But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)
Once I confronted a compulsive liar. Not to condemn him, nor to judge him, but to lovingly assure him that it was wholly unnecessary to lie about the thing he tried to conceal. But to no avail. Soon I found him lying about some inconsequential things on other occasions.
The devil has been described as “the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). The modus operandi of the devil is to establish structures in the belief system of a person, family and human society, wherefrom he works out his scheme of enslaving and separating man from God and everything godly.
For Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11):
The underlying cause and source of their deception were identified—Satan had filled their heart to lie to The Holy Spirit. The story’s lesson applies to any deceptive act. Deception in anything, even small things, is partnership with spiritual forces of deception. It’s the way Satan, who is the author of all deception, enters the human heart, then settles in to establish a pattern.
Ultimately, when resistance is completely breached, when the heart has been opened to deception, Satan subtly builds a darkened hiding place where capacity to deceive others develops and a spiritual gateway for further deception is created. The opening is a spiritual door, but not spiritual in a good sense.
To partner with deception is never a good business idea—not savvy or clever in any sense! All forms and levels of deception work against the will of God and never carry His blessing. Furthermore, once deception’s door opens, more deception follows—more deceiving others, and more being deceived by Satan to continue the destructive process.
For those willing—those who personally choose—to live honestly while also championing deliverance for anyone snared by deceit, God’s Word instructs us—“Every Scripture has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness” (2 Timothy 3:16, The Passion Translation).
(Extract from Shirley Weaver’s Devotional “Deceptive anything”)
The Holy Spirit will not only deliver us from the deceptive scheme of the devil, He is able to dismantle the deception structure in us!
Prayer Focus