Deception: Stay Awake at the Wheel of Your Soul

“Falling asleep” spiritually can wreck you before you know you’ve drifted. Jesus and His apostles warned us how to stay alert.

The Remedy in One Line

Stay humble before the Lord, meditate on His Word prayerfully, and obey it.

Psalm 119:103–104 (ESV)

[103] How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
[104] Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.

1) Jesus Said Deception Would Mark the Last Days

Matthew 24:24 (ESV)

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.*

Matthew 24:3–14 (ESV)

[3] …“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
[4] And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.
[5] For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
[6] And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
[7] For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
[8] All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
[9] Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
[10] And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
[11] And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
[12] And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
[13] But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
[14] And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2) Leaders: Hold the Line

Titus 1:9–11 (ESV)

[9] He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
[10] For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers…
[11] They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

Titus 1:13–16; 2:1 (ESV)

[13] …rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith…
[16] They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works…
2:1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

Why this matters: Combat deception by teaching truth, refuting lies, and correcting with courage and clarity.

3) Grace That Trains, Not Excuses

Titus 2:11–15 (ESV)

[11] For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
[12] training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
[13] waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
[14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people… zealous for good works.
[15] Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Grace doesn’t make sin safe. Grace trains us out of it.

4) The Root Problem: Refusing to Love the Truth

2 Thessalonians 2:7–12 (ESV)

[7] For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.
[8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
[9] The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
[10] and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
[11] Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,
[12] in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Blunt reality: Love lies long enough, and God lets you have them. Love the truth—or be taken by a lie.

5) Where Deception Hooks You: The World’s Lure

1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)

[15] Do not love the world or the things in the world…
[16] For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father…
[17] And the world is passing away… but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 3:4–10 (ESV)

[4] …sin is lawlessness.
[6] No one who abides in him keeps on sinning…
[7] Let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous…
[9] No one born of God makes a practice of sinning…
[10] …whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

Bottom line: What you practice reveals whose you are.

6) The Victory: Abiding Love and the Spirit’s Witness

1 John 3:23–24 (ESV)

[23] …believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another…
[24] Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1 John 4:7–21 (ESV) (selected highlights, keep full reading as you had it)

[7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God…
[10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins…
[18] There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…
[20] If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar…

Test: Do I abide in love, truth, and obedience? The Spirit bears witness.

7) Wisdom for the Road: Trust and Guard Your Heart

Proverbs 3:5–8; 23–27 (ESV)

[5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
[6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths…
[23] Then you will walk… securely, and your foot will not stumble…
[26] For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Jude 24–25 (ESV)

[24] Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling… be glory… forever. Amen.

8) Seven Practical Safeguards Against Deception

Daily humility: Confess sin quickly; keep short accounts with God (Ps 139:23–24).
Scripture saturation: Read, meditate, and do the Word (Ps 119:103–104; Jas 1:22–25).
Obedience as proof: Grace trains; disobedience deceives (Tit 2:11–14; 1 Jn 3:7–10).
Sound shepherds: Sit under leaders who hold firm to Scripture and refute error (Tit 1:9–11).
Love the truth: Ask God to make you love truth more than comfort (2 Thess 2:10).
Test teachings: Does it confess Jesus biblically and produce holiness and love? (1 Jn 4:1–6; Matt 7:15–20).
Stay engaged: Pray, fellowship, break bread, submit to the Word (Acts 2:42).

Footnotes & Clarifications

“Christ” = “Messiah”: Christos (Gk.) = Mashiach (Heb.) = Anointed One, the promised King-Redeemer of Israel and the Savior of the world (John 4:22).
“Elect” (Matt 24:24): God’s chosen ones; Jesus warns that deception will be so persuasive it would mislead even them—if that were possible. God keeps His own, but the warning is real.
“World” (1 John): Not creation or people per se, but the rebellious system of desires and pride opposed to God.
“Lawlessness”: Living as if God has no binding claim—sin unrestrained.

Call to Action

Repent of any cherished sin, ask Jesus to re-align your loves, and commit to daily Scripture + active obedience. Choose a reading plan for 1 John and Proverbs this week and pray the text back to God.

Deception