How do we as Spirit-filled believers discern what is true and what is not? How do we accurately assess what various public figures are telling us to know who and what to believe? It has become apparent that this is not just a war on a virus or a war on corruption, but a war on truth.
One of the challenges for evangelical Christians in this war is that it’s hard for us to comprehend a “good guy” lying or being deceptive for good reason. We presume that if someone has integrity, everything they do and say should reflect that. We usually don’t consider any planned strategy to communicate something different from the actual truth – for the purpose of national security.
The reality is that we are right in the middle of a deeply coordinated military intelligence operation, requiring a measure of deception – even from the good guys. We are at war with an enemy both natural and spiritual that is using deceit as its greatest weapon. For many God-fearing patriots who are involved in this massive sting operation, they are using this same tool for godly purposes – as a decoy. When national security is at risk, there are legal contingencies in place that allow for strategic deception in order to protect the Republic.
One example of mixed messages is President Trump. Can we take what he says at face value? Or is he speaking in some kind of code to operatives embedded in the enemy’s camp? Is he telling us what he believes to be true, or is he purposely giving misinformation to take the enemy down a fox hole where a trap’s been set? Would he actually appear to be ignorant of the facts in order to fool his enemies?
I believe there are moves and counter moves being made between various God-fearing patriots and leaders that appear to be one thing – but are an entirely different matter. When there are supposed feuds or “conflicts” between major players, is it a real feud or are they reading from a prepared script that’s setting up something totally different? When supposed intel comes out implicating a particular individual from a seemingly credible source, is it all true? Or has it been strategically staged to form a false narrative to throw the enemies off the trail? Worse yet, has it been total lies fed by the opposition through paid actors appearing as our friends? These are questions we must consider if we’re going to engage in this kind of warfare.
This is a high-level, high-stakes military operation, both natural and spiritual, that cannot be understood in just one dimension. This is why prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit are our most powerful weapons against enemies we can’t see, and a plan we can’t possibly comprehend.
So, would God condone this type of strategy? One interesting example of “disinformation” coming from a good guy is David in the Old Testament. Remember when he pretended to be a madman before King Achish?
“David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?” (1 Samuel 21:12-14 NIV)
This is David the warrior, the great leader who “slew his ten thousands!” Now he’s playing a madman and foaming at the mouth!? Though David may have acted insane to protect his own skin, he knew he was anointed to be king and would do anything to protect the throne. Talk about ingenuity and guts!
The Lord gave me a word several years ago describing Trump as another David. He said that Trump was His “man of war.” Not a warmonger, but a warrior anointed to defeat God’s enemies. Having the heart of a David, Trump too has a love for this nation, and I personally believe he would do anything to protect it. He, along with many other God-fearing leaders of the Republic, are doing their best to counter God’s enemies with strategic initiatives and narratives in order to destroy their demonic plans. We may not always understand these sophisticated rules of engagement, but we can be sure that God is using them for good.
We can take heart in that God has been preparing us for this kind of warfare. We’ve rarely seen the kind of leadership that totally surrenders their own public persona for something greater than themselves. But, I believe that God has been raising up those kinds of leaders in our midst. Even now, there are those behind the scenes who have laid it all on the line in order to see God’s purposes fulfilled on the earth. When this is all said and done, we are going to be shocked and in awe to realize what some of these men and women have done in order to serve God and save this country. I just pray we will celebrate their sacrifices more than criticize their methods.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Wanda AlgerFeatured Image by Pintera Studio from Pixabay
