The Devil's End Times Tricks

 By Jason Lovelace

Key Scripture:

Matthew 24.22-24 – 22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.  23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.  24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

 

Mark 13.20-22 – 20And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.  21And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:  22For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

 

Luke 21.11,25 – 11And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.  25And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

 

1st Corinthians 11.13-15 – 13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ:  14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

 

1st Thessalonians 2.3-9 – 3Let no man deceive you by any means:  for that day shall not come, except there come a great falling away first, and that man shall be revealed, the son of perdition:  4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?  6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.  7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:  only he who letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.  8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

Revelation 13.2,12-15 – 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.  12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

 

What was the greatest trick that you ever saw performed?  Who do you think is the greatest magician or illusionist?  These are important questions, especially as we draw closer and closer to the Tribulation and the event that Christians call the Rapture of the Church.  As the days draw nearer and nearer for the rise of the Antichrist and his dominion over the whole earth, these questions become more and more relevant in regards to tricks, miracles, and wondrous works.  What does the Bible have to say about end times events with regards to miraculous signs, wonderful works, and “magical” actions?  Could a trick or tricks be so well-performed that people could be fooled into believing them to be real?

 

What the Devil Can do with Regards to Miracles and Signs…

Many people truly underestimate the Devil.  In fact, one of the greatest tricks of the Devil is to lull people into believing that he doesn’t really exist.  Most people today, when someone mentions the devil, think of him as a cartoonish character, wearing a red suit with horns on his head, a pitchfork in his hand, a pointed tail, and a goatee.  In most cases, he is laughed off as harmless and ridiculous.  This is probably his greatest deception, as the devil is very, very powerful.  According to Isaiah 14, the devil was once known as Lucifer, and he is one of three named angels in the Bible.  Many Bible teachers and scholars believe that Lucifer was the most powerful angel in heaven, as he is known as “the angel that covers” in Isaiah.  Being the angel that covers meant that no-one and nothing came unto God’s presence without first passing through the pre-fallen Lucifer.  However, his power went to his head.  Because of this power, when Lucifer fell and became Satan and The Devil, he took 1/3rd of the angels in heaven with him.  The Bible describes the devil with many and varied names, but he is one all in the same.  The Bible further states in Galatians – one of our Scripture Keys for today – that the devil can transform himself into a righteous-looking angel, and not only thus, but so, too, can his angels that follow him, and people who choose to follow him.  We need to understand that the devil is very, very powerful – far more powerful than people are, and what people think.  The Bible says that the devil – especially after the beginning of the end times – will be able to perform miraculous signs and wonderful works, even to the degree that – if people are not saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ – many will be deceived, even some who claim to be Christians. What, exactly, will these miraculous signs be?  What will people see?  What could possibly be so wonderful-looking that people would and will willingly give themselves over to total control of the devil?  The Bible doesn’t say exactly what these miraculous signs will be, in general, but a few are explained.  The fact that we need to remember is that the devil is powerful – far more powerful than humans tend to give him credit for, and far more powerful than a person is.

 

Everything the Devil does is a Counterfeit of the Real Thing.

We need to remember this startling truth about Satan:  he cannot do anything, really, that is original.  All that the devil does is in imitation and mimic of Jesus Christ, and what he has done.  Everything that the devil offers is not lasting and, truly, will lead a person who gives in right into perdition and damnation.  The Bible speaks, as well, that in the end times, the devil will do many miraculous signs, especially after the event described as the Rapture.  Something we need to remember is that there is a world – yea, an eternity – of difference between a miraculous sign and a miracle:  A Miracle always brings lasting change, change that will always lead to a decision about Jesus Christ; a miraculous sign never really lasts for long, and often is used to trick or trap a person.  The latter is what the devil and his followers will and do perform.  We see a few of the signs that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be able to perform. We see that the devil and the beast will appear to rise from the dead, after suffering a death wound (Revelation 13.3).  The false prophet, in turn, will also appear to be able to make a statue or image of the beast to live (Revelation 13.15), and to call down fire from heaven in the presence of the beast (Revelation 13.12-13).  However, we need to understand that these miraculous signs are designed only to deceive, trick, and cause a person to give up the most precious thing he or she possesses:  his or her mortal soul.  This is the sole reason that the devil and his angels and willing human followers appear to have power and the ability to perform miracles.

