The word “deceive” appears 67 times throughout the books of the Bible. Deception: is the act of causing someone to accept as true what is actually false. “Now the Spirit expressly says that IN LATTER TIMES (husteros: final, last of all) some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving (planos: an imposter leading astray) spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE SEARED with a hot iron…” (1 Tim. 4:1-2)
If the conscience is “seared”—literally “cauterized”—then it has been rendered insensitive. Such a conscience does not work properly; it’s as if “SPIRITUAL SCAR TISSUE” has dulled the sense of right and wrong. It all started in the Garden of Eden when the devil, disguised as a serpent, deceived Eve and Adam and they yielded to sin. Before that, perfection was everywhere. The ground was easy to till. No one hated anyone. There were no murders, no power struggles, no jealousy, no envy. Financial resources were plentiful. And Eve and Adam communicated each day with God Himself. What seems strange is that they were in a perfect situation! This just shows us HOW GOOD THE DEVIL IS AT DECEIVING US. So, just what does the devil do? He deceives Eve with a challenging lie, “did God really say” what you think He said? Just think of how much more useful you will be to God if you eat and know good and evil, “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.” (Gen. 3:5)
So, Eve then Adam ate the fruit, sinned against God and tried to hide but God said Adam, “WHERE ARE YOU (where are you spiritually)?” (Gen. 3:9) Then God said, “The man has now become LIKE ONE OF US, knowing good and evil. He must NOT BE ALLOWED to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever (as a sinner).” So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.” (Gen. 3:22-23) Just what do we do then when we’re tempted, “humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. Come close to God, and God will COME CLOSE TO YOU…” (James 4:7-8) How do we RESIST THE DEVIL? We do like “…the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil…said, “THE LORD REBUKE YOU! (epitimaō: to severely condemn)“ (Jude 1:9)
-Bill Stockham