With the coming of Jesus of Nazareth to earth, the veil, which had hidden the active workings of the Devil’s “powers” of evil for centuries since the Garden of Eden catastrophe, is further removed. The devil’s deceptive power over man is clearly revealed as the arch-deceiver, the Devil himself, appears in the wilderness conflict with the Lord Jesus. There he challenges and tempts Jesus, the promised “seed of the woman,” as was never recorded since that the Devil/Serpent first appeared on earth in the time of the fall of Adam. Thus, Jesus in the wilderness of Judea and the Adam in the earthly Garden of Eden are parallel periods for the testing of ‘the first man, Adam’ and then “the last Adam [Jesus of Nazareth].” In both periods Satan worked as deceiver. But in the 2^nd instance Satan totally fails to deceive and beguile the One who had come as his conqueror.

Traces of the characteristic work of Satan the deceiver can also be seen among the 12 disciples of Jesus. We note how he deceived the mind of Peter multiple times (Matt. 16:22-23, 26:74; Luke 22:31) prompting Peter to lie and deny Christ. Then of course we see the devil’s work in the heart and mind of Judas.

The deceiver’s work today in this age is exposed in the epistles of Paul, referring to the Devil’s “false apostles” “deceitful workers,” and Satan working as a would-be “angel of light,” and by his pseudo “ministers of righteousness” among even the believing saved people of God.

¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his [Satan’s] ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (KJV)

After the Rapture of the “body of Christ” to heaven, we have the messages to “the [messianic] churches” seen in Revelation 2, where the Apostle John, refers to “false apostles” and “false teachings” of many kinds.  A “synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9) consisting of deceived ones is mentioned and “the depths [deep things] of Satan” are described as existing in the Messianic church of the Revelation (Rev. 2:24).

Every Human Since Adam Has Been or is “Deceived,” Until They Receive and then Remain In God’s Light of Truth.

⁴ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV)

In 1773, Johann Adam Weishaupt who had later changed his name to Mayer Rothschild had invited twelve other wealthy and influential men, representing in all the thirteen bloodlines of the Illuminati, to convince them to pool their resources in a plot to bring about a new world order. Adam Weishaupt was then commissioned to establish the Illuminati. “The Illuminati has had its hands directly in revolutions, the most notable being the French Revolution” (1789). (‘The Unseen Hand’ by Ralph Epperson). The Illuminati worked to form a godless world ruled by self-proclaimed ‘enlightened’ men who rely upon human reason alone – totally apart from God. Though born Jewish, as a young boy, Weishaupt was educated by the Jesuits. The Jesuit thought is that man himself could manage the world totally apart from the word of God. The Jesuits had been formed Ignatius Loyola to be the militant wing of Catholicism to oppose Martin Luther’s Protestantism. I include this paragraph only to ask; knowing this, who would you suppose are the ‘powers’ behind It All… if not “the Powers … the Rulers of The Darkness of this World … Spiritual Wickedness in High Places (2Cor. 4:4)?”

Paul to the believers says “We also were … deceived” (Titus 3:3) as was every human being born of Adam’s lineage. All men are first deceived by their deceitful heart (Jer. 27:9; Isa. 44:20) and by sin (Heb. 3:13). The “god of this world” has ‘blinded the minds’ … “lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” should dispel the darkness (2Cor. 4:4).

The deception of ‘the evil one’ does not end when the regenerating life of the Lord reaches a man to save him. The Blinded Mind of Man Is Only Removed to The Extent That The Lies Of Satan Are Dislodged By The Light of The Truth. Thus, Paul admonishes us to ¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) and to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Rom 12:2) and to ⁵Let this mind [Grk phroneo, mindset] be in you which was in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 2:5).

Today there is a plethora of ‘lying deceptions’ being taught among so-called Bible believing Christians. The so-called gospel today has become man centered, forsaking the Christ centered “gospel of the grace of God.” These and many more lies serve to frustrate the preaching and power of the gospel of God’s grace and delay the fulfillment of the Lord’s eternal plan for the Gentile grace believers of this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.”

The word DECEIVED seems to repel us, and how involuntarily every human resents it being applied to himself, not realizing that the very repulsion is the work of the deceiver ‘in our flesh’ (Rom. 8:3b). The Devil is always trying to keep us from the Knowledge of The Truth of The Power of the Cross-work of Christ in Our Lives. The Cross of Christ broke the ‘power of Sin’ and made possible the dispensing of “the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” Into Our Spirit (1Cor 6:17, Col. 1:27), to forever be our new life and supply. The Cross leaves the Devil with only his ‘lies,’ which he uses mightily upon Christian believers, robbing them of their inheritance in Christ.

By Christ’s life in our spirit and by our coming to understand the truth of His word, the Bible, we can overcome the ever-present “sin in the flesh” … which will be present until our Rapture to dwell “eternal in the heaven.” (2Cor 5:1b). We as grace believers are yet deceived … to the extent that we ignore Paul’s admonitions such as seen here below;

• To “be renewed in the spirit of our mind” (Rom. 12:2)
• To “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
• To ‘work out our own salvation’ (See the explanation here: http://www.artlicursi.com/articles/god%E2%80%99s-work-and-believer%E2%80%99s-obedience ).
• To not think ourselves to be “something” when we are ‘nothing’ (Gal. 5:3)
• To “yield” ourselves as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13)
• To “walk in [according to] the spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 25) and not in the flesh.

Deception is all around us in the secular world and in the religious world, in the ‘modern Bibles,’ and among believers who do not avail themselves of the supply of the Lord’s “Spirit of life” and His written words. We must be able to Discern The Truth Of The Written Word As It Applies To Us Today during this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God,” never mixing the truth for Israel with the truth for us Gentiles of “the body of Christ.”

Paul’s prayer of Ephesians 1 below still applies, as when he warned the Ephesians concerning the spiritual ‘warfare’ we are engaged in.

¹⁵ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, ¹⁶ Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; ¹⁷ That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation In The Knowledge of Him: ¹⁸ The Eyes of Your Understanding Being Enlightened; that Ye May Know What Is The Hope of His Calling, and what the Riches of The Glory of His Inheritance In The Saints, Ephesians 1:15-18 (KJV)

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [trickery] of the devil. ¹² For We Wrestle Not Against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities, Against Powers, Against the Rulers of The Darkness of this world, against Spiritual Wickedness in High Places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with TRUTH, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵ And your Feet Shod with the Preparation of The Gospel of Peace; ¹⁶ Above all, taking the Shield of Faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked [one]. ¹⁷ And take the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of The Spirit, which is THE WORD OF GOD: Ephesians 6:10-17

We can “stand” and have victory in our armor in union with Christ. We look to the time to come, being called to co-reign with Christ forever the “in the heavenly places … in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3. 2Tim. 2:12, 2Cor 5:1b).

²⁰ For our conversation [Old English for ‘citizenship’] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious [resurrection] body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV)

Our God-planned destiny is to co-reign with Christ “in the heavenly places” … eternally… in place of Lucifer and his hoard of displaced evil spirits.

¹² If we suffer [endure by His life], We Shall Also Reign [co-reign] with Him: if we deny him, he also will deny us [from reigning]: ¹³ If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful [to us by His word]: he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:12-13

¹ For we know that if our earthly house [of this body] of this tabernacle were dissolved [disintegrated in the grave], we have a building of God, a house [our spirit-body] not made with hands, ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS. 2 Corinthians 5:1 (KJV)

(Portions of this Study are adapted from “War on the Saints,” by Jessie Penn Lewis and “Earth’s Earliest Ages” by G. H. Pember.)