 

What the Devil Cannot Do with Regards to Miracles…

Nothing that the devil does with regards to miracles and signs truly gives life or peace.  Just like with sin and the commission of it, there is nothing wholesome that will come from the Devil’s miraculous signs.  The only reason these signs and miracles that the devil and his minions will appear to be able to perform will be in order to steal, kill, and destroy, as Jesus says in John’s Gospel.  Unlike Jesus, who was (and Is) God on earth, who gave life and changed the lives of all those he touched, the devil will bring death with every miraculous sign.  The devil is a creature bent on death, and as such, he cannot deliver life.  He further cannot tell the truth:  so it will be with his miraculous signs.  Unlike the Lord Jesus, who took a few loaves of bread and some fish, and, on two occasions, fed thousands of people, giving them wholesome food on which to get home, the devil’s “food” will leave the consumer empty, wanting, and his “bread” will disappear like dust.  Unlike Jesus, who turned water into the delicious, fruity beverage at wedding in Cana, the devil’s beverage will leave the drinker drunken, thirsty, and wanting.  The devil cannot come through with the real thing, no matter how he tries.  This writer finds it interesting that movies and TV Programs tend to give the devil so much power.  In the movie Constantine, the devil was given more power than God, even so far as defeating an archangel in a fight.  In the movie The Devil’s Advocate, the devil offered up much and delivered at the end of the movie.  Just as people tend to give the devil a lack of credit and power, underestimating him, so people also tend to give him more strength than he has (and therein, also, lies one of the secrets of his strength:  much akin to the elephant on the tiny rope, if the devil can cow-tow people into believing that he has the strength of a chain, he can lead people willingly on a small, thin rope).  The devil, however, when compared to God, is really and truly nothing.  The Bible speaks on several occasions that the devil is destroyed by a word form the mouth of God!  The devil has nothing with which to compare to God as far as strength and power!  The Bible further says that, currently, the devil and his cronies are being held in check by the Holy Ghost.  He cannot act, nor bring his man – the son of perdition – to full power simply because of the Holy Ghost holding him in check.  However, there will come a day when the Holy Ghost will be taken away from the Earth, and the devil will have total and full reign…

 

The End Times and the Devil’s “Miracles” and “Signs” – Why They Will Be Necessary

So what exactly will the devil do to deceive people?  What kind of tricks does he have up his sleeve in order to trap people into following him?  What will he do to condemn the people the Bible speaks of in today’s Scripture Keys?  First and foremost, this needs to be said:

 

The devil does not have to do much to get people to follow him!

 

Something we need to remember is what Jesus said:  No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6.24).  If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, then you are a follower of the devil.  It does not matter which religion in this world you are following – and that includes Christianity – if you do not have Jesus Christ in your heart as Lord and Saviour, you are following the devil.  There isn’t a lot he has to do to get people to follow him in these present times.  Just as with Adam and Eve in the beginning, his temptations and tricky words are enough to get people to trust in him and follow him.  Maybe you are asking, “Why, then, will he need to do all the miraculous signs and wonders?”  The reason is the event that has been predicted in the Bible for thousands of years, which has not taken place:  The Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ.  This will be literally an earth-shaking event, which many will attempt to explain.  While theories will abound, the truth will largely be swept under the rug, especially by the man who will be known as the Antichrist.  This will need to be addressed because this event will touch literally everyone across the globe.  While many people may be asleep when the Rapture takes place, many more will be awake, and watching in broad daylight.  Many people may be talking to a Christian, or working with one, or watching one, when the rapture takes place.  It will literally happen right before peoples’ eyes!  Perhaps someone will see a Christian disappear right in front of them, and though they may outwardly try to laugh it off as the next step in evolution or alien abduction, in their heart of hearts, they will likely know what happened.  It is because of so many millions coming to know Christ because of the rapture that the Antichrist, the devil, and the rest of his followers will have to act, and act with signs and wonders great enough to convince the world that true power lies not with God, but with them.

