December 3 - Discernment in the Last Days

The work of the devil will increase in volume and intensity as the day of the Lord draws near. From covertly influencing God’s children, he will overtly send in his messengers to do his work. Both Daniel and John talked about such messengers of Satan among God’s people in the last days. That is why we need to have discernment so we can tell who is from the Lord and who is from the devil.

Daniel talks about the Anti-Christ, the abomination that makes desolation. This person will seduce God’s people with flattery but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. This is when the wise among God’s people shall make many understand and have discernment. Although some of the wise will fall by persecution and some join those who flatter the Anti-Christ, but the wise shall be refined, purified and made white until the time of the end. How we need wise children of God to warn others about the plan of the enemy in the end time.

John, in like manner, also warns the church about the children of darkness: “Little children, let no one deceive you.” Deception is so severe in the last days that we must recognize that there are children of the devil inside our churches and believing communities. The way to discern is to look at their lives. Those who are in the habit of practicing righteousness are of God. Those who make a practice of sinning is of the devil for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

This is the reason why the Son of God appeared – to destroy the works of the devil. The devil did two very significant things in the beginning: lying and murder. He lied to Eve and had Cain murder his brother. When the seed of the devil is in a person, that person will lie and not be truthful. He will also bring in hatred and enmity between people. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life in him. Since we are to love in truth and Jesus brings in grace and truth, those who belong to the devil are void of these characteristics. To fall to such sins occasionally is not the same as having the mark of the devil but those who practice it habitually are of the devil.

Truth and love are the hallmarks of genuine believers. By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil: those who do not practice righteousness (what is right and true) is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. These are the twin keys to discernment. The church of God needs wise children so that others may not fall into deception. These wise children may even fall but God will purify them and make them more effective. Are you willing to become a wise child of God with spiritual discernment? Be truthful and love one another, so that you may truly be a child of God.