Children of God and Children of the Father of Lies

All human beings are plagued with sins that challenge their relationship with God and then poison their mind against his peace. This is true, at times, even of people who know God and belong to his family. But people who don’t know God and don’t belong to his family are not just plagued to a much higher degree – they are enslaved in a very real kind of bondage. Paul teaches us that people saved by Christ begin to develop a revulsion for sin, and even though they may struggle with it, their life becomes increasingly characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-24).  Unsaved people tend to lead lives characterized by, among other things, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy. They often don’t struggle with sin, but instead embrace it. This kind of life trends toward an overt revulsion of all things godly (Galatians 5:19-21).

But, perhaps more entrenched than the litany of strife, violence, anger, dissension and division that characterizes those who don’t know Christ is a bondage to deception.  You’ll notice in all of the gospels, the enemies of Christ are those who are so deceived by their own self-importance that they can’t recognize the Lord when he is performing miracles right in front of them as was the case of the religious leaders of his day.   But they are also the ones who practice deceit (Luke 23:1-12, Mark 14:44, John 8:44).

Like Jesus, Paul met the same kind of deceit from those who were opposed to him.  Whether they knew it or not, they were falsely teaching others that he was telling Jews to ignore their laws and customs (Acts 21:21).  This was not the case at all. In fact, Paul had his protege, Timothy, circumcised so that he could more adeptly move through the Jewish world and teach the gospel (Acts 16:1-3). Paul himself had even taken a Nazarite vow during one of his missionary journeys (Acts 18:18). What Paul taught was that observance of the law was not necessary for salvation, and he didn’t place a yoke of law around the necks of Gentile converts. 

Deception is the first and primary tool that Satanic forces use to enslave unbelievers, or to persecute, harass, or otherwise pester those involved in the ministry of the gospel.  In contrast, truth and love are primary tools that God uses to liberate men and rescue them from their sins (John 14:6, John 3:16). A sinner will tell himself every lie there is to keep himself enslaved, and he’ll believe all of those lies at the expense of freedom from his enslavement. So any time you see deceivers, and those who live in willful deceit, know that demonic forces are afoot in their lives. But as for you, seek to know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:30-32).