Fruitful Living
WHO ARE THE TARGETS OF SATANIC DECEPTION?
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him,rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the fleshwas put off when you were circumcised by Christ,having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through your faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.– Colossians 2:6-15
INTRODUCTION
From the beginning of time, there was a promise of perfection and good things to come; Scripture makes this abundantly clear. God stood back and saw all that He had done, and was overwhelmingly satisfied. We read from Genesis:
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day” – Genesis 1:31.
By the time we reach chapter three however, we are introduced to a new personality who would change the course of human history. The serpent, being used by Satan himself, would use his powers of guile to effectively draw mankind into disobedience.
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1
From that day until this, Satan has used deception as a means to lure the world at large, and God’s people in particular, away from biblical truth. To the glory of God, Satan’s evil is revealed in the scripture Revelations 12:9 – “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (NKJV).And while every child of God is subject to Satan’s craftiness, others become his specific targets. Who are these targets of Satan’s unholy deceit?
- THE BIBLICALLY ILLITERATE
Being diametrically opposed to God’s truth, Satan approaches and attacks us on the basis of our relationship with the Word of God. The biblically illiterate are those who do not read the Bible. It is not that they cannot read or are unable to read – they simply do not do it. A Christian who does not read their Bible is like a cardiologist without a stethoscope, or a carpenter without his hammer: things they need to effectively do their work. So it is with being a Christian and reading the Bible.
The reasons why Christians don’t read the Bible may range from lethargy to apathy, but the results of this chosen course will be the same. Those who are biblically illiterate place themselves in the precarious position of being undiscerning.
Discernment, for the Christian, simply put, is the ability to judge between truth and error, and between right and wrong. This ability does not come from ourselves; it flows from the reservoir of the Spirit that dwells within us. Our level of discernment will always be commensurate with our own personal intake of the Word.
The great 19th century theologian Charles Spurgeon made a powerful statement that has stayed with me ever since I first heard it. He said, “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong; it is the difference between knowing right from almost right.” Because of the unfortunate infiltration of false teaching into the body of Christ, it is the spiritual responsibility of every child of God to guard against becoming a victim of Satan’s wiles.
The overall goal of being biblically informed and doctrinally sound is not about becoming a theologian, or a scholar; it is about being equipped. The apostle John warns us:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” – 1 John 4:1.
Testing the spirits involves measuring what is spoken by man by what has been written by God in His Word. The unfortunate truth is that those who are biblically illiterate don’t always know the difference; because they have set aside truth, they have become ignorant. I define this type of ignorance as, not knowing that you don’t know. Just because something sounds good, does not mean that it is right.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” – Hebrews 5:12.
One other point to make clear is that those who are biblically illiterate can never attain to spiritual maturity; at least not as long as they remain in that condition. They can never move on to “solid food” (or they should not attempt to), until they have got the basics right. But this is not always the case.
- THE BIBLICALLY COMPLACENT
Have you ever made or thought statements like, “I know that already,” or, “I learned that a long time ago?” There was this young Christian, who was nicknamed, “the Bible answer man” by many of his peers, because he always seemed to know what the Bible said on a given subject. The problem was that he began to believe his own hype and thought that he was incapable of doing certain things because he knew better.
Unfortunately, what he thought he knew, did not stop him from backsliding for a period of time. Obviously, he forgot the Scripture that says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18), and “…let a man that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall” -1 Corinthians 10:12. Those who find themselves in this condition ultimately open themselves up to biblical complacency. Which is the false state of believing that we know enough to get by.
Is that the goal of the Christian life, just to get by? Of course not; the goal is to grow up to be like Christ. We should never rest on our laurels, and believe that what we know will suffice; there is always more at the table of His Word to be eaten. We remember the words of the angel of the Lord to the prophet Elijah:
“And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.’ So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God” – 1 Kings 19:7-8.
As Elijah needed food for his journey, so we too need the spiritual food, that is God’s Word, for one life’s journey. However, unlike physical food, when there are times we ought to be pushing ourselves away and know when we’ve had enough, we should never decide that we’ve had enough of His Word. The enemy can sense complacency as he observes our daily biblical habits.
- DO YOU SPEND TIME IN THE WORD IN BETWEEN SUNDAYS?
- HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND IN THE WORD ON A DAILY BASIS?
