We are all vulnerable to deception. Even the church, which has the truth of God’s word and clear commands, can make poor choices if we do not seek the Lord’s guidance. An illustration of our vulnerability can be found in the story of Israel and the Gibeonites in Joshua chapter 9. God had commanded Israel to remove the inhabitants of the land for their wickedness. The Gibeonites knew this, so they tricked the Israelites into making a covenant with them by pretending to be from a faraway land.
It did not take much to deceive the Israelites. All the Gibeonites did was pack some old bread and pretend to be travelers. Upon seeing this, Joshua took the bait and made a covenant with the very people God told him to remove.
How often do we do something similar? The word of God is clear on how we are to live, and we set out to do it. Entire churches come together to do His will, but soon, someone who disagrees with the word of God sees some benefit of aligning themselves with the local church. They disguise themselves with slick words and cunning deception so they do not appear contrary to God himself. Like the Gibeonites pretending to be weary travelers, as Israel had been for 40 years, they pretend to be like the people of God, but they are not.
After a while, these people who reject God’s word are invited into the congregation, given voting rights, and their little leaven begins to leaven the whole lump. This leaven can come in the form of a rejection of core doctrine, entertainment over worship, gender ideology, or a host of other areas. Before long, some of the church members begin to wake up to the deception at play, as the wolves begin to shed their sheep’s clothing.
When we read the story of Joshua and the Gibeonites, we find out why Israel was so easily deceived. Joshua 9:14 tells us that they did not ask for counsel from God.
Some decisions seem so simple we think we can deal with them on our own, but apart from Christ, we can do nothing. We should seek His face for everything. If we do not, we could soon find ourselves in allegiance with the enemy. By then, the damage will have been done as the church finds itself unequally yoked with unbelievers. Not only will we have to fight our own battles, but we will also have to fight the battles they bring to us.
Many people and organizations will feign allegiance to the church if they think they can get something out of it, even if they reject its deeply held convictions. A Church without discernment is like a body without an immune system—it will soon be ill. We will only find the discernment we need by walking closely with our God in the wisdom he provides. Always call out to your Lord, especially when you or your church think you can handle it without him, for this is when we are most vulnerable.
-D. Eaton
The Fight of Faith 