 

The End Times and the Devil’s “Miracles” and “Signs” – What These Will Be

The Bible, again, makes only a few of the miraculous signs and wonders that the devil and his followers will do evident.  What we do know is that things will get progressively worse and worse as the Antichrist and his government consolidates power.  What will the signs and wonders that the devil, the antichrist, and the false prophet look like?  What will they be able to do?  Again, an exact, sure description of what they will do is not listed, save for a few exceptions.  However, looking at what draws people to TV, Movies, and other forms of visual entertainment, as well as false beliefs, we can speculate:

 

I.    Aliens – To even take a cursory look at the paranormal, we can see that much of peoples’ attentions are drawn to UFOs, aliens, and Science Fiction in general.  Anyone who disagrees can go and take a look at the popularity of the Alien Series, Independence Day, Signs, Mars Attacks!, Transformers, Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, E.T., Alien Nation, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and other well-known science fiction films and television programs.  It seems that more and more people are becoming totally engrossed in UFOs, aliens, extra-terrestrials, and alien mysteries (such as the “face” on Mars).  If such is the case, could it also be that this is an avenue that the devil could use to coerce and trick people into believing he has their best interests in mind?  Jesus says in the Gospels that there will be signs and wonders in the sky, that there will be sings in the sun, the moon, and in the heavens.  Could Jesus be referring to what we are seeing today with regards to alleged UFO and Alien sightings?  Since the alleged Roswell Incident, in which a UFO is said to have crashed, and the bodies of dead aliens recovered, now many people have seen UFOs or aliens?  Could the devil, being the powerful creature that he is, use UFOs, Aliens, and science fiction as signs to deceive a population that is hard-pressed for answers, in the wake of the Rapture?  What more powerful message could there be to delude than an Alien Vessel landing, and offering words of peace to the inhabitants of Earth?  What greater message of hope could be given in that these Aliens may profess to know exactly what happened to those who were “taken” (raptured), and that an alliance with them will keep it from happening again, or that this alien race that has landed with words of peace has been at war with the “takers” for centuries, and that this has happened before on other worlds?

II.   Ghosts – As with UFOs, more and more people are reporting seeing ghosts.  There are literally hundreds of thousands of websites dedicated to ghosts, showing photos of ghosts, and dealing with this aspect of the so-called paranormal.  Using ghosts or spirits of the deceased is nothing new in the devil’s arsenal of tricks, as even in the Bible, there are stories of witches being called on to cal up the spirits of the deceased.  However, we are literally seeing in this day and age a boom in the number of sightings of ghosts, spirits, and phantoms.  A recent search on Google came up with 64 million hits for the words “ghost photos”.  Further, as with Science fiction Movies, we are seeing an upswing in the number of Ghost or Ghost-related movies from Hollywood.  In the end times, following the Rapture, when the devil has perhaps his greatest amount of power, ghosts could very well be used to deceive those that are left behind into rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Even “ghosts” of those taken away in the Rapture could be used to dissuade people from believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What message could loved ones have to give them hope than to hear from their very own loved ones that were taken that they are safe and happy?  What other message could frighten those loved ones, on the flip side of this coin, than to hear from their “taken” loved ones that they were so terribly and horribly wrong in their beliefs?

III.  Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters – Probably no other genre of movie type has had such a rise in recent days as that dealing with classic movie monsters.  From the Nightmare on Elm Street Series, to the Friday the Thirteenth series, to the various werewolf, vampire, and super-monster movies, to the recent Mummy movies, no genre of movie has enjoyed such great popularity.  Could there be something else, something more sinister, behind it?  Could the devil, with the power that he has, use such “undead” types, like a werewolf, a vampire, a nightmarish thing such as Freddy Kruger, or a seemingly unstoppable killer like Jason Voorhees, to literally scare and frighten people away from the Gospel?  To see a relatively “normal” person transform into a werewolf in front of someone could do wonders to persuade someone to reject the Gospel.  To further see a vampire turn into a bat, an animal, or some other thing, would do much to dissuade people from following the Lord.

