Let No One Deceive You

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them.

Ephesians 5:6-7

Paul was the one apostle who was sent to the Gentiles in the New Testament during the formation of the Church of Christ. His challenges were different from those of the other twelve apostles. Paul not only had to fight with the ritualistic Jews who were blinded by the traditions built around the Law of Moses, but he was also sent to a demographic that did not know the God of Israel at all. The territories where the Holy Spirit led him were deeply entrenched in all of the lustful lifestyles of the flesh that you could possibly think of. Cultures that were steeped in moral relativism, as everyone lived in such a way that was right in their own eyes.

Each geographic area had its own set of philosophies and beliefs in the gods of their own respective cultures. The letters of Paul give us wonderful insight into the life and times of each society’s ways and understanding of acceptable behaviors. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is very telling. It is from this letter that we see that there were many behaviors practiced that were not within the guidelines of what God intended for his children. Paul was sent to help point these people in the right direction, and that meant asking them to not only change their lifestyles, but to be countercultural.

Do not think for one minute that the Ephesians, who desired to know the God of Israel, did not face the same type of cultural persecution that we do today when we realize that our lifestyles begin to change as we come to know Jesus, God’s Messiah. In the above verses from the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul beseeches his readers to keep their minds focused and not to be taken in by the deceptions of this world. This warning is also very relevant to us today, as the enemy seeks to kill and destroy us physically, intellectually, and emotionally (1Pet. 5:8).

What is different for the twenty first century individual, is the reality that humans have become highly skilled at propaganda. Persuasive speech has always been a very effective way of communicating, both truthful information and deceitful distortions of the truth. Today, however, we have much more insight into how the brain functions and how to manipulate a person’s mind. Like any other advanced knowledge, it can be used for good or for evil. Good uses of understanding the human mind happen when helping others who have had brain damage or are struggling with anxiety or depression. Evil uses of the knowledge of brain functioning include mind-manipulation by using psychological attacks to bring people into a submissive state.

This latter use of psychology falls under the category of unconventional warfare which is right alongside biological warfare because they are both invisible, but their effects can be seen in those who fall victim to them. When God created humans, he created us in his image (Gen. 1:27), he did so by giving us free will. We have the ability to gain knowledge and use it to learn truth. Why is it that ever since The Fall, humankind has worked diligently at oppressing others through tactics of domination? Mind control is one of the worst and most heinous tactics used on humanity, especially when applied to cause people to accept lies that will lead to their imminent death. Choose life and do your research before falling victim to Satan's schemes.