One of the key things the enemy will use is deception. There are many forms of it. The list goes on and on. I can only fail to number them all.

However, one sure fire way to not be deceived is by knowing the Truth. The Truth is, of course, the Word of God! So, the only way to not be deceived is by reading, studying, seeking, and praying to God.

The different types of deception that are more common are as follows: spiritual, personal, friendly, and government. First, of course, is spiritual. The Word says the enemy is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (1Peter 5:8)  So, baby Christians are ideal for him to attack, because they don't really know who they are in Christ.

A way he does this is by making them doubt their salvation, which makes them doubt the One that promised. The enemy attacks them and makes them feel condemnation, left out, rejected, and alone.

The attack is relentless. It's a non-stop barrage of "you'll never go anywhere", "you're a loser", "you're a failure", or "you're a nothing, a nobody", and "you're not really saved.". So all this causes confusion, unbelief, and doubt. The young Christian goes back into the world leaving God behind because they have been deceived.

Doubting salvation is something that should not be tolerated because the One Who promised it will keep said promise. Many lose hope in this period of the walk because of deception. Some even stray away and even some don't want to return.

Scripture says satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus came so we can have life and that more abundantly. (John 10:10) So it is, indeed, very vital to read the Word of Truth, the Word of God.

The next form of deception is personal. Some people have in their mind they are OK when, in reality, without Christ we can do nothing. (John 15:5) One of the main forms of self-deception is pride. Pretty much all things to do with self-deception is in pride. Selfishness not mindful of others is a part of pride and and there are many more parts of pride.

The only way here to not be deceived is by reading the Word of God and finding out who we are in Christ. We must study scripture to know how much we need Him in order for us to face and to conquer all these things.

One of the most difficult kinds of deception to deal with is friendly deception, because here is where most go against the grain. Just because someone is your friend your trust is in them. An example of this would be from my experiences with drugs. "Here, try this it won't hurt" and, unless you are rooted in the Word, you will give in.  It could be in the area of alcohol or something to get in trouble with the law. A true friend is not someone that will entice you to do something bad.

A person rooted in the Word of God will perceive this and, with love and compassion, turn down any enticements. We are not to be critical but rather show love and say I don't want to do those things.

So many people fail here because they don't want to be rejected or to be alone, so the enemy uses that against them. The Word of God will prevent this deception as well as give you the right understanding as to how to handle the case.

The last deception I will discuss is government deception. This one consists of taking God out of schools, government buildings, and saying we don't need God. This, in turn, is pushed on us. People go to jail for praying and various other things.

Just because they don't want God doesn't mean we have to listen. This deception is pumped throughout our country. Even in this case people need the Truth to help them. The Truth is the True bail-out plan!

In conclusion, deception is out there just about everywhere you go in the world. It is in TV's, computers, radios and the list goes on. They are all trying to lead us away from the Truth. The only way to combat this is by knowing the Truth and the only way to be protected from deception is by remaining in Truth, the Word of God.

The Word of God is the True Guidance of life. I urge us all to read more and know more because knowledge in the Word of God is power.