Introduction: Illustration: No one likes to be deceived. Jacob deceived his father and was deceived by his father-in-law.

• Satan is the Deceiver (Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
  See All...; Genesis 3:1-6 [1] Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: [3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. [6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
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• The lost have always been deceived (Titus 3:3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
  See All...; 2Corinthians 4:4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
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• The latter times will be noted for the deception of believers (2Corinthians 11:3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
  See All...; 2Timothy 3:13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
  See All...; 1Timothy 4:1-3 [1] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
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• An express revelation of the Spirit
• A special trait of the latter times
• A cause for some to depart from the faith – Apostasy
• The result of spiritual warfare – seducing spirits (Ephesians 6:11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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• An attack on pure doctrine – doctrines of devils
• A breakdown of integrity
• Speaking lies in hypocrisy
• Conscience seared
• A sample of the doctrines taught (verse 3)
• Forbidding to marry
• Commanding to abstain from meats

A MAN IS DECEIVED:

1.  IF HE THINKS THE UNRIGHTEOUS WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
1. The Deception Defined (1Corinthians 6:9-11 [9] Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
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2. The New Creature (2Corinthians 5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
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3. The Changed Life (Romans 6:1-2 [1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
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2.  IF HE THINKS HIMSELF WISE BY THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD
1. The Deception Defined (1Corinthians 3:18-20 [18] Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. [19] For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. [20] And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
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2. The Failure of Man’s Wisdom (1Corinthians 1:18-25 [18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. [20] Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? [21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. [22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: [23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; [24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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3. The Faith Man Has in Earthly Wisdom (Psalm 49:18Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
   See All...; Isaiah 47:10For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.
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3. IF HE THINKS HIMSELF TO BE SOMETHING WHEN HE IS NOTHING
1. The Deception Defined (Galatians 6:3For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
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2.  The Warning to Think Soberly (Romans 12:3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
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3. The Example of Diotrephes (3John 1:9-10 [9] I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. [10] Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
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4. IF HE THINKS HE HAS NO SIN
1. The Deception Defined (1John 1:8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
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2. The Impossible Claim (Proverbs 20:9Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
   See All...); Note: many will admit in a general sense that they are sinners who will never admit to any particular sin.
5. IF HE THINKS HE CAN BE SPIRITUAL WITH AN UNBRIDLED TONGUE
1. The Deception Defined (James 1:26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
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2. Out of the Abundance of the Heart (Luke 6:45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
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3. The Untamed Tongue (Acts 20:30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
   See All...; 1Timothy 5:11-13 [11] But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; [12] Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. [13] And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
   See All...; Titus 1:9-11 [9] Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. [10] For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: [11] Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
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6. IF HE THINKS THAT CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO THE WORLD WILL HAVE NO EFFECT
1.  The Deception Defined (1Corinthians 15:33Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
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2. The Example of Lot (2Peter 2:7-8 [7] And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: [8] (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
   See All...; cp. Isaiah 33:14-15 [14] The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? [15] He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
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7. IF HE THINKS HE WILL SOW AND NOT REAP WHAT HE SOWS
1. The Deception Defined (Galatians 6:7-9 [7] Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. [8] For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. [9] And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
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2. The Sentence Delayed (Ecclesiastes 8:11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
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Conclusion: The Deceiver is at work in the world today. He does not stop at deceiving the lost, but seeks also to deceive the saints. Has he deceived you?