Deceived

“For we also were once foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”  Titus 3:3

Deceived  – Have you noticed something important in Paul’s list?  The first three words are all about mental processes, not about behavior.  This is the third word – planomenoi.  It means, “to be led astray”.  It comes from the word plane that means, “to wander out of the right way.”  This is the first word in the list that is passive.  It is something done to you, not something you do.  If your life before Christ was characterized by planao, then who made you wander out of the right way?  Who was leading you astray?

Jesus gives us the answer.  It is found in his instruction on prayer.  “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”  If you didn’t learn the Lord’s Prayer that way, don’t be surprised by the phrase “evil one”.  The Greek can be translated either way.  Jesus’ prayer asks God to give us instructions and guidance that will not let us wander (lead us not into) and deliver us from the one who wants us to wander (the evil one).  On another occasion Jesus made it very clear.  He called Satan the Father of lies and the great deceiver. 

Satan knows very well that the battle he fights over you is about your mind.  He doesn’t care how you act either.  He doesn’t care if you are as good as gold or as evil as you can be.  He only cares about your attitude.  In fact, he is thrilled to have all of those slaves who comply with the rules but have inner attitudes of hatred, rebellion and refusal.  They are his even if they look like good church people on the outside.  This war happens in headspace.

When Paul told us that we would become new creatures through the renewal of the mind, he acknowledged the scene of the battle.  Don’t bother with counting the merit marks for outward action.  Ask the tough question.  How is my attitude?  What is my mindset?  How am I thinking?  If God’s presence doesn’t show itself in your head, you are being deceived.  To stay on the right path, you have to start on the inside.