How to Keep Your Head on Straight in a World Gone CrazySample

Day 1: A Prophetic Warning

The Early Church was born into a world of paganism where there were many types of demonic activity and worship of false gods, yet as troubling and perverse as things were, the apostle Paul warned Timothy — and us — that there would be more to come in the very last of the last days.

In 1 Timothy 4:1, Paul said, “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” (King James Version).

First notice the phrase “speaketh expressly.” It is the Greek word which means unmistakably or vividly. It pictures something spoken clearly or something that is unquestionable, certain, and sure. By using the word, the Holy Spirit makes His point unequivocally clear: The events He is about to describe are not just a possibility — they are definite and will surely come to pass.

Next notice the words “latter times.” “Latter” is translated from the Greek word which means later, and it pictures the ultimate end or the very last of something. By using this word, the Holy Spirit is pointing to the very end of the age — to a time when there is virtually no more time remaining.

Speaking futuristically of these very last days, the Holy Spirit said, “...some shall depart from the faith...” (1 Timothy 4:1, King James Version). Understanding the word “depart” in this verse is vital. It is apostēsontai (ἀποστήσονταί), and it means to stand apart from, to distance one’s self from, to step away from, to withdraw from, or to shrink away from. It is from this very Greek word that we derive the word “apostate” or “apostasy.”

To be clear, this departure is not a rejection of faith. It is not a blatant, outright denunciation of one’s belief. Rather, it is a gradual, step-by-step move away from what one once believed toward something different. It is a very subtle, almost imperceptible departure, so gradual that those who are in the process of withdrawing may not even realize it is happening.

Then we see that this departure will occur as a result of “...giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1, King James Version). The word “seducing” is the Greek word that means to wander, and it pictures deception or a moral wandering. It depicts a person (or nation) who has lost his moral bearings and veered from a solid path, and as a result, he is adrift.

As Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, there is a secret, sinister plan — the mystery of iniquity — orchestrated by Satan and his demonic forces to slowly but surely walk the whole world into deception, and it is already at work. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the devil has been trying to modify the thinking of the world to prepare it to produce and then embrace a man of lawlessness to lead it — the Antichrist.

If you are spiritually sensitive, you are aware that this process is already underway. Through Paul, the Holy Spirit sounded this alarm years ago to prevent error from ever finding entrance into our churches, our personal lives, or the lives of our families. Therefore, we really need to press into the timeless, unchanging truth of God’s Word. Intimately knowing the Word and the Holy Spirit who authored it will serve to guard your heart and mind from the deceptive doctrine of demons. It will give you the stability you need to stand and protect yourself and those you love from drifting from the faith.

For Your Consideration:

• What are areas of drifting that you see in words or behaviors of people you love? How have you been stepping into your responsibility to lovingly lead them back to the right path?
• It is important to know who you are following and consider the outcome of their life. What kind of fruit is their teaching producing in their own lives? Do you desire to duplicate in your life and family what you see in theirs? If not, then maybe you need to make some changes.
• Take a moment to pray this prayer and see how the Lord responds: “Lord, am I unknowingly being influenced by seducing spirits and morally wandering? If I am, in what specific ways have my beliefs changed? Lord, please forgive me and show me what I can do to stay anchored in the truth of Your Word and help my loved ones do the same, in Jesus’ name.”