“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”

[1 Timothy 4:1]

King Solomon once famously penned the words … “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” [Ecclesiastes 1:9].

Looking through that universal prism, I am inclined to believe that the battle for truth has pervaded all of human history to this very day. When one considers just how many competing belief systems exist and how many denominational differences we discover within Christendom itself, it becomes an overwhelming task to sort through the theological weeds of faith. We are forced to ask questions that define the parameters of the faith. In other words, how far from sound doctrine can one be to disqualify himself from the true ekklesia – the covenant people of God?

Couple that with outright false prophets and feel-good preachers who prey on the mentally and spiritually weak, especially the Biblically illiterate, and it is evident that many who identify with Christ, howbeit in name only, will be susceptible to mass spiritual deception in the last days.

Jesus warned us as much …

At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, 11and many false prophets will arise and deceive many. 12Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. 13But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come … For at that time there will be great tribulation, unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. 23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance. [Matthew 24:10-14, 21-25]

I have come to conclude and understand that the battle for truth is the fiercest of all and that a real enemy to truth exists — the evil one — who is the father of lies and the great deceiver of mankind. The Bible reminds us that the whole world is held under the sway of the evil one.

Couple this satanic system of mass deception with the proliferation of technology and artificial intelligence, and there is a recipe for disaster of historic proportions. As I said, there is nothing new under the sun. From the garden to Babel to Egypt to throne of Ahab and Jezebel, Satan’s most powerful weapon has been the distortion, perversion, corruption of the truth in exchange for the lie.

As Hitler himself is quoted as saying, “Tell a lie loud enough for long enough and people will believe it.” The prince of the power of the air is a master at blinding those in unbelief. This spiritual defection will be so great, this rebellious hardening toward God so defiant, that God will send them a strong delusion to believe Satan’s great lie. The world will sell its soul in exchange for a vain promise and the collective conscience will be seared past the point of no return.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival. 9The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, 10and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. 11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, 12in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness. [2 Thessalonians 2]

Of course the technological revolution is a key component to this end times apostasy. Entire lives integrated with the beast system. As the human race becomes more reliant on technology, we find ourselves at a crossroads – a transitional point – where trans-humanists and technocrats are leading mankind to shed the image of God and clothe itself with the image of the Beast.

The more we give our minds to this demonically charged, artificially derived “intelligence”, we are one step closer to world-wide mind control, otherwise known as a hive mind. Every believer in Messiah, every loyal follower of Yeshua, will be forced to draw a line and soon deviate from the trans-human path and defect from this world system. Mind augmentation will devolve into mind control, which will lead to blind allegiance and worship of the Beast.

And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain … And the second beast performed great signs, even causing fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. 14Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. 15The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed. [Revelation 13:8, 13-15]

In one way, this separation will be an extreme disadvantage, insomuch that those participating in the beast system will have instant access to unlimited information at the speed of thought. Language will no longer be a barrier, as AI has already crossed the language threshold. Babel has reemerged.

In contrast, those faithful, set-apart believers who refuse to integrate with the Beast system will be outcasts in a hostile surveillance state. Not only will the remnant of God’s people be forced to flee to places of refuge in the wilderness, but also will be targeted enemies of the state, hunted and persecuted by a superior “race” of enhanced humanity 2.0

In another way, however, God’s faithful remnant will have the greatest advantage of all. We will have the presence of the Holy Spirit, the power of the Almighty, the protection of the angelic host, and the gospel of King Jesus. God will supernaturally provide and protect a faithful remnant in the wilderness.

We will see God’s display of power and glory again in the form of signs and wonders and miracles. We will experience God’s presence like the great saints of old, such as Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, and Daniel. Perhaps the Lord will once again provide manna from heaven and water from the rock to sustain His people in the last-days wilderness wanderings (see Revelation 12:6, 14].

Only those sealed with the Spirit of God will be able to withstand the schemes of the evil one.

The Spirit searches all things and leads us in all truth. The Spirit will speak on our behalf when we are taken captive and stand as witnesses before the rulers and kings of this world. The Spirit discerns truth from error and intercedes on our behalf through a groaning too deep for words.

But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. 20For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. [Matthew 10]

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. 4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. [1 John 4]

I find it practically impossible for anyone truly sealed by and united with the Spirit to renounce Christ, serve the Beast, sell his soul for the world, participate in the Beast system, take the mark, become genetically altered and mentally integrated with machine (AI), and revel in the spirit of lawlessness. The Spirit of God is essential to withstand the evil one, especially in these days of deep fakes and fake news and fake people and fake preachers and fake prophets and fake signs and wonders.

The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God. 9You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. [Romans 8]

We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. 23Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies … 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. 27And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [Romans 8]

I realize there is tension with the text concerning those who fall away. It is not unreasonable to assume that one cannot fall away, or defect from the faith, if he first does not belong in the faith. This tension is felt strongest concerning the once-saved, always-saved debate.

As the argument goes, if an apostate walks away from the faith and Jesus altogether, then it implies he once was “saved,” only later to defect from the family of God. Therefore, the popular teachings of eternal security and the perseverance of the saints seem to be in contrast with these examples in the Scriptures. Obviously this confluence of ideas is much more nuanced than that.

The question that inevitably arrises concerns whether or not these “apostates” were ever truly obedient as faithful followers of Christ and regenerate children of God to begin with? In my studies, I see valid arguments on both sides; however, I see more Scriptural evidence in eternal security, where true repentance and faith in Messiah leads to the regeneration of the believer. As a result, he becomes a new creation in Christ, is supernaturally sealed by the Holy Spirit, awaits in hopeful expectation for the promise of future resurrection, will persevere to the end, and who relies daily on the supernatural provision of Spirit to walk in obedience to God’s commandments.

The Apostle John provides some clarity when it comes to this mass spiritual rebellion on the horizon. It seems that those with nominal affiliation with Christ will be separated from the true remnant of God’s children, especially when the refining fires of tribulation are burning the hottest. In other words, the wheat will be separated from the chaff in the end, revealing the nature of the true sons of the Kingdom.

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us. [1 John 2]

How can we survive the deceptive spirit of this age? Only with the presence and provision of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, it will be impossible to have the spiritual eyes and ears necessary to overcome the evil one during the coming time of Jacob’s trouble.

And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. [Ephesians 1]

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. [1 Corinthians 2]

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. [John 14]

I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. 13However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. [John 16]

Considering the convergence of these signs, it’s not a big leap to discern that we are living in a unique generation that is primed both for unprecedented spiritual deception and a supernatural witness for Christ to the world He so desperately wants to save. And the point of demarkation will be the witness and work of the Holy Spirit.