do not seek Him as a person and being but relate solely on the basis of His actions; you are at the very least immature and at the most... you may be deceived. John 17:3, Phil 3:10-11, 1 John 2:3-6, Numbers 12:6-8


8. If there are no new births, if your relationship with Him does not fill you with what His heart is full off ( John 3:16, 1Tim 2:4), if you have no passion for the hurting, lost and dying, if as His body and His bride we do not make His business our business....you may be deceived. John 1:13, Luke 4:18, 1 John 3:8


We haven not touched on sin and making excuses for sin or discerning sin, since I believe that most honest and sincere believers can do this with the help of the Holy Spirit the word and submitting to the Body of Christ. Heb 3:13, 1John 1:8-9

This is also not a list to run around and tag or mark other people with. Some of what we see may just be immaturity. 2Tim 2:14 Matt 7:1-5, 1Cor 11:31-32

The purpose for this is for self examination or discernment. How is my thinking skewed? Am I deceived in my mind? The battle is in the field of the thinking for as a man thinks, so he is.

I hope this helps to lift the fog.


Other resources:

They Shall Expel Demon by Derek Prince ;

Toxic Faith by Stephen Arternburn.

The Way of Deception by Marietjie Chase





Our principle of our Elementary school gave the parents a speech at the beginning of the year. Part, was a recipe for making a child into a communist (the threat at the time; we could easily substitute terrorist). She said, all you had to do was to criticise the police, the pastor and the teacher in the child's hearing. There is also a recipe for deception and the three main ingredients are as follows:





1. First. Abolish, change, pervert or otherwise substitute the written word of God.


All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2Tim 3: 16
This deals with the written word. The translations have flaws and we have to study to show ourselves approved, as good stewards, dividing the word correctly. When we replace the centrality of the written word or make our own version of it; we have just taken the first step on the road to deception. The Bible has the last say on matters. Some has even made their knowledge of the Bible an idol and have become carnal or unsaved theologians. And some in their fear of legalism has thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Keeping the Bible in it's rightful place will keep you from deception and ignorance of the written word will make you a much easier target for deception.





2. Second. Minimize, abandon or pervert prayer.


Prayer has so many facets: I Tim 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men;
If we want to define it we could write books. The best definition of prayer, in general, can be found in I Samuel 2 when Hannah said that she has been pouring her heart out before God. Some have tried to change this by limiting prayer to only this or that. The human heart needs emptying and if we do not do it before God, we will do it before people. At least God can do something about it.





3. Third. Don't submit to the rest of the Body of Christ and separate yourself. This means that you think that only you and those agreeing with you are worthy of your time and energy.





I Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Some, in arrogance, even goes so far as to label people as demonic for not being in agreement with them. If ever there was a tragedy in the church; it is our schisms, sectarianism, denominations and little fractions. We have little groups of "eyes" and "ears" sitting on little hills where they are doing no-body any good.
Stay in the fire. Don't shrink back. As iron sharpens iron so will we shape one another. This cannot and will not happen if we run. Our modern, prosperous, lifestyles became a curse in this area. Let us humble ourselves and submit to one another, preferring one another above ourselves.



Deception's root is in the garden of Eden, when Eve acted on the word of the snake instead of the word of God. Jesus said: My words are spirit and life. Who's words are we acting on?



For further study see: http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1990s/ts911007.html
Also: Rick Renner's book - Merchandizing the Anointing.