Menkato V Awomi
Dimapur
Since the birth of the early Church as recorded in the Bible, believers have continually been warned of false prophets, deceptive teachers, and seducing spirits that would arise especially in the last days. These warnings are not vague or occasional; they are repeated across the New Testament as a crucial caution for the Church. Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 24:11, “Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.” Paul, Peter, John, and Jude echoed the same concern. The apostles knew that deception wouldn’t just come from outside the Church, but from within.
We are now living in the very days the Scriptures warned about. The world is growing darker, and evil is not hiding anymore—it is celebrated. At the same time, many in the Church remain passive or misled, often failing to discern between godly conviction and religious tradition.
When people hear about false prophets and deception, many assume it will come through grand spectacles people performing miracles, prophesying falsely, or creating cult-like movements. While that is certainly one way deception manifests (Matthew 24:24 says that even false Christ will show “great signs and wonders”), the Bible makes it clear that deception can also come clothed in tradition, respectability, and religious formality. It can appear godly while lacking the power of the Gospel.
The Misunderstood Charismatic Movement and Nagaland’s Traditional Lens
Throughout history, charismatic movements, those who embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as healing, prophecy, tongues, and miracles have faced criticism. From traditional based churches and various denominational lines, the tension has always existed between traditional theological frameworks and Spirit-led expressions of faith. In Nagaland, where Christianity is predominantly denominational and tradition-based, charismatic believers are often branded as deceivers or even “antichrists.”
This accusation is made despite little biblical investigation. Many label these Spirit-filled movements as heretical not because of any violation of Scripture, but because they focus on three things: the finished work of Christ, salvation by faith alone, and the ongoing power of the Holy Spirit through signs and wonders.
But we must ask: Does the presence of miracles automatically mean deception? Absolutely not. Jesus Himself worked miracles. The apostles performed signs and wonders throughout the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit, who was poured out at Pentecost, did not retire in the first century. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” That includes His power and His promises. The presence of spiritual gifts in the Church today is not evidence of error, but potentially of revival , if rooted in the Gospel.
Deception Comes in Religious Disguise
The Bible is clear that deception in the last days won’t always come with flashing lights. It will often be subtle and religious. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:1:
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.
The phrase “depart from the faith” is crucial here. It doesn’t refer to faith in a generic sense, but the faith, faith in Christ alone, in His finished work on the Cross, and in grace as the foundation of salvation. Many will abandon this and fall into teachings that sound moral, even biblical, but are deeply deceptive. These teachings may not involve blatant sin like adultery or murder; rather, they are doctrines that subtly shift the focus from Jesus to self, your efforts, your good works, your religious duties.
This is how the doctrine of devils operates. It distracts you from the truth that sets you free (John 8:32) and binds you with religious performance. It keeps you busy doing good things while being distant from the One Good Shepherd. It builds churches that are full of activities but empty of the presence and truth of God.
Hypocrisy and the Seared Conscience
Paul continues in verse 2: Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.
This was the state of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time outwardly religious, but inwardly corrupt. They taught laws they didn’t keep, judged others while excusing themselves, and looked holy but were “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). Jesus didn’t just criticize them, He wept over their blindness and warned of the destruction it would bring.
Today, we see the same hypocrisy. Leaders who speak as though they own the truth but are dry and disconnected from the Spirit. They call themselves “chosen” but lead people away from the truth of grace. They preach sin-consciousness so aggressively that people walk away burdened, guilty, and afraid of God, never free, never loved.
And what about those whose consciences are “seared”? These are people who are so desensitized by their own self-righteousness that they can no longer discern truth from tradition. They are obsessed with judging others’ sins but blind to their own unbelief. They have no revelation of grace and no relationship with the Living Christ. They heap burdens on others without lifting a finger to help them (Luke 11:46).
Legalism Masquerading as Holiness
Verse 3 continues: Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving...
Paul here exposes a very specific kind of legalism man-made rules used to replace the grace of God. Throughout history, certain groups have forbidden marriage or mandated food laws as though these actions bring spiritual merit. But Paul makes it clear: these commands do not bring us closer to God. In fact, they distort the very freedom Jesus paid for on the cross.
Legalism always starts by sounding spiritual more sacrifice, more denial, more control. But it ends in bondage. It blinds us to the joy of relationship with God and keeps us trapped in trying to earn what has already been freely given through Christ.
What Is the True Deception of the Last Days?
It’s time we stop looking for deception in just the spectacular. Sometimes the most dangerous form of deception is a dry, religious routine without Christ. It’s a Gospel without grace, a Church without the Spirit, and a Christianity without Christ. We’re quick to call out signs and wonders, but blind to the cold legalism that drives people away from Jesus and binds them with guilt.
Jesus is coming soon. And when He returns, He is not coming for buildings, denominations, or traditions. He is coming for a bride, alive, awake, and in love with Him. The real battle today is not just about sin, judgment, or even false prophets, it’s about truth. Are we preaching the truth of the Gospel? Are we calling people to Jesus or just to better behavior? Are we warning people of hell without offering the only Way out?
The Finished Work Is Enough
Yes, repentance is necessary. Yes, sin must be confronted. But people will never truly repent until they see the truth of Jesus and the goodness of God that leads them to it (Romans 2:4). The Gospel is not just about what we turn away from; it’s about Who we turn to.
Let’s not keep people behind a veil that God has already torn (Matthew 27:51). Jesus cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30) not to suggest that there’s more to be done, but to declare that the work of salvation is complete. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and He invites us into that rest not to work for righteousness, but to live from it.
Final Illustration: A Picture of God’s Grace
Imagine you borrowed a large sum of money from a friend, promising to pay it back. The due date arrives, but you are unable to pay. Embarrassed and ashamed, you avoid him every time you see him, you walk the other way, haunted by your debt.
One day, he finds you and says: Why are you running from me? I haven’t even thought about the debt. Please, just be my friend. Pay when you can, but don’t hide from me. You see? All the time you might be imagining how angry and mad he might be at you for not paying back? We may even go to the extent to such negativity that we assume he might also be telling others about your debt. But all the time he was focused on why you are running from him.
That’s how many of us treat God. We imagine that He is angry, that He holds grudges, that He’s waiting to judge us. But the truth is this: He already placed all judgment on Jesus. Every debt was paid at Calvary. God is not holding anything against you. He is not mad at you. The war is over. It is finished!
In Closing
Let us not be the kind of believers who shout “crucify him” when someone speaks the truth we ourselves were too afraid to say. Let us not be like the Pharisees who shut the door to the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead, let us be people of the Spirit, of grace, of truth bold in love, rooted in the Word, and burning with a desire to lift the name of Jesus above all else.
The last days are here. Let us not be deceived by the appearance of religion. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. The only way to escape deception is to know the Truth. And the Truth is not a doctrine. The Truth is a Person.
His name is Jesus.
