“For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable,“
Romans 11:29 (NIV)
Hello Friend,
I want to ask you a question that may startle you: Is it possible to be deceived and yet be anointed?
Let’s dive into this topic together, because this subject is extremely important to understand for the days in which we live.
The scriptures are clear: in the last days, difficult times will come and even some of the elect will be deceived. Satan’s number one weapon is deception. The church’s number one need is discernment.
When the Lord Departs and You Don’t Know It
Our theme scripture comes from the story of Samson:
“And she said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ So he awoke from his sleep and said, ‘I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.” —Judges 16:20
This story is confronting. In order to stand strong in the anointing, we must be able to discern the traps of the enemy while walking in the midst of supernatural encounters. We need the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom of God to know how to steward what He releases.
I have a dear friend right now who believed he was called to minister to the homosexual community. The problem is that he had what I call “common ground” issues that were not taken care of in his own life. When he went to minister, it was not through authentic bridge built by God. It was something of another realm, and it has now caused a breakup in his marriage, and a separation of his family.
The Anointing Is Not God’s Seal of Approval
Here is a key point: the anointing is not God’s seal of approval on a person’s character or doctrine. The anointing is a gift, and a gift is purely an act of grace, which means no one earns it and no one deserves it. We do a great disservice to gifted people by elevating them to pedestals we should never put them on.
This truth helps unravel the confusion about why highly gifted people think they can get away with almost anything, and why people with wrong doctrines can still see, in a mixture, godly fruit produced by their ministries. Having studied this in Scripture, and been involved in various moves of the Holy Spirit over the decades, I carry a deep burden around this topic.
In our day there is too much debris from casualties of despair, disappointment, and disillusionment caