Tag / Satan’s deceptions

by In Light Of The Cross

Why Satan has to Gaslight you Before he can Deceive you

Monday’s section of this week’s lesson asks how we can keep from being deceived by Satan? Satan is a narcissist. Narcissists gaslight their victims by creating illusions that appear to defy what is true. Satan tempts us by creating illusions that appear to defy what is true. He has to make us doubt Bible truth before he can deceive. There is no need to fear or be deceived if we believe the Bible even when Satan’s illusions contradict it. Let’s look at how the serpent decieved Eve. 

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:2-5 NKJV

The sperpent  so sublty and casually called God a liar when he said, “You will not surely die.” In order to decieve Eve Satan had to make her doubt God’s Word. If we believe God’s Word we will not be tricked into sin. We barely left Pslams but if we can go back again for another quick visit we will see,

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 NKJV

The Bible, which is God’s Word protects us from deception. It concerns me when people will say that Science or archeology has proven the Bible to be true. Why does this concern me? Because when we make the Bible appear to rely on science or archeology for validation then we are giving science and archeology authority over and above the Bible. If I am in traffice court, and the police officer is assuring the judge that my testimony is true then that must mean the police officer has more authority and merit than I do, because I am relying on his or her validation. The Word of God does not seek to be validated by man. Mankind, human phillosphy, science and archeology hold no authority over the Bible and are not qualified to declare God’s Word valid or invalid. The Bible stands on its own merit and gives but does not receive validation. 

A few years ago I was grading some 7th grade math papers, when a 7th grade math whiz came up to me to ask me if I had graded his paper yet. He wanted to know if he had missed any answers. This 7th grade math whiz was so good, I told him, “Are you kidding me? I use your paper to see if the answer book is right or not!” Of course I was using a little humor in telling this student how great he was at math. If I am letting the student decide if the answer book is right or not it must mean I think more of the student than the answer book. If I let an archeologist or scientist tell me if the BIble is right or not it must mean I think more of the archeologist or scientist than  I do the Bible. However, I do not let Scientists and archeologists tell me if the Bible is right. I let the Bible tell me if the scientists and archelogists are right or not. 

Some people think they are smart to question God’s Word. However the Plsamist says,

Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever. Psalm 131:1-3 NKJV

When the Bible presents ideas too great for us to understand, Satan suggests the ideas are actually foolish, when in reality they are just beyond our human comprehension. Human pride loves to cast aside as foolish the things it can’t explain or comprehend. Instead of becoming skeptics of God’s Word when we find something we don’t understand, it is wiser to be like David and trust God’s Word like a small child trusts its mother. After all, we will never be able to explain everything about God. If we could understand and explain everything about God He would cease to be God and would be just like us. When I was a child my parents did a lot of things I could not understand until I became older and grew up to be like them. While I can grow up like my parents did, I can never grow up to undersand and explain everyting about God and His Word. If I could be like God He would not be much of a God. The fact that scientists and archeologists cannot explain everything or even validare everything in God’s word is what makes it so divine. If scientists and archeolgists could valdiate the Bible then the Bible wouldn’t be any more inspired than the scientists and archeolgists validating it. As Paul exclaims regarding the greatness of God,

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! Romans 11:33 NKJV 

Peter tells us some people think they are being smart when trying to bring the Bible down to their own level when in reality they are twisting it to their own destruction. 

…….which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 2 Peter 3:16 NKJV

While we cannot explain everything about God, He gives us plenty of evidence to believe in His Word. First of all, going back to the Garden of Eden, as you well know Adam and Eve did die because of thier disobedience. God’s Word in time proved to be true. Daniel 2 contains a prophecy spanning well over a thousand years and so far every detail of that prophecy has proven true. Even the part that says, 

As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. Daniel 2:43 NKJV

In thi s prophecy the Bible says Europe will never be united into another one world empire. During World War II many thought Hitler would form another one world empire, but they were wrong and God’s Word proved true. As I have illustrated in a previous article, Every Word of God Proves True. If what we see, hear or feel contradicts what God’s Word says, we can be sure what we see, hear or feel is wrong. This is why we cannot afford to give more merit to skeptics, philosophers, scientists or archeologists than we do the Word of God. Instead we must,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

In order for me to make you believe 1+1=3 I must make you doubt the math answer book. If  I can make you doubt your math textbook I may be able to deceive you. Narcissists all know in order to make you believe their lies, they have to first gaslight you, causing you to doubt what is actually true. Narcissists gaslight their victims by creating illusions that appear to defy what is true. Satan tempts us by creating illusions that appear to defy what is true. He has to make us doubt Bible truth before he can deceive. There is no need to fear or be deceived if we believe the Bible even when Satan’s illusions contradict it. 

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.

by In Light Of The Cross

The Immortality of the Soul and Satan’s Seeing is Believing Trick

Tulsa By River

I am writing today from beautiful Tulsa, Oklahoma

A Bible student excitedly told me about a movie he saw where someone died and went to heaven where he saw his dead loved ones. When I reminded him about thestate of the dead, he told me, “Well maybe they did not actually die. Maybe it was a dream.” He was quite emotional about the movie and told me it had strengthened his faith in God.

What could be wrong with that?

Well, it raises the issue of whether we regard movies as authoritative, or not. Do we put our faith in movies or other visual media? Bible-believing Christians regard the Bible alone as authoritative in matters of faith. Sadly, all too often entertainment films promote popular misconceptions rather than presenting what the Bible says.

Satan has been using the “seeing is believing” strategy right from the beginning. When Satan dressed up as a serpent, he offered Eve a treat that turned out to be a trick. God’s Word said, “If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:17 NLT), but then Eve saw that this serpent not only appeared to have eaten the fruit and did not die, but could also talk. This was pretty convincing “seeing is believing” evidence for her. You could disobey God and not die and at the same time enjoy benefits. If the serpent could talk after disobeying God, then what were the possibilities for Eve? The serpent appeared to be more credible than God’s Word because the visible proof was right there.

Eve believed what she saw more than what God had told her. How wrong she was! Eve ate the fruit and ultimately died. The serpent that Satan used died too, and one day Satan himself will die. It may have initially appeared God’s Word was not true, but God’s Word proved to be very true indeed.

Satan uses the seeing is believing trick in many other ways besides just death. During World War 2 many Bible believing Christians were sure Hitler was going to take over all of Europe, even though Daniel 2 says Europe will never again have a one world empire. After all it sure looked like He was going to win!  While Jesus traveled with His two companions on the road to Emmaus, it sure looked to them like Jesus was not the Messiah after all. Instead of having them recognize Him, he showed them in Scripture the truth about the Messiah. Why go to Scripture instead of just opening their eyes and letting them see Him? Because Jesus doesn’t want us going by the seeing is believing mentality. Seeing is believing is Satan’s trick. God doesn’t use that. He uses Scripture. Scripture is our safeguard from the seeing is believing deception.

Jesus has warned us that in the last days that :

“… some shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect”. Matthew 24:24.

He was warning us that we need to be aware of how easily we can be deceived by what we see.

The belief that the dead can communicate with us has been one of the greatest delusions playing on the emotions of the bereaved by insinuating that the dead are alive in a different dimension and can talk to us. In parallel with one of the great Awakening movements in the United States, the Fox Sisters appeared to be communicating with the dead in their bedrooms. However Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:26 that He would not be in secret places, such as bedrooms. Those who place their trust in the Bible need not be deceived even though it may appear that the dead can speak.

Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:19-20 NLT

The popular media are full of accounts of near-death experiences – in which people supposedly died briefly on the operating table or in other situations – and then “came back” through medical intervention or other means. They tell vivid accounts of what they experienced while dead. While there are scientific explanations for such experiences,1 most people seem to take these as genuine glimpses into the afterlife, particularly those who have had these experiences. After all, seeing is believing. This plays well into Satan’s overall plan of deceiving the people of this world.

A friend of mine was visiting some folk when their young son went missing. Tragically they found him face down in the pool with little sign of life. As they rushed him to the hospital, the mother was frantically praying to the Virgin Mary to save her son. But Mary could not save her son. She was dead. Sadly the boy died too.

In times of trouble shall we call upon the dead, or shall we call on Jesus who is alive and has conquered the grave? Shouldn’t we have a personal relationship with Jesus instead of dead people?

The story of King Saul clearly illustrates the danger of losing sight of our relationship with God. Saul, frustrated with not getting the message from God that he wanted, chose to consult a medium to call back Samuel from the dead. The medium in 1 Samuel 28:14 created the illusion that Saul was talking to Samuel, leading to a set of tragic results for him and his family.

The KJV says Saul “perceived” he was talking to Samuel. Samuel was not talking to Saul. It was an illusion created by Satan. Furthermore, it raised the question why Saul looked for comfort from a dead person to whom he had not listened while he was living, rather than listen to the living God.

Saul should have sought counsel from God instead of an illusion. Today we should seek counsel and courage from the Bible rather than movies and accounts of near-death experiences that depict popular misconceptions. Movies depicting people “crossing over” from the “other side” should not be our source of encouragement.

We can be confident in Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 where Paul describes the second coming and resurrection. He described for us how those who are dead and sleeping in Christ will be raised at the resurrection at the second coming and will meet the living in the air to be with Jesus to live forever.

Paul adds: “Encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18 We don’t need to be encouraged by Media Fiction or phrases like “They have gone home to be with the Lord” Which are found nowhere in the Bible. We can encourage each other with the hope found in the Scriptures which are tried and true.

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.