How Christians can protect themselves from deception

Knowing the Word of God is essential if you're going to be a follower of God in these days. These days are crazy. It's because we are living, no doubt, not just in the last days, which have been around since the time of the first-century church; these were the last days when Christ ascended, and the church began. We are living in the most deceptive time in the history of the world. And I take this very seriously as not only a pastor, but as a brother in Christ, and as someone who realizes the importance of our time.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian believers, was concerned that something was happening because of the reports he'd been receiving. He's concerned that they're being deceived in such a way that they are going to be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Jesus Christ. This kind of deception can be so subtle that a person doesn’t realize it’s happening. We're seeing this a lot today in the church. In fact, there's also a second definition for being led astray that will define the last days before the Antichrist arrives, and that’s the great apostasy or the great falling away. This is going to happen. People will apostatize or defect from the truth of Scripture or faith itself.
There are things that are going on, and we need to be very careful that we do not become those who just put up with stuff. We need to be those who expose things that are evil. We need to expose false teachers. We need to expose the darkness. You need to get serious about reading and studying and knowing the Word of God, because it is the truth. It's the only absolute truth we have out in the world. And God has given you His Spirit to help us learn, know, understand, and also to discern the days in which we're living.
Fallen angelic beings, that God created and later rebelled against Him, are at work, living, performing all kinds of work in opposition to the Kingdom of God and to the work of God. And their number one target, obviously, is the people of God and humanity. It is a subtle trickery. This is any and every type of trickery used to accomplish the end goal, which is deception. We must do as Paul was doing and make sure that we continue to expose the deceitful works of the enemy and false teachers, false prophets, false doctrines, and all those things that are being brought into the church. He called them deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ and servants of righteousness. But in truth, they are false teachers, and they were not serving Christ. These false teachers were actually serving Satan, who, like them, disguises himself as an angel of light, intending to deceive the people.
The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching or doctrine, but having itchy ears will accumulate for themselves teachers who suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths or falsehoods. There's a responsibility on our part to make sure that what is being taught is biblical, and that it is right, and that it is true. Knowing the Word of God is essential if you're going to be a disciple of Christ in these days. I encourage you to be a student of the Word and shepherd your families. We need to be protecting, instructing, reproving, rebuking, and doing all those things in the love of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must lead our families and be good stewards of what God has given us.

In Christ,

Pastor John


Adapted from The Gritty Men Podcast: How Christians can Protect themselves from deception / Ep. 104, Nov 18, 2025