IV.   Zombies, Walking Dead – If there is another genre of film that has had a marked increase in popularity and production, one that can match the werewolf/vampire/monster movie genre, it is the genre of the “zombie” movie.  From the first of these movies, Night of the Living Dead (1968) to the recent 28 Days/Weeks Later and Resident Evil series, zombie movies have been made almost ad. infinetum, most of them gaining incredible popularity.  The remake of Dawn of the Dead in 2004 replaced The Passion of the Christ as the #1 movie when it was released, and the Resident Evil and 28 movies have also gained incredible followings and popularity.  Could it be that the devil, knowing the popularity of these movies, will use zombies and zombie hordes to delude people from following the Gospel and finding the truth?  We need to understand, too, in light of zombies, werewolves, and vampires that not only can these be made to look real, act real, and seem real by the devil, but also that there will be a second resurrection, in which, the bodies and spirits of those who disbelieved and rejected Jesus Christ will take place.  In fact, according to Scripture, this will happen towards the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Could it be that, when the devil is loosed for one more try at the end of the 1,000-year reign of Christ, that millions of zombies will march with him, in an attempt to make one last attempt to wrest power away from God?  We must understand, friends, in the light of Scripture, that the devil will have many tricks in his bag, many cards up his sleeve that, because of the strength of the Holy Ghost in the world right now, he will finally be able to fully and totally use when the Rapture takes place, and the Holy Ghost for a time is absent from the world. Whatever the case, the devil will certainly have greater strength in the world than he has now, and very likely, he will use zombies and the “undead” to deceive people into believing in him, and rejecting Jesus Christ.

V.   Witches and Satanists – Wicca, a self-described “nature” religion is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world, and there are many and various forms of Wicca throughout the USA.  Witchcraft in general has seen a steady increase in the last half-century, and Satanism – ever since the establishment of the Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in 1966 – has also seen steady increases in followers and adherents.  These groups, and many others like them, seek power from Satan ,and after the Rapture takes place, these groups and their followers will very likely see a great upswing in their abilities with regards to “magic”, and this magic very well will be spectacular, even to the practitioner himself or herself.  We need to understand that the devil will use any willing person to do his bidding, and after the Rapture, when the devil has such increased power as he has not at the present, due to the strength of the Holy Ghost at work in the world today, he will make it appear to all around that Wiccans, witches, and Satanists have indeed been given the kind of power that they crave.  The followers of Wicca, witchcraft, and Satanism in their varying forms may be given the power to do very extraordinary things, such as appear to make the sun, moon, and stars move upon command; cause the weather to change in an instant; “create” life from the ground or water; “control” fire with a snap of their fingers or a word from their mouths; and perform any number of gravitational and/or levitation tricks to the extent that they may even appear to fly.  In reality, these will merely be strong illusion and stronger delusion in order to keep people in the Tribulation Period from coming to know the saving power of Jesus Christ.

VI.  Instantaneous “Evolution” – Anyone who has been alive in the last several decades knows that one of the greatest debates in the world today, especially in the technologically advanced world, is between Creation and Evolution.  One of the main arguments against Evolution has to do with why there is no evolution being seen today, why there have been no significant changes in any of the billions of species of plant and animal life on the earth in the last century.  However, after the Rapture, the devil may very well use his power to effect some accelerated, quick, evolutionary change to animals or plants in order to bolster the argument of atheistic, agnostic evolution.  Some plant or animal may be used and changed in an instant, or even over a period of a few months, rather than the millions of years that Evolution requires, to prove that the tenets of Darwin’s Idea are correct.  Further, the Rapture itself will likely be called and deemed some advancement for humans in the process of evolution, that such a disappearance to a “greater plane of existence” is part of the evolutionary idea.  It could also be explained that, since these people who were raptured away were somehow “weak” that the world is ridding itself of the weaker members in the order of the idea of “survival of the fittest”.

VII.  Miraculous Signs by Cult Leaders – We’ve all heard, and laughed at, some of the claims made by the leaders of various pseudo-Christian denominations in the past.  Men like Sun Myung Moon and his claims to being the new Christ on earth, or Oral Roberts, and his vision of a 900-foot-tall Jesus appearing before him, telling him to raise a million dollars or he’d die, or the different and various so-called prophecies of past leaders of the Watchtower Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses), to the “personages” seen by Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, cult leaders will likely be given great power by the devil in order to further deceive unbelievers into rejecting the truth.  As Jesus states in the Gospels, these men and women will likely have great power at this time to perform seemingly godly miracles, and they may even be given the power to fight against and appear to defeat by their signs those who follow Wicca, witchcraft, and Satanism – these three groups being seen as diametrically opposed to them.  Even further, Christian Leaders who, because of lack of belief and faith in the saving power of the blood of Jesus Christ, may also be given miraculous powers to further deceive people into disbelieving the Gospel, thereby causing millions more to fall away from Jesus Christ.  All of this will be a ruse in order to further blind the unbelieving world into giving power and control to the devil.

