THE VILLAIN DECEIVES
It’s no secret that I have run with the wrong crowds in some seasons of my life. In my pre-Jesus days, I fell in with all kinds of the wrong people. In one particular season in high school, I ran with some guys who stole things. Now, these guys were not master criminals pulling off Ocean’s Eleven kind of stunts, but they would steal things. We would go into a gas station or Walmart and they would find something they wanted. They would wear a puffy, oversized coat (which should have been the sign we were up to no good in South Texas), slip the items inside their coats, and walk out the door.
Now, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Before you think too highly of me, it is not because I was righteous, but because I was a coward. I was afraid of getting caught. I could play out the scenario in my head. My dad was this John Wayne–like, larger-than-life kind of man. Do you know what my dad had no patience for? Me engaging in petty theft and ruining the family name in our small town.
As a teenager, the worst-case scenario for me was getting caught by store security and the cops being called and then my dad finding out. The idea of a cop calling my dad and saying, “Mr. Pokluda, we need you to come down to the station and pick up your son,” was enough for me to draw a line in the sand. My moral compass was not all that strong, but I had a healthy fear of my dad.
The one thing I would do, which is still very much stealing, is I would switch the price tags. I would take the price tag of something not worth very much and put it on something of great value. One hot summer night we went to the store and I saw the Boyz II Men CD I had been wanting, and it was $13.99. The problem was that I, with no job and no income, didn’t have $13.99. So, I looked around the store to make sure no employees were around.
My friends knew what I was up to, so they served as lookouts (just in case). About ten feet away there was a bin full of movie theater candy boxes that were all one dollar, so I grabbed one of those boxes, moved the price tag from the candy box to the CD, and all of a sudden, I was well on my way to being the owner of a brand-new CD. The cashier would ring it up, think nothing of it other than Wow, that kid just got a great deal, and I would leave with it.
This is another way to say, I stole stuff too. It was deceptive. It was theft. And for the record, I have made that right since then. Still, at that time in my life, deception came a little too naturally.
THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE BOOK
My hunch is, the reason I was so comfortable living a life of deception at that time is that deception is a tool of the Enemy. The Scriptures make it clear that one of the Enemy’s primary methods of attack is deception. Satan lies—trying to convince us of all sorts of falsehoods.
People like I was, according to 2 Corinthians 11:13–15, “are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.”
Satan and his forces disguise themselves as the “good guys” as another means of deception. They try to make what is evil look good. They are switching the price tags to deceive us and make what is valuable seem less valuable.
Jesus said to those persecuting Him, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Satan has been using deception since the very beginning, starting in Genesis 3 with Eve. God had created the world, all the animals, all the birds, the sun, the moon, the sky, the ocean, the land—all of it. And it was all perfect. Then He created Adam and Eve, in His image, and tasked them with ruling over the earth with one explicit instruction: Do not, under any circumstance, eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if you do, you will die.
Then Satan, who the text describes as “crafty,” scurried over to Eve and got her to doubt God: Did God really say that?
Eve knew exactly what God said! She even quoted it back to the serpent. Then the Enemy doubled down with a lie, saying, “You will not certainly die . . . For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4–5). He was not only questioning what God said, but now he was downright refuting it.
THE LIES WE BELIEVE TODAY
This same deception plays out in our lives today. It is most likely happening at the thought level. The Enemy loves to mess with your thoughts. Remember: there is a demonic spirit out there who is studying you and knows how to mess with your head.
Think about the lies the Enemy feeds you:
- God is ripping you off: Why has He not given you a spouse? It seems like everyone else has one. Oh, and you do not need to wait until you are married to have sex. Why would God not want you to have fun?
- You need more: If you just had a little more money . . . If you just lived in that neighborhood, had that car, you’d be happy then.
- Your sin must stay secret: If people knew that thing about you, they would reject you. Keep it hidden. No one else struggles like you do.
Satan is doing what he does best: sneaking up and affecting your thoughts, saying, *“You got ripped off. You got dealt a bad hand”.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever believed a lie about yourself, your circumstances, or your worth that later turned out to be deception? What was it?
2. What are some common lies you struggle with today? How can you counter them with Scripture?
3. Read John 8:44 and 2 Corinthians 11:13–15. What do these verses teach us about Satan’s tactics?
4. What practical steps can you take to guard yourself against deception in your thoughts and daily life?
5. Is there a trusted friend or mentor you can share your struggles with to bring lies into the light? How can community help in overcoming deception?
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Tatiana
This is an excerpt from Jonathan Pokluda’s book, Your Story Has a Villain, published by Thomas Nelson Publishing , which explores spiritual warfare and how the Enemy operates in our daily lives. In this chapter, JP unpacks how deception is one of Satan’s most effective tactics—and how we can fight back with truth. © Copyright 2025 by HarperCollins Christian Publishing
He has written 5 best-selling books, and is currently working on “Your Story Has a Villain.” This book is for you if you’re weary from the struggle and ready to embrace the abundant life God has for us. It will help you explore the tactics of Satan, equip you to overcome spiritual battles, and remind you of the victory already secured through Jesus. Learn more at his website, jonathanpokluda.com. Click here for Unite Us, a movement of college students united to lift the name of Jesus.
