Christians can’t be deceived, some charismatics say
One of the defenses put up by hypercharismatics against accusations of false teaching is that Christians can’t be deceived.
The idea is, we have the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ, and He wouldn’t let us be led astray.
Bill Johnson, lead pastor of the mega-popular Bethel Church in Redding, California, puts it this way in his book When Heaven Invades Earth: “What do I trust most, my ability to be deceived or His ability to keep me?”
Defenders of Bethel use a similar argument: Whatever they’re teaching, look at the fruit! Look at how many lives are being changed! How can they be that wrong when they love Jesus so much?
This is the ultimate defense, because it shuts down any substantive discussion of what’s being warned about. It removes any need for examination or discernment, basically saying God will protect us. He will discern for us.
Bible: Yes, we can
But if that were true, why does the Bible go to great lengths to warn Christians against deception?
Look at all these Scriptures, written and spoken to believers, that do just that, starting with Jesus Himself:
“Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4).
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted — you may well put up with it!” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6).
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
“Let no one deceive you by any means” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
“Little children, let no one deceive you” (1 John 3:7).
“Do not be deceived” (1 Corinthians 6:9, 15:33, Galatians 6:7).
Why would we need to be told to not be deceived if we can’t be deceived?
This is in addition to the many other warnings against false teaching that are in 26 of the 27 books of the New Testament, as well as instructions like “examine everything carefully” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1). Again, why is that necessary?
How God protects us
This is how the Holy Spirit protects us from deception — by warning us in His written word. If we don’t heed that, we can be deceived.
It’s typical of the charismatic approach to many other things — they trust and follow mystical leanings, what they think they sense in their hearts and spirits, more than the explicit text of Scripture. They assume that God’s protection is primarily internal, leaving no need for intellectual vetting efforts. But as they so often do, they discount and neglect God’s external leading through the Bible, which we therefore need to study.
Apply the same reasoning to sin. Does God teach us what’s right and wrong only through our consciences, or also through the moral instructions of Scripture? Which is more authoritative? Which is more powerful? And no one can say, Christians can’t ever sin because God keeps us from sinning. We all prove that wrong every day.
Likewise, the charismatic movement proves itself wrong over and over again. If they can’t be deceived, then none of them would believe that …
The New Age movement has stolen God’s power and we need to take it back (as Bethel’s book The Physics of Heaven claims).
Christians are divine in the same way Jesus is.
God always wants us to be healed in this life.
Evangelism without miracles is powerless.
Nor would they tolerate heretics like Kenneth Copeland, or use made-up Bibles like The Passion Translation. They prove that those who think they can’t be deceived are most vulnerable to deception.
This is not to say God doesn’t lead us internally at all. But our senses deceive us. Our memory deceives us. Our flesh deceives us. Our temptations deceive us. What will never deceive us is the eternally unchanging, living and powerful word of God.