VIII. Living or “Real” Superheroes – There can be no doubt that comic book and movie superheroes have long captured peoples’ imaginations.  In 1938, he Super Hero genre was established with the successful publishing of the first Superman Comic Book., there has been a literal explosion of Superheroes, Super-Heroines, and Super-Villains, and each with a comic book series to go along with.  Even further is the recent proliferation of Superhero movies, such as the Fantastic Four, the Superman, Spiderman, and Batman Serials, and their amazing gross totals in the box office receipts.  Cult be that the devil will use some sort of seemingly “real life” superhero to deceive the world away from Jesus Christ?  Could a “real life” Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, or other superhero arise, with amazing powers in which people are amazed surprised, and led away from the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Could the devil give special powers to one of his demons or to a human follower, the likes of which make comic book lore come to life, and offer this kind of power, as well, to all who will follow him?  Further, could the devil create a super-villain, such as Marvel’s Carnage or DCs Doomsday to fight against a superhero, and thus, further lead people astray? Each and every country – especially the technologically advanced – seem to have their own superheroes of some kind or another, along with their super-heroines and super-villains.  Could the devil use his heightened powers at the time following the Rapture to lead people astray by “creating” superheroes with the express intent to lead unbelievers further astray?

IX.   Living or “Real” Cartoon and Animation Characters – For many people in the world today, all one really needs to say is one name that instantly captures everyone’s imagination:  Mickey Mouse.  Only slightly lesser-known but just as beloved would be Bugs Bunny and the characters created by Warner Brothers Studios.  In the world today there are any and many cartoon and animation characters. Some are written, drawn, and designed for children, some for adults, some for good intentions, some for ill.  The fact of the matter is that in the last century, there has been an explosion of cartoons and animations, with movies, newspaper sections, books, and magazines galore full of any number of characters, ranging from playful and funny, to evil and diabolical.  Japan has become, in recent decades, a country that has produced animations and animation characters to the Nth degree. In the United States, animation films from such film companies as Dinsey, Dreamworks, and Pixar have set and broken box-office records time and time and time again.  Following the Rapture, it is not unimaginable that the devil could use some sort of living animation to deceive and dissuade people from accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the truth of the Rapture.  Any children that may be left behind, or that may come of age during the tribulation period will easily be dissuaded from the Gospel simply by tuning in to their local television station, or opening up the latest comic book.  Teens and young adults, as well, through video games, comic magazines, and movies could also be dissuaded by the devil by animation films with seem to come to life right before them.  The popularity of cartoon and animation programs and movies, such as South Park and The Simpsons lead to the fact that animations are effective not only with children and younger ages, but also with adults.  Could the devil use animations to his own designs to turn people away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially through a “live” appearance by some of today’s favorites?

 

Will all of these signs that have been described here happen exactly like this?  Will the devil use any one of these or all of these in order to fulfill his wish of deceiving people into a Christless Eternity?  We cannot say for certain that any of these will be used, but seeing how there has been significant rise in all of these areas in these post-modern days, one cannot help but believe that some aspect of all of these will be used by the devil to deceive and cause people to turn away from the truth of the Rapture and, ultimately, the truth of Jesus Christ.  What we need to understand through all of this is that at the passing of the Rapture, the devil will be given more control, more power, and will seem to have more strength in the world.  As the Bible clearly states, the devil is already empowered with the ability to deceive, and this is even now in this day and age when the presence of the Holy Ghost is still strong on the earth.  How much more powerful will Satan be when the Holy Ghost is removed for a time, following the Rapture of the church?  Nothing can really be taken off of the table, as far as the means for the devil to use to deceive, steal, and destroy the lives of people who will be all too open, easy, and ready to be deceived.

