I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
~Romans 16:17-20
Although it began with a hissed “did God really say” to the first man and woman in the Garden, deception is still alive and well today. In fact, from “fake news” and bot-driven algorithms to a firehose of social media “experts” and all-too-real-looking AI fabrications, I believe we are being bombarded by Satan’s lies today more than ever. The world system has been meticulously built by our enemy through the millennia for a singular purpose: to kill, steal, and destroy us (John 10:10a; 1 Peter 5:8) Here are just a few of the prevailing hisses:
- “The plot and character development in that show is really great, so those sex scenes are OK.”
- “God wants you to be healthy and wealthy, without problems or suffering. If you’re not, you don’t have enough faith.”
- “You don’t have time to read your Bible.” (Although your phone has clearly logged the 9 hours of screen time.)
- “The news is so maddening! But you can’t be ignorant to what’s happening, so you have to watch—and hear what your favorite commentators have to say about it all.”
- “The Bible needs to be applied to modern culture—the teachings from back then on love, sex, abortion, judgment, etc. are outdated.”
Throughout the New Testament, followers of Jesus are warned about the wolves and false prophets coming into (and out of) the Church to deceive believers (Matthew 7:15-19; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15)—to pull us away from God by dangling enticements and subtle lures that play into the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). They are smooth talkers. They get the podcast airplay and reel replays. And like a magician, they deviously weave together “data” to prove their point, turning our attention where they want it, so we don’t see what’s really going on.
Oh, beloved, as the Apostle Paul exhorts, we must be “wise to what is good and innocent as to what is evil” if we’re to persevere (Romans 16:19). What does this mean practically? From the Greek, being “wise to what is good” is to be skilled, expert at all that is right, honorable, and acceptable to the Lord. How do we know what that is? It’s all in God’s Word for us! Just as we’d put in the time and effort to study for a final exam or train for a marathon, we must put in the time and effort to know Biblical truth. We must read it for ourselves—not just read or listen to what others say. Upon our salvation, believers have the Holy Spirit living in us to help us understand what we read in the Bible. The Bible is our wisdom, and it’s all about Jesus. He is the Way, Truth, and Life—and in Him is true Goodness.
But we also need to be “innocent as to what is evil”…in other words, blameless, pure, free from guile regarding everything that is worthless, harmful, depraved (which sounds like most of our worldly junk right now). How? Turn away, turn off—even run away at full speed—from the things of the world that weigh us down or trap us. These are different for each of us. It might be alcohol, drugs, or pornography…or it could be too much focus on social media, money, or looking young. Friend, if it does not align with God’s Word, it is a deception meant for destruction. If it is not glorifying to our Sovereign God, it is worthless.
I know that sounds a bit radical. Maybe it’s because I’ve been around now for six decades, but I believe (like Paul said in Romans 16:2) that the God of all peace is coming back soon to crush Satan. Time is short (whether my time, or all of time), and I want to be found ready. Won’t you join me in pursuing both wisdom for good and innocent of evil? Let’s keep our eyes, mind, and actions focused on excellent and praiseworthy things (Philippians 4:8-9). And as both citizens and ambassadors of God’s Kingdom (Philippians 3:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20), let’s stay focused on our heavenly home…and invite as many people as possible to join us.
Lord, I want to be all in. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways (Psalm 119:37).
encouraged by grace 