You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.    John 8:4 NKJV

In this digital age, lying has become much easier. People can lie about who they are. They can lie about their intentions, all while hiding behind a keyboard and a computer screen. There are many dangers on the internet, even in online games that many of our children play.

Predators are lurking online. Some are seeking to gain personal identification in order to steal your identity. Some simply want to make a quick buck and will lie to get money from you and give you nothing in return. They will misrepresent who they are.

We are in danger of being scammed through our emails and through text messages. It’s tiring at times to always have to be on guard against such things.

If you have ever fallen prey to a scammer, then you know how agonizing this can be. It doesn’t matter if you were scammed out of 20.00 or 2000.00; it still enrages you. It can also be embarrassing and leave you feeling foolish. Psalm 37:1 says, “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of workers of iniquity.”

With inflation on the rise and our dollars having to stretch farther these days, it’s awful to lose any amount of money. However, the worst scam is the scam perpetrated by a false teacher, a false pastor, or a false religion. This type of scam puts your soul in danger of eternal damnation.

So, how do we avoid being scammed? If you don’t want to give your money to scammers, you need to know whether or not they are the real deal. Are they falsely representing a reputable company when they have no affiliation with this company? Are they promising to deliver products that they have no intention of providing? Sadly, in this day and age, we must remain diligent. We must do our research before we give them our hard-earned money. I can tell you from personal experience, trust your judgment. If you have misgivings about giving them money, don’t.

It’s the same with false teachings; be diligent. The best way to know if teaching is false is to know your Bible. Study your Bible. When we are familiar with what our Bible says and have a good working knowledge of God’s word, it’s harder to be deceived.

Scammers are successful because they typically promise something too good to be true. They promise an amazing deal on a product for a price that is well below the market price. False teachers will tell you that all your worries will vanish if you contribute to their ministry. They will promise blessings of wealth if you send them money. They will downplay sin and try to convince you it’s no big deal. They don’t like to talk about the consequences of deliberate sin. Hebrews 10:26 tells us these consequences are severe, such as a fiery expectation of judgment about to consume God’s adversaries.

Just because someone uses a logo from a trusted brand doesn’t mean they have any affiliation with that company. And just because some man gets up on stage and spouts Scripture doesn’t mean He is truly a man of God. We have to know the difference. The only way to be able to spot a fake is to know what the real deal looks like. We must familiarize ourselves with God’s word. We must be able to know when someone is twisting Scripture or pulling it out of context.

None of us wants to be scammed. None of us wants to throw our money away. It’s much worse, however, to throw our souls away. If you don’t want to be scammed, be diligent. Adhere to 1 Peter 5:8, which says, “Be sober! Be alert! For your adversary, the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”

Don’t let that be you.

Have a great day!