- ARE YOU EASILY DISTRACTED FROM IT?
These all serve as barometers to your dedication to the Word. Let the enemy see and know that there is no place for biblical complacency in you.
- THE BIBLICALLY UNFAITHFUL
To be biblically unfaithful does not just consist of not doing what the Bible says, but it also means to believe something that the Bible doesn’t say. When Christians reach beyond what is written, and buy into error over truth, they have become unfaithful to it. Satan promotes this type of unfaithfulness relentlessly by using those who have gone astray by looking for something new or something deeper, rather than taking the Word as it is.
Why does this happen? Because on a certain level, they are dissatisfied. There is nothing wrong with desiring more of the Lord. One of the ways we do this is by reacquainting ourselves with His Word. But some pastors and teachers, in an effort to give their respective groups or congregations something fresh, end up compromising Scripture in some fashion.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” – 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
We must all avoid the “itching ear syndrome;” desiring to be told good things alone, while disregarding weightier matters like sin, repentance and holiness. When this happens, inevitably both teacher and student or Pastor and congregation will be the worse for it, for they have both become unfaithful to the Word. It is no wonder that Jesus spoke these words:
“But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch’” (Matthew 15:13-14).
This will be the miserable result of biblical unfaithfulness. This is why we must be careful not to become the targets of Satanic deception. But it can be avoided.
CONCLUSION
HOW CAN I AVOID SATANIC DECEPTION?
Do you know how to treat biblical truth? The proper response to biblical truth, mixed with discernment, will begin to ensure that you don’t become a target of his deceit. Let me leave you with these three “anti-deception” questions:
“Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it” – Psalm 119:140 (NKJV)
- Do you consider His Word to be pure, and do you love it?
“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” – 2 Thessalonians 2:13.
- This is a difficult question to ask, but do you believe the truth you read? Is there a measure of doubt concerning any portion of His Word that lingers in your spirit?
“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” – 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
- Is His Word the absolute final authority for all matters in your life?
With the sword of the Spirit in hand, and remaining sharp, we can live deception-free lives, blessing the Lord along the way.
Stay Blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0302-772013 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightgh.org
Fruitful Living
Sanitation, Hygiene, and the Morality of Public Space: Reclaiming Ghana’s Civic Virtue through Faith and Policy (Final Part)
A. The Role of Religious Leaders and Counsellors
Religious leaders wield immense influence in shaping public values. Every mosque, church, and shrine should integrate environmental stewardship into its doctrine. Islam views the earth as a masjid—a place of prostration (Sahih Bukhari, 335). Polluting it is akin to defiling a sacred space. Monthly khutbahs should focus on amanah and tahārah, connecting spiritual purity to environmental discipline.
As a counsellor, I affirm that behavioural reform requires both moral teaching and psychological reinforcement. When believers internalise that cleaning a drain is an act of ʿibādah (worship), they transform routine labour into sacred service. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: “Removing harmful things from the path is a branch of faith.” (Sahih Muslim, 35). This hadith perfectly captures the theology of civic virtue.
B. Individual and Community Pledge
Moral renewal begins with personal accountability. Every household must adopt responsible waste practices—segregating recyclables, composting, and cooperating with collection services. Citizens must also exercise al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wan-nahy ʿani-l-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil) by correcting neighbours who litter or misuse public spaces, with gentleness and wisdom (Qur’an 16:125).
Communities should establish local sanitation committees under mosque and church leadership, creating faith-driven accountability structures. Supporting local enforcement, rather than resisting it, must be seen as a contribution to maslahah—the public interest that the Sharia seeks to protect.
This collective moral reawakening must integrate faith, governance, and citizenship into one moral project: cleanliness as worship, sanitation as patriotism.
C. Conclusion: Cleanliness, Dignity, and the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah
Ghana’s destiny as a great nation is inseparable from the cleanliness of its environment and the conscience of its citizens. The choked gutters, polluted rivers, and scattered waste are not only environmental failures but spiritual wounds upon our collective soul. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.” (Sahih Muslim, 1015). A nation that aspires to divine favour must first reflect divine purity in its public spaces.