 

What All of these Have in Common…

When one takes the time to look at each and every area of the nine aspects listed above, we see a very common theme:  In each and every one of these, Jesus Christ is either not present, or distorted or mocked if he does appear.  Websites and groups that search into the paranormal, investigating UFOs and Ghosts, rarely – if ever – have anything to say regarding the Bible, and if they do, it usually isn’t positive.  Movies, books, Television shows, and other media that have anything to do with vampires, mummies, werewolves, or zombies also have nothing positive to say concerning Jesus Christ or the power of God, and instead show God as powerless, the saving grace and Gospel of Jesus Christ ineffective.  Witches, wiccans, Satanists, as well as cults, distort or totally oppose Jesus Christ and his Gospel, making God out to be something he is not.  Evolution has long been an opponent of anything having to do with God or the Bible, even theistic evolution totally distorting what the Bible says with regards to the creation of all things.  Also, superhero comic books usually deny the existence of or the power of God was he is described in the Bible, instead causing people to place their trust in the superhero for salvation and freedom.  Further, most animations in today’s world totally ignore, totally disregard, and/or mock Jesus Christ, desecrating his life, his ministry, and his proper position as God.  Even such so-called "Christian" animations, such as VeggieTales, have been watered down when they hit the big screen and movie theatres in order to be more appealing to the secular world.  We need to understand that anything that rejects Jesus Christ is accepting of the devil.  Most people disbelieve this, but the fact of the matter is that anything that rejects Jesus Christ is leaving itself open for influence, and even possession by the devil.  This includes people as well as the things that people create, especially arts that have the power to influence people for or against Jesus Christ and his Gospel.  The sad truth about all of the areas and all of the things mentioned above is that each one, in one way or another, reject Jesus Christ, and anything that rejects Jesus Christ is accepting of the devil and his lies.

 

The Devil’s Greatest Trick

After looking at the possible deceptions above, we cannot overlook the devil’s greatest trick in his attempt to deceive and cheat people out of going to heaven.  The devil’s greatest deceptive trick will come in the form of two men.  The first is called “The False Prophet” by the Bible, and the second, “The Beast” or “The Antichrist”.  Both of these men will be given extraordinary powers, for the sole purpose of deceiving the world.  They will be given power, and their power will be immense. The False Prophet will have the power to call down fire from heaven, akin to the prayerful power that Elijah possessed.  He will further be able to give life to an image of the Beast, so that it will command people to bow down, and take the mark of the beast.  The False Prophet is described as a beast coming out of the earth, having a tongue like a dragon (Revelation 13.11).  Just as the serpent deceived and tricked Eve and Adam into sinning in the Garden of Eden, so too will the False Prophet have the extraordinary ability to seduce with his words. The Beast will, in turn, have even greater power.  He will be able to speak powerfully (Revelation 13 says he will speak as a lion), insomuch that he will also cause people to be greatly deceived.  He will be given immense power to perform signs and wonders in front of people, and he wil be so charismatic, so believable, so refreshing that people will follow him and worship him as god (Revelation 13.8).  In reality, these two men will be no more than clever deceptions of the devil, and in fact, the Beast will be indwelled by the devil at some point in the tribulation.  At some point in the tribulation, as well, the Antichrist will receive some sort of mortal wound, something that everyone will see, and will appear to die.  But, just as with everything else that the devil does, the Antichrist will mimic Christ’s resurrection with one of his own, and, unlike Jesus’ resurrection, everyone will see the revival of the Antichrist.  For seven years, the False Prophet and the Antichrist will reign, given power from the devil himself, and at the end of that seven years, both the False Prophet and the Antichrist will have brought horrifying, terrible destruction upon the Earth.  Blame will be cast on God, as the Book of Revelation states time and again, but in reality, it will be the fault of the people of the earth, having given into the deceptive tricks and subtle persuasion of the devil through just about every means.

 

How to Avoid Being Deceived

There really is only one way to avoid being deceived by the devil:  trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  Without the covering of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, you, friend and reader, are in eternal and mortal danger.  The devil can do anything whatsoever he chooses with you if you do not have Jesus Christ on the inside, and have not trusted in him for salvation.  The Bible states that though the followers of Jesus Christ won’t be deceived, it will be a close run thing because of the good disguises and clever deception of the devil and his minions.  However, the Holy Ghost, which lives in the hearts and minds of those who’ve received Jesus into their hearts and minds, will lead, and does lead, each and every follower of Jesus Christ into the truth.  If you, reader, try to make it on your own, you will only end up being horribly deceived, tricked into giving up that thing which is the most precious thing you possess:  you very heart and soul.  You may fight temptation, you may fight that deception for a time, but eventually, you will give in because you do not have the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ on your heart and life, have not taken the seal of the Father in heaven, and have not the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you.  The only way to avoid the deception that is coming – yea, the only way to avoid even being caught in the tribulation – is to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  Then and only then, and walking with Jesus every day for the rest of your life, will you truly be safe from the deceptive tricks and subtle schemes of the devil.  Come to Jesus today, won’t you?  He will accept you, forgive you, and walk with you if you really want him to.

 

Conclusion – Ready to Receive, or Ready to Be Deceived?

This is an important question, because the Bible states with frightening clarity that the whole world will fall under the deception that will be created and maintained by the Devil, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.  While there will be believers in the times of the Tribulation, those times will be extremely hard, extremely trying during that time.  Most of the world will be deceived by the Antichrist, by the False Prophet, and by the devil.  This is not a threat to scare anyone into believing Jesus Christ as Saviour, this is not a trick to lure someone into the church, this is not a scare tactic to get numbers for any particular church or denomination:  this is the bona fide truth.  The sad reality today is that everyone who has not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are in danger of being deceived, being tricked, and of losing his or her very soul to eternal damnation.  Another sad truth is that many people will go through the tribulation when they do not have to, for by the saving blood of Jesus Christ, anyone who receives is saved, and will be saved from that hour of wrath.  The Bible states clearly:

 

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus  Christ…”

– I Thessalonians 5.9

 

Friend, if you are reading this today, and would like to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, you can do so right now.  Simply Pray a prayer similar to this:

 

Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner.  I know that I have transgressed your law and am worthy of the eternal destruction that the Bible speaks of.  I am sorry for my sins, and apologize for the trespasses that I have committed against you.  With your help, Dear Father, I repent of my sins, and turn away from them, and I ask for your forgiveness, in Jesus Precious Name, and by his blood.  I recognize, here and now, Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, Risen again form the dead, and that he reigns ever more.  Thank you, father, for your Holy Ghost.  I pray all of this in Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen.

 

Friend, if you prayed that prayer, and were serious and meant business with the Lord, you are now his Child.  Your salvation can never be taken away, and you will reign with Jesus Christ forever more!  It is important that you find a church to attend where the Bible is preached, where Christ is praised, worshipped, and revered as Lord and Saviour, and where the Bible is the foundation.  You now have the Holy Ghost living inside of your heart, and he will guide you to all truth.  Read your bible every day, starting with the Gospel of John, and try to read a chapter a day.  Also, begin to set aside a time of prayer, as God wants to meet with you every day!  The devil will assault you, telling you that what happened isn’t real, that you are not saved, and that Jesus Christ is a farce.  However, the Bible says that you can know that you are saved (I John 5.13).  Don’t give in to the devil’s lies nor his tricks!  As a believer, you can now fight against the devil, and defeat him so long as you trust in Christ’s strength, and not your own.  Best of all, you will spend eternity with Jesus Christ, and, when the rapture happens, you will go with the other believers, and miss out on the Tribulation.  Those who have chosen not to believe, not to pray the prayer above, please understand that the longer you wait, the more you reject Jesus Christ, the harder it will be later to turn to him, and if you reject him now, when the Rapture happens and the Tribulation begins, you very likely will reject him for ever.  I beg you:  trust in Jesus Christ today!  Alone, you are too weak to fight against and avoid being taken in by the devil’s tricks!  The choice is yours:  Receive and believe, or be tricked and deceived.  There is no middle ground!

 

Prayer – Father in heaven, we glorify your name!  Thank you, Lord, for loving us so much that you came out of heaven, took on human flesh, laid down your life, and died for us, in our place.  Thank you for rising again from the dead, to complete the victory over the devil.  We pray, Lord, that anyone reading this will be drawn closer to you, and understand that the Devil has many, many tricks, and many, many schemes, of which he is successful in using in the world today.  Help those, Father, who are searching, to find you, and may this lesson plant a seed in everyone’s lives which will grow into a bountiful fruition.  We pray this in Jesus Christ’s wonderful and precious Name, Amen.

 

Verse to Remember:

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

– 1st Corinthians 11.14