OUCH!

So my friend sends me a link to a website about the "very elect being deceived." My first reaction was to think: "Well, I'm already part of the elect, so I COULDN"T be deceived." After all, Matthew 24:24 says:

For 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.

As much as the words in bold above suggest to me that it's not possible for a believer to get deceived, the question did lead me to my favorite forum to do a search for "elect deceived." I found a great post, which, ironically, suggested the best way to obtain "deception insurance" is to continually read the Word (not search a forum). So, it's back to the Bible for me, but first I felt complelled to share this person's thoughts. Whaddya all think readers?

Here's her posting:

I believe Christians are more easily deceived these days because they have not kept up with their studies of scripture and/or they rely too heavily on others to tell them what the Word of God says rather than finding out themselves.

Quote:

Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. ~ Hebrews 5:11-14

Every one of us at one time or another have been lazy in our study of scripture and can identify with the above. I know I can. After first becoming saved, I was hungry for His Word and I dove into it like you wouldn't believe. Then I turned on the radio and started listening to some preachers (who were/are very Biblically sound) and somewhere along the line, I got it into my head that I could substitute my own reading and studying for these guys. I became spiritually lazy and unable to answer anyone's questions directly from the scriptures. I found myself saying, "Well, [insert preacher's name] says 'blah blah blah,'" which may have been correct and probably was, but that's not a good way to give a scriptural answer.

Nobody can put on your Full Armour of God for you. You have to do that yourself as you will also be required at some point to do spiritual battle yourself, without any help from someone from TV or the radio. That is when Christians get into trouble because satan masquerades as an angel of light, and while he cannot steal our souls, he can cause us to become ineffective for the furthering of the Kingdom of Heaven.