Deliver Me from Deception
By Tom Gilbreath
“Take heed that no one deceives you” — Matthew 24:4, Jesus speaking about signs of His coming and of the end of the age.
Deception is not new. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden and the father of lies. But the Bible says it will grow substantially worse in the last of the last days. Today, it permeates the world as never before. The tools of deception have become a thousand times more powerful and prolific.
“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue” — Psalms 120:2.
The battle against deception increasingly defines our lives. People fear answering the phone if they don’t see a number they recognize. They are afraid to help a car in distress on the side of the road because it might be a robber’s ruse. Wariness is up because deception is up.
You get an email seemingly from your bank. It has their logo. It uses their slogans. The email warns that something unusual, maybe even criminal, is going on with one of your accounts. You start to click on a link, and then you realize that it might not be the bank at all. It might be someone trying to create the very problem they seem to be warning you about.
A call comes in, apparently from a grandchild. She’s in trouble and urgently needs cash. Even if the voice on the other end sounds like your grandchild, it might be a scam. Someone calls and congratulates you on winning a dream vacation. He just needs to get some information to verify your identity. He also needs your Social Security number so he can properly report to the IRS. And after he gets that little pot of gold from you, he lets you know that you will have to pay a “small” fee to finalize the transaction. After giving him the data and money he wants, you find out it was all a scam.
Even today’s photos and videos can be liars. Fake news permeates social media. Once venerable newspapers and broadcasts make editorial decisions pushing a certain political agenda, even at the expense of truth. Headlines can be especially misleading, but most people read no further.
People lie for power, money, to manipulate, and they lie just to be lying. Jeremiah 9:3 says, “‘And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,’ says the Lord.”
Proverbs 26:28 in the New Living Translation says, “A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin.” How do lies destroy? They remove the keystone from the arch. They blast foundations into powder. Progress and harmony depend on communication, and deceit shreds communication. Deception starts wars, starves the hungry, and removes the pillars of sanity from the structure of civilization.
Jesus said, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” “Take heed” … “Be watchful” … “Look out!” … “Keep your eyes peeled.” But Jesus did not say to be paranoid. Scripture is explicit that we “fear not.” Instead of fearing deception, know the truth and be made free. Jesus prayed for you and for me in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
In times like these, remember to pray. “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.”
