Defenses Against Deception | Episode 11 | Kingdom Protocols

Duane Sheriff Ministries

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Defenses Against Deception | Episode 11 | Kingdom Protocols

Grace & Truth

June 19, 2024 • Duane Sheriff • Romans 14:17–18, Philippians 2:12–15

In the eleventh episode of "Defenses Against Deception," Duane teaches that God has provided several defenses to protect believers from being deceived in our culture filled with deception. One of the most important defenses is understanding the protocols and language of God's Kingdom.

Just like every earthly kingdom has its own protocols, laws, and language, the Kingdom of God operates by specific principles. Romans 14:17 lays out three core protocols of God's Kingdom - righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. These form the "language" by which God speaks to His people.

Righteousness is how God communicates what is right and wrong. When making decisions, God's voice will align with what is righteous according to His standards in Scripture. Anything promoting unrighteousness, like immorality, hatred, or harm, comes from the voice of the deceiver, not God's voice.

Peace is another way God guides believers. The supernatural peace of God ruling in our hearts serves as an "umpire," showing God's path versus the wrong one. When we have an inward sense of peace about a decision, that indicates God's approval. But if our peace leaves, that signals a wrong direction from God's will.

The third Kingdom protocol is joy. The Bible describes having supernatural joy from the Holy Spirit, even amid difficult circumstances. This joy becomes the voice of God leading and strengthening us. When we sense that joy rising up within, it reflects God's pleasure and good path for our lives.

The Kingdom protocols - righteousness, peace, and joy - form the actual language of the Holy Spirit guiding believers from the inside out. God's will is not something "out there" to be found but is worked out from within us as He prompts our wills and desires according to His good pleasure.

We can walk in God's truth rather than being deceived by learning to discern and yield to this inward voice of righteousness, peace, and joy. These Kingdom protocols provide a powerful defense against the rampant deception in society and even the church today.

Defenses Against Deception | Episode 20 | Maturity

July 2, 2024 • Duane Sheriff • Hebrews 5:11–14, 1 Corinthians 3, 1 Corinthians 13:11–13

In the final episode of "Defenses Against Deception," Duane teaches that maturity is the sixth defense in guarding against deception, especially in the Christian faith. One of the primary reasons many people depart from the faith is immaturity - being carnally minded and lacking spiritual discernment. How can professing Christians embrace immorality, vote for leaders who oppose biblical values, and support unbiblical ideologies that celebrate sinful behaviors? The root cause of this departure often lies in a lack of genuine salvation and spiritual rebirth. Some attend church and try to live a moral life, mistakenly believing that this alone secures their salvation. True Christianity, however, involves a spiritual transformation through being born again, with God's Spirit dwelling within and empowering a new life in Christ. Even among those genuinely born again, many fail to transition from being new converts to becoming mature disciples of Christ. They remain spiritual infants, unable to properly understand and apply the deep truths of God's Word. The path to maturity requires humility – acknowledging one's limitations, remaining teachable, and submitting to God's ways rather than pridefully clinging to one's own understanding. As the Apostle Paul affirmed, when he became a man, he put away childish things, recognizing and discarding immature thought patterns and behaviors. Ultimately, maturity is not the absence of all immaturity but the ability to discern and willingly lay aside immature mindsets and actions. It is a lifelong process of growth, enabled by God's grace, as believers press on to know Christ more intimately and become conformed to His image.

Defenses Against Deception | Episode 1 | Agenda

June 5, 2024 • Duane Sheriff • Matthew 24:4–5, Deuteronomy 11:16

In episode one of "Defenses Against Deception," Duane reveals that God has provided safeguards in His Word so we can judge our hearts against the spirit of the antichrist, which can lead to deception. Deception and lies are becoming increasingly common in our society. Matthew 24 warns of the arrival of many deceivers who will mislead multitudes of people. Rampant idolatry and false gods are being worshipped in our society today. They stem from Satan's deceptions, which try to lure people away from the true God. If Christians cannot recognize the spirit of the antichrist in the world, they will not be able to identify it infiltrating the church either. Duane reveals that all deceptions are gateways to greater deceptions. Many Christians fell for the deceptions surrounding COVID-19, such as fraudulent information, oppressive mandates, and violations of personal freedoms. This was a "dress rehearsal" for greater enslavement under the spirit of the antichrist who craves power and control. Once someone becomes deceived on one issue, they become vulnerable to falling for the next lie. Believers must learn defenses and safeguards to avoid deception—not just for ourselves but also to protect future generations from having their minds warped by a controlling agenda. There is a deceptive agenda to strip away human rights and freedom of movement, speech, and thought. These agendas include carbon tracking, the digital currency system, and "climate change" hysteria. In the future, the Bible itself may become banned as "hate speech" or "misinformation." More than 50 references in the New Testament warn about deception, deceivers, and being deceived. Failing to discern deception makes us and our children susceptible to the spirit of the antichrist.

Defenses Against Deception | Episode 2 | Lies

June 6, 2024 • Duane Sheriff • Matthew 24, Galatians 6:7–10, 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Ephesians 5:5–8

There is an intense battle raging between the freedom found in Christ's gospel and the deceptive agenda of the world, which seeks to enslave people with lies. In the second episode of "Defenses Against Deception," Duane Sheriff teaches the dangers of being deceived and the importance of guarding our hearts against deception. In Matthew 24, Jesus cautions that many deceivers will come and deceive multitudes. The New Testament instructs believers not to be deceived. Galatians 6:7 states, "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, he will also reap." This scripture shows that deception is possible, so God warns against it. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 lists fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, thievery, and drunkenness and states, Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Yet some Christians seem to believe that unrighteous people embracing these sinful lifestyles can still go to heaven. That's the danger of deception. Once you accept one lie, it paves the way for more lies and greater deception. A "spirit of antichrist" is working through today's world systems, governments, corporations, and individuals to strip away humanity's God-given freedoms. As society rejects God's moral foundations as "hateful" or "misinformation," the Bible itself may become banned. Jesus came to set people free and give them abundant life. The gospel brings freedom of thought, speech, and movement - liberties the deceptive agenda of the antichrist seeks to steal. Satan's lies may promise freedom but ultimately leads to enslavement of the mind, soul, and spirit. With so many lies bombarding us from the world and even seeping into the church, we must remain watchful and discerning. The spiritual well-being of future generations depends on boldly living out the freedom and abundant life found in the Gospel of Christ.