We all know the devil is crafty and is very calculated in what he does. If he were to do things out in the open, in an obvious way, we’d catch him in the act, no doubt. So, he works stealthily behind the scenes in order to try and deceive, if possible, even the elect.

With that said, I’d like to take a look at Matthew 24:4-5 which says:

“And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

There have been people who have actually claimed to be Jesus, gathering followers, and leading many away from the Kingdom. If you were to search the Wikipedia, you would find a page listing all those who believed they were Jesus in one form or another, spanning from the 18^th – 20^th century. https://bit.ly/2NS0RWs Some claimed to be Jesus reincarnated, some claim to be the resurrected body of Jesus Christ, and others believe they’re the “Second Coming.” As a born-again believer in Christ Jesus, I can say in these cases, the enemy wasn’t moving quite as stealthily. Anyone who reads their Bible, and has a close relationship with the Lord Jesus can plainly see these people are not Him. We understand that Jesus ascended into Heaven, and while He will eventually return, Revelation 1:7 says “he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.”

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect…So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:23-27

It’s been made plain that if someone claims they’re Jesus out in Ohio, or somewhere in the Australian Outback, we know it’s not really Him. It’s obvious. However, it says it’s possible for even the elect to be deceived. How can that be? I’m glad you asked.

Right now, in this day and age, there are many pastors, church goers, CEOs, etc. claiming to be Jesus in subtle, even unnoticeable, ways. I’ve watched as some of these individuals ascribe their own thoughts, plans and purposes, building patterns, and desires as coming directly from the Lord Jesus. There’s a lot of “God told me to,” when it’s really something they desire and have conjured up on their own. When things go off without a hitch, without any opposition, they think to themselves, “The Lord is really with me.” As they stand back and look at what they’ve built, and/or look at all the people who have flocked to them, they place themselves high up on an invisible pedestal, believing they’re really something in the eyes of God. One of the saddest, most laughable sayings I’ve heard is, “God put me in charge. He trusts me, and I can do what I want.”  I’m sure we’ve all heard of pride – pride can be described as anything that sets itself up above (and against) God, and says “I don’t need God.” Pride says, “I know better than God. I don’t need to follow His leading. Yes, He said to do it this way, but I have a better way of doing it.” It can also be described as being exceptionally pleased with ourselves, and giving ourselves all the credit for things the Lord has done. Are you starting to get the picture here? Many have been building systems and structures claiming it was God’s doing when it was not, thereby becoming God in their own eyes and proclaiming it to others in a very roundabout way. Something most don’t understand is that the devil can make things happen for you as well. For example, there’s many in the music industry who have sold their souls to the devil in order to receive fame and fortune. In Matthew 4:8, we also see the devil administering a high dose of temptation to Jesus in the wilderness.

“Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these things I will give You if you will fall down and worship me.”

Jesus however, knew what He came to this earth for, and only did the things He saw His Father in heaven do. Jesus left no room for himself to be deceived.

Some have been exercising their spiritual gifts apart from a solid relationship with Christ Jesus, and apart from following the leading of the Holy Spirit, (the gifts and call of God are irrevocable Romans 11:29), and though what they are doing appears to be good, it is not what God has asked them to do. One of the scariest Scriptures, in my opinion, is Matthew 7:22-23 which says,

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'”

Throughout this world are sprinkled many ministries and individuals that are unknowingly leading the people of God astray due to their own pride, and because they announce, “the Lord is here!” every time they hold a conference, (though the Lord is not in it), or “Here is the Lord!” every time they engage in a new venture (though God has not sent them). People are joining in things that are not Spirit led, and they are wasting their time. The enemy introduces these seemingly good plans to us with the hopes of distracting us, and throwing us off track. If we’re busy doing the other things, we won’t have time to do what God has actually called us to do. Doing our own thing and claiming it’s God is dangerous; we’re stepping out from our place of safety (which is in the center of God’s will), and then we wonder why things aren’t working out for us. This is why it is so important to be led by the Spirit of God. This is why it is crucial we learn to hear His voice. There are many fabulous books available on hearing the voice of God. I’ve included a link here to one such book by one of my favorite authors – Hearing God’s Voice Today: Practical Help for Listening to Him and Recognizing His Voice by James Goll. https://amzn.to/3lQzb0R

A little something that I like to do is ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me any ways in which I’ve knowingly or unknowingly played God; any ways in which I’ve stepped out and did my own things apart from His leading. My prayer is often, “Lord, help me to not run ahead of you, and help me to not fall behind you. Keep me in your perfect will for my life.” He’s not going to bash you over the head if you’ve messed up and got off track. You haven’t done anything so bad that He couldn’t possibly fix it (after all, He was able to fix everything after Adam and Eve’s mess up). If need be, He’ll reroute you! As a born-again believer, all you have to do is simply acknowledge any areas He brings to mind, apologize for them, and move on. If you have never made Jesus your Lord and Savior, and you would like to, I encourage you to pray this prayer:

God,

I thank you for sending your Son to die on my behalf for the forgiveness of all my sins. I’m sorry for the things I’ve done, and I want to live for you from this day forward. I commit my life into your very capable hands, and I trust that you have great plans for my life; plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. Teach me to recognize your voice so that I can follow your leading and avoid all the traps and pitfalls of the enemy.

In Jesus’s Name, Amen.