FREEDOM IN CHRIST: TRUTH AND DECEPTION

 Hello 👋 friends, welcome to our newest topic: TRUTH AND DECEPTION

NUMBER TWO 

As a Christian, you already know that God’s Word is true and must be accepted in your innermost being. Psalm 51:6 (sincerity and truth are what you require; fill my mind with your wisdom). You should not have business in deceiving others by lying, exaggerating, telling white lies, stretching the truth or falsehood. The devil is a lair and father of all lairs, John 8:44 (you are the children of your father, the devil, and you want to follow your father’s desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, he is a lair and father of all lies). 

The devil is looking for people he will put in bondage through deceptions but the good news is the truth in Christ sets you free. You will find real joy/happiness and freedom in the truth as long as you stop living in lies. Psalm 32:1&2 (1, happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. 2, happy is the one whom the Lord does not accuse of doing wrong and who is free from all deceit.

You find strength when you walk in the light because you are sure God loves you and accepts you, so there’s no need hiding your sin and you must man up to face reality and never hide from painful circumstances or run. Remember good things are never easy so you have to work your way through and only depending on God’s strength.

CONFESSION: Lord Jesus, I know that You want me to know the truth, believe the truth, speaking the truth and live in accordance with the truth. Thank You that it is the truth that will set me free. In many ways I have been deceived by Satan, the father of lies, and I have deceived myself as well.

Father, I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by virtue of His shed blood and resurrection, asking You to rebuke all of Satan’s demons that are deceiving me. I have trusted in Jesus alone to save me, and so I am Your forgiven child. Therefore, since You accept me just as I am in Christ, I can be free to face my sin and not try to hide. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth. I ask You to “search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” In the name of Jesus, Who is the Truth, I pray. Amen.

Satan have many tactics to choose from when he is about to deceive people, remember his encounter with Eve, he is working over time trying to convince you to depend on yourself so you can force to obtain your needs through the world around you rather than trusting in God’s provisions.

The below examples will help open your eyes to the ways you have been deceived by the world system around you. 

WAYS YOU CAN BE DECEIVED BY THE WORLD

􏰀 Thinking that acquiring money and things will bring lasting happiness. 􏰀 Thinking that consuming food and alcohol excessively will make you happy. 􏰀 Thinking that a great body and personality will get you what you want. 􏰀 Thinking that gratifying sexual lust will bring lasting satisfaction. 􏰀 Thinking that you can sin and get away with it and not have it affect your heart. 􏰀Thinking that you need more than what God has given you in Christ.􏰀 Thinking that you can do whatever you want and no one can touch you.              􏰀Thinking that people can live a life of sin and still go to heaven.􏰀 Thinking that you can hang around bad company and not become corrupted. 􏰀 Thinking that there are no consequences on earth for your sin.           􏰀Thinking  that you must gain the approval of certain people in order to be happy.􏰀Thinking that you must measure up to certain standards in order to feel good about yourself. ▫️Thinking that the devil can use you to deceive others without you being in his bondage.▫️Thinking you can deceive people under you and get the approval of the world.

CONFESSION: Lord Jesus, I confess that I have been deceived by ___. I thank You for Your forgiveness and I commit myself to believing only Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

It’s true you can deceive yourself even after you have been deceived by the world, false teachings or deceiving spirits. But thanks be to God that you are now alive in Christ Jesus, completely forgiven and accepted. Jesus Christ is now your defense so no need to defend yourself like you used to...check examples of how you can deceive yourself below. 

WAYS YOU CAN DECEIVE YOURSELF

􏰀 Hearing God’s Word but not doing what it says.

􏰀 Saying you have no sin. 􏰀 Thinking you are something you’re really not.  􏰀 Thinking you are wise in this world age. 􏰀 Thinking you can be truly religious but not bridle your tongue.

CONFESSION: Lord Jesus, I confess that I have deceived myself by __. Thank You for Your forgiveness. I commit myself to believing only Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In reality, it’ll be a difficult decision for you, if you have been believing lies for so long and every Christian needs to learn that Christ is the only defense he or she needs. Realizing that you are already forgiven and accepted by God through Christ will help free you to place all your dependence on Him. Faith is the biblical response to the truth in the word of God and believing God’s word is a necessity as a Christian. Sometimes it becomes a hindrance walking by faith in God because of been afraid or thinking He is mad at you for your sins but the truth is He loves and have accepted you. Romans 8:15 (for the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry to our God, “Father! my Father!”).

Remember, rejecting the spirit of fear will help you to break the chains of those lies and enable you to begin to experience that intimate Abba Father relationship with Him. 1 Peter 1:8&9 (8, you love him, although you have not seen him, you believe in him, although you do not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express. 9, but you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him). To achieve all these, you must walk in the truth and reject deceptions which is the root of fears that plague your life. 1Peter 5:8 (be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the devil, roams around like a roaming lion, looking for someone to devour). The devil’s major tactic is to use fear to paralyze Christians, his intimidation is designed to rob Christians the faith in God. The devil uses his fear tactics/factor to weaken Christians and make them to become self-minded and cloud their mind to always having frightening thoughts. 

Depending on Jesus the Master of your soul in order to experience total freedom from bondage of fear and ability to walk by faith in God. 2 Timothy 1:7 (for the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.

CONFESSION: Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I have listened to the devil’s roar and have allowed fear to master me. I have not always walked by faith in You but instead have focused on my feelings and circumstances. Thank You for forgiving me for my unbelief! Right now I renounce the spirit of fear and affirm the truth that You have not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. Lord, please reveal to my mind now all the fears that have been controlling me so I can renounce them and be free to walk by faith in You. I thank You for the freedom You give me to walk by faith and not by fear. In Jesus’ powerful name, I pray. Amen.

The below examples will  help you recognize some of the fears the devil has used to keep you from walking by faith and one by one renounce those fears and walk in liberty.

􏰀 Fear of death 􏰀 Fear of Satan 􏰀 Fear of failure

􏰀 Fear of rejection by people 􏰀 Fear of disapproval

􏰀 Fear of becoming/being homosexual 􏰀 Fear of financial problems 􏰀 Fear of never getting married     􏰀 Fear of the death of a loved one 􏰀 Fear of being a hopeless case 􏰀 Fear of losing your salvation􏰀 Fear of having committed the unpardonable sin 􏰀 Fear of not being loved by God􏰀 Fear of never loving or being loved by others 􏰀 Fear of embarrassment􏰀 Fear of being victimized by crime 􏰀 Fear of marriage􏰀 Fear of divorce 􏰀 Fear of going crazy 􏰀 Fear of pain/illness   􏰀 Fear of the future 􏰀 Fear of confrontation􏰀 Fear of special individuals. List them:􏰀 Other specific fears that come to mind now:

CONFESSION: Lord Jesus, I renounce the ____ because God has not given me a spirit of fear and I choose to live by faith in God who has promised to protect me and meet all my needs as I walk by faith in Him, in Jesus Mighty name, Amen.

Faith is choosing to believe and act upon what God says, regardless of your feelings or circumstances. If you find our post helpful, you can choose to read it daily for several weeks to renew your mind with the truth, and replace any lies you might be believing.

CONCLUSION PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are trustworthy. I choose to believe You, even when my feelings and circumstances tell me to be fearful. You have told me not to fear, for You are with me; to not anxiously look about me, for You are my God. You will strengthen me, help me and surely uphold me with Your righteous right hand. I pray with faith in the name of Jesus my Master. Amen.

We will continue with NUMBER THREE in our next post, remain blessed.

Peace ☮️ out.