The Principles of Prayer XXXIII

 There are two main reasons deceivers have a high rate of success when it comes to deceiving, and both have to do with the sheep rather than the faux-shepherds. You can’t blame a rat for being a rat, you can’t blame a wolf for being a wolf, and you can’t blame the devil for being the devil. All three do precisely what you would expect, with such consistency as to make their next move predictable and anticipatory.

The problem lies in the fact that the sheep no longer want to be sheep. They no longer want to follow but lead. They no longer take the nature of the wolf into account, understanding that even if at the moment it’s not baring its fangs, it’s only a matter of time until it does. When the sheep begin to attack the shepherds because they feel as though the shepherds treated the wolves too harshly, were too short, direct, and firm with them, and did not give them the benefit of the doubt, you know you’ve got a problem on your hands. This problem is exacerbated by the dangerous trend of ignorance of scripture. The more we neglect the Word of God, the more vulnerable we become to deception. Only God can remedy this, and if He doesn’t step in, then rent flesh and bloodied wool are not afar off.

This is what Jesus said, and this is what we must do! But we don’t like what Jesus said. That whole thing about denying ourselves, picking up our crosses, and following after Him seems needlessly laborious. So and so said so. Why are you attacking him because he gave an opinion? But it wasn’t an opinion. It was a different path that stood in stark opposition to the one true path, which leads further away from Jesus rather than toward Him.

You’re just jealous because he’s getting new revelation. It’s not new revelation, though; it’s old deception repackaged for a modern audience, that the Apostles and early church fathers warned against over and over again.

When the sheep resist the Shepherd in favor of the wolves and defend them at the expense of the Word of God, the chaos in which the enemy thrives becomes inevitable, as does the collateral damage that will surely follow.

If God said one thing but we choose to do another while still expecting the favor, protection, and presence of God, all we’re doing is deluding ourselves.

There are those living in darkness who are far more devoted to the destruction of the household of faith than many of those living in the light are to preserving it and defending it. They work tirelessly to sow division, doubt, and heresy wherever the soil is fertile, and given that so many have turned from the truth and embraced demonstrable lies, there is no end to the ruin they are able to exact upon the unsuspecting.

Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

It’s not a possibility that such individuals will attempt to infiltrate the household of faith and turn the hearts of men away from Christ; it’s a certainty. Jesus said that such individuals would not only exist but would also prophesy, cast out demons, and do many wonders in His name, but would practice lawlessness, defend it, and present it as a viable path toward eternity in the presence of God.

If a man said it, but God didn’t, your duty is to trust God and follow Him rather than the machinations of men. It’s not complicated or mysterious; it’s not something we must ponder endlessly to see the truth of it. Either God said something or He didn’t, and if He didn’t say it, there can be a chorus of men insisting that God won’t mind it if your loyalties, your heart, and your goals are divided, it’s still a lie.

Currently, more damage is being done and more destruction is being wrought from within the church than from without. The enemy isn’t at the gate; they’ve breached the walls and they’re inside. It’s never been easier because those tasked with holding the line and defending the truth have never been as weak-willed, mealy-mouthed, and interested in their own fame and prominence rather than standing as a bulwark against deception.

We’ve redefined love to mean tolerance, acceptance, and validation, and the first accusation thrown at anyone who would dare to point to Scripture and insist that what is being practiced is against Biblical standards is that they’re unloving.

Ever since he talked Eve into taking a bite of the forbidden fruit, the devil has been a master of word games and enjoys playing them to no end. He’s been at it for a long time, and no matter how good you think you may be at playing them, he’s better at it than you. Your duty isn’t to debate with him or try to convince him, but to resist him. Only when you resist the devil will he flee.

There’s been this notion going around that the truth needs no defense. On the contrary, given the glut of deception worming its way into the household of faith, the truth needs defending now more than ever before. Just because we’re cowards and shy away from confrontation, it doesn’t give us the right to shroud ourselves in magnanimity and pretend we’re above it all, and so choose to keep silent when the truth of Scripture is being dismantled, reshaped, and reimagined by those who seek the destruction of men’s souls.

It is the duty of the sons and daughters of God to defend the truth at all times before all men, but when defending it, they must not do so with personal opinions, feelings, or emotions. We defend the truth with the truth of Scripture, and in order to accomplish this, we must know it. The sad reality is that far too many within the church are too ignorant of Scripture to be able to defend the truth with Scripture, and so resign themselves to a passive Christianity wherein they hear horrors upon horrors being preached from the pulpit as gospel truth and the best they can manage is to bite their tongue, roll their eyes, and grow bitter.

John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”’

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr. 

Posted on 26 May 2025 | 11:55 am