The Devil’s most subtle route for working his evil intentions is through the minds of humans. The light of the Truth of God makes free, while the Devil’s ‘lies’ are to deceive, bind, and destroy.

It is the ignorance among men that gives ground to the Devil’s ‘lying deceptions.’ Man’s ignorance of ‘the ongoing ‘conflict of the ages’ that began with Lucifer being cast down from “the third heaven.” Ignorance is an essential condition for the Devil’s working his deceptions through the work of his hoard of Evil Lying Spirits and Demons. Just consider this verse; ¹ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets [preachers] are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 (KJV)

Sadly, the current level of ignorance among the believing people of God concerning “the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Eph. 6:12) has made it easy for the Devil to carry out his work as the arch deceiver and destroyer among not only the lost but also the believers of Christendom.

Adam, in his pure created state, before his fall, was not complete in knowledge. We could call him naïve. The account of Eve’s deception by the Serpent suggests that she was ignorant of “good and evil” and we can assume the same for Adam. Their ignorance was the condition which lent itself to the deception of the Satanic Serpent. Sadly, most saved believers today are also mostly unaware of the very real battle and ongoing conflict of the ages in which they are the target of “the wiles [deceitful trickeries] of the devil” (Eph. 6:11) during today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.”

If we study our Bible, we cannot help but notice Paul’s descriptive details of our part in the ‘conflict of the ages’ and with that the work of the ‘Wicked One’ as this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God” nears its close. I believe we are now in the perilous time of “the last days” (2Tim. 3:1) before the Rapture of the members of “the body of Christ” to dwell and co-reign with Christ “eternal in the heavens” (2Cor. 5:1b, 2Tim 2:12).

We need to take to heart the specific words of our Apostle Paul as seen below concerning false apostles, false teachers, and other fraudulent religious workers of Satan’s deceit in the midst ‘the church’ today.

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. 2 Corinthians 11:14 (KJV)

¹ This know also, that in the Last Days Perilous Times Shall Come. ² Men shall be… ⁷ Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 2 Timothy 3:1-2a, 7-8

³ For the time will come when They [the so-called believers] Will Not Endure SOUND DOCTRINE; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves [false] teachers, having itching ears; 2 Timothy 4:3

If you have been around the many Christian sects of today as long as I have you may have recognized that the board members of most so-called churches are not usually spiritual men. Yet, they are the ones who call the tune for the men in the pulpits to pipe on order to ‘please the attendees’…  which is not pleasing to God. This wa so even in Israel of old. ³¹ The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? Jeremiah 5:31.

Paul warns us;

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 [TRICKERIES] 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

Most believers are ignorant of the extent of the Satanic deceptions that have been and are perpetrated upon them today within the confines of the “body of Christ.” They having little or no understanding of the extent of the scope of the deceptive methods that the forces of Satan can use working against us individually in his effort to forestall the eternal plan of God. His work takes place is in the minds of all men.

The Devil focuses his evil lies as “firey [thought] darts” (Eph. 6:16) that come to us in the form of perverted and corrupting thoughts injected into the minds of men, who are so deceived as to consider these thoughts as their own. We as believers need to recognize the thoughts we have, their source, knowing how to manage the thoughts we encounter day to day.

⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)

The only light we are to receive is that of the Scriptures. Our test is always “what saith the Scriptures,” not ‘what saith the denomination, paster, preacher, or teacher.’ As good Bereans we are to search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:10-11).

This paper is to help us clearly see the extent of the works of Satan’s “rulers of darkness.” We must first recognize the existence of the unseen host of Satanic evil spirit-beings, all actively engaged in deceiving and misleading humans to destroy them. In the Bible we can trace their evil work in relation to the servants of God throughout Biblical history. We also can also discern the history and nature of the work of Satan. He is the arch deceiver penetrating every sphere of the world’s politics, governments, education, everchanging societal norms, religion, and held values… as the culture has descended into utter ‘paganism.’

In the Old Testament we see “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every Imagination of The Thoughts of His Heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) Every error of God’s people has been the result of Satanic deception. Note how Abraham disobeyed God and went down to Egypt, David disobeyed by numbering the people (1Chron. 21:1). Concerning Israel, Yet, they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the Imagination of Their Evil Heart…” (Jeremiah 11:8a). In Job’s case, in his effort to persuade Job to renounce his faith in God, Satan used false words working through the minds of his wife and his three buddies.

All who were deceived believed ‘a thought lie’ from the enemy of their souls. These resulted in the calamities that came upon them and their families. Satan, the adversary, was and is the primary cause of all the troubles; as “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2) and the “god of this world” (2Cor. 4:4). Satan uses the wickedness of fallen men to afflict the servants of God unless his hand is stilled by our Lord’s intervention. We all know our independent wrong thinking, ideas, and choices can harm our physical bodies and our walk as Christians.

We need to be careful who we listen to.

• In the Old Testament we find the Lord’s warnings against idolatry, communicating with “familiar spirits [demons]” (Lev, 19:31), mediums, sorcerers, and divination. 
• Today, we as grace believers have The Lord’s extensive, detailed, written words for us from “the Apostle to the Gentiles,” Paul, and we have the witness of the indwelling “Holy Spirit” to teach us and confirm His written words, that warn us of Satan’s ways of lying deception… especially as would occur in these “latter times” and “last days” before our Rapture to heaven.

¹ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to Seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils; 1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV)

In the next installment we will look at the Deceiver being unveiled in the so-called New Testament.

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