To achieve this, we must view sanitation through the lens of the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah—the higher objectives of Islamic law—which aim to preserve life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn), intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql), wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl), and posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl). Clean environments are essential for all five objectives:
- Preservation of Life (ḥifẓ al-nafs): Proper sanitation prevents disease and death. Protecting human health is a divine imperative. Allah says, “And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction.” (Qur’an 2:195).
- Preservation of Faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn): Islam equates purity with faith. An unclean environment obstructs worship and spiritual growth, violating the believer’s covenant of cleanliness.
- Preservation of Intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql): Healthy surroundings promote clarity of thought, while pollution and disease diminish cognitive vitality and learning.
- Preservation of Wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl): Waste management safeguards public funds, prevents costly health crises, and preserves natural resources.
- Preservation of Posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl): Environmental care ensures a habitable planet for future generations, fulfilling our amanah to the unborn.
By aligning sanitation with these higher objectives, we transform a civic duty into a sacred mission. Achieving the Maqāṣid requires cooperation between policy and piety—laws enforced justly, education grounded in values, and citizens inspired by faith.
Let every believer remember that a clean street is a silent dhikr (remembrance of Allah), a purified drain is a fulfilled amanah, and a healthy neighbour is a protected trust. When our gutters run clear and our air smells fresh, it will signify not merely progress but piety—proof that Ghana has reclaimed its moral and civic virtue under the gaze of the Almighty Allah.
Thank you.
- By Imam Alhaji SaeedBAbdulai, the Author
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
B. Instead, walk in righteousness and true holiness … (20–24)
1. This is how you learned Christ
- As you heard Him and were taught by Him (through His apostles, of course – Matt. 28:19-20)
- In Whom is the truth – John 8:31; 14:6
2. For you were taught to “put off” the “old man”
- That is, your “former conduct,” how you behaved before you were saved – Col. 3:5-9
- Putting off the old man is needed because it is never content, but grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (like addictive drugs, you always need more).
3. And to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind”
- Which is the key to true “transformation” – Rom. 12:1-2
- You “renew your mind” only as you “set your mind on things above” – Col. 3:1-2
4. And to “put on the new man”
- A new man “which was created according to God” – Col. 3:10
- A new man, “in righteousness and true holiness” – Col. 3:12-17
In giving the admonition “No longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles,” Paul has made it clear that it involves both a “putting off” and a “putting on.” That is, our “Walking in Truth and Holiness” is not just a bunch of “Thou Shalt Not’s,” there are also some “Thou Shalt’s.”
To illustrate further the difference between the “old man” (how the rest of the Gentiles walk) and the “new man” (how Christians are to walk), we find Paul making…
II. The Application – (25–32)
Case in point: lying (25)
- The “old man” thinks nothing of lying
- The “new man” puts away lying, and in its place speaks truth with his neighbor (especially to those who are members of the same body)
Case in point: anger (26–27)
- The “old man” gets angry and lets it linger, or get out of control
- The “new man” may get angry, but does not…
- Let it linger (“do not let the sun go down on your wrath”)
- Allow it to prompt sinful behavior (“nor give place to the devil”)
Case in point: stealing (28)
- The “old man” is willing to steal
- The “new man” not only stops stealing, but works so he can help others in need!
Case in point: corrupt communication (29)
- The “old man” doesn’t worry or care what comes out of his mouth
- The “new man” not only avoids “corrupt communication,” but seeks to speak that which is uplifting to those who hear
Summary (30–32)
Why be concerned about putting off the “old man” and putting on the “new man?”
When Christians act like the “old man,” it grieves the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit we were sealed for the day of redemption – Eph. 1:13-14.
Therefore, we ought to put away those things befitting the “old man” (bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, malice). And in its place, we need to put on those things befitting the “new man” (being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God forgives us in Christ).
Conclusion
What a contrast there would be if all those in the church truly carried out the admonition to “Walk in Truth and Holiness!” The church would stand out like “a city that is set on a hill” – Matt. 5:14-16.
And the world, though it now has “their understanding darkened,” would be more likely to come to see the truth that is in Jesus. But what hope is there if the church is more like the world than the “holy temple” it is to be?
Brethren, are we “grieving the Holy Spirit of God?” – Ephesians 4:30. While the increasing worldliness in our society naturally concerns us, let us be careful not to react with attitudes that reveal our old characteristic when we were in the world.
BY Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
