In my communion time with the Holy Spirit this morning He reminded me of the approach Jesus took about the enemy and what Jesus taught His disciples on how to approach the devil. Jesus never told the disciples to ever fear what the enemy could do to them but rather stressed on what God would do to protect them and keep them from the works of the devil. Jesus was very concerned that His disciples were not deceived, and walked in truth about everything.

When I first got saved the Holy Spirit spent much time teaching me the important things about truth by showing me what God wanted to do for me if I simply obeyed. His emphasis was on what Jesus had accomplished on my behalf and how I was to appropriate those benefits then using them to succeed and prosper in life.

 I only realized how blessed I was to have these teachings when I started coming around certain Pentecostal circles because I realized they spent more time on what satan was doing to and against them. It was surprising that they spent very little time on what Jesus had accomplished for us and how we should use this authority to triumph in life.

Let me share with you some of the lessons the Holy Spirit taught me that enabled me to build more confidence in who and what Jesus did for me above who was seeking to hinder and hamper me.

Luke.21:7-9 says these words:So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” 8 And He said: “Take heed that you will not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. 9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” In this discourse the disciples are asking Jesus when the end will be and what is necessary for them to know and what sign to look for so they do not miss the time.

“Jesus then points out what is necessary for every disciple to know and do.” “Watch out that you are not deceived.”

Don’t look for signs in the sky or on earth but ensure that your hearts are not deceived away from truth because there will be much said by people claiming it is Jesus and you need to follow after him by doing this new thing they claim.

I am very curious to know the truth so I asked the Holy Spirit why was deception what Jesus harped on and not a sign they could hold on to against a lie. He pointed out to me Jeremiah.17:9 & 10 which reads: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart,I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

“ Now each disciple has a heart and that heart loves deceit so the most important thing is to guard the heart against receiving and accepting lies which will constantly be thrown at you. It is only if we remain in the truth that we will be able to counter the lie or deception that shows up and remain faithful to the Lord.”

Jesus knew what was in the heart of man and that it could change suddenly and quickly if the deception offered what the heart desired and be drawn away rather than the power satan has over man. The weapon of deception is more powerful than satan because through deception one can easily be an agent of satan without even realizing it and accomplish his will , believing you are walking in truth. Deception is satan’s most powerful weapon against man. Genesis.3:1-5.

The wonderful thing about the Lord is that He provides everything we need before time which explains why He gave us the Spirit of truth to guide us into all truth so that our hearts could remain steadfast in truth. We are not to be moved by deception and lies when they are spun on us. Always remember that in any area we are deceived we always fall prey to satan and his works because we are not operating in truth.

This is why we must remain humble before God and realize that we cannot keep ourselves but must be reliant on the Spirit of truth to guide us into all the truth. Jude.24.

The Holy Spirit at a crucial point in my walk with Jesus told me that I needed to deal with and repent of every desire I had as a child growing up because there was a manifestation of those desires that satan was seeking to bring to me in that season to rob me of the God plan.

The reality was that I had desired those things as a child and wanted them and now satan who was the only one who would grant them was wanting to manifest them for me at this God important moment of my life to rob me of the plan of God.

Thankfully I responded to this prompting and started repenting of every wrong desire I had and could remember. The reality was that within two weeks of that time someone who I was not in communication with because he was a compromise to relationship with the Lord called me with the very desire fulfillment as if we were still buddies and was saying on the phone which I refused to answer that he was watching that event and wanted to share it with me because I had voiced that desire as a kid which he knew.

 I refused to take the call and said to my best friend I can hear that music in the background and that was exactly what the Holy Spirit refused to speak with this person who happened to be my elder brother on those terms and hence lost out on God’s plan for me.

I had other similar events that came up offering me things I had desired as a child in that season in addition and the aim was to deceive me through my desire being fulfilled in my soul, rather than what God had prepared for me to reap on His behalf for my walk with Him. My heart needed to be steadfast in the truth and not let the deception of fulfillment of the fleshly desire lead me to defeat.

This is what Jesus was pointing out to the disciples that deception received and accepted means you do the devils will even if you think differently because you are carrying out a lie in your life. Our hearts must only yield to the truth to follow Jesus because He is truth and there is no lie or deception in truth which He is.

We must therefore always stay in the truth lane and permit the Holy Spirit daily to keep us in the Truth because Jesus gave Him to us to fulfill that purpose of keeping and guiding us into all truth which we will gain each day.

The end of our faith which Peter points to in his letter which is the saving of our soul and that means our mind, our will , our intellect and our emotions all in complete unison with Jesus and only doing His will. 1 Peter.1:9.

I have made the quality decision for my soul to remain in the work and walk of salvation as I walk out the plan of God for my life as the Apostle Paul states working out your salvation with fear and trembling till every part of me serves Jesus fully with the Holy Spirit through His guidance into all truth to accomplish the plan of Jesus in my life as I continually surrender to Him in all things.

I pray that today as you meditate on these words every grace you need to walk free of deception you will find. Then be released from all incumbrances by walking again in the truth that frees you.

Then the Holy Spirit will be able to guide you to the paths of pleasantness and peace which Jesus purposed for you to walk in as that deception will no longer be able to move you to abort the plan of Jesus for your life. You will walk in the rich fulfilment Jesus ordained for you to walk in for His glory in Jesus name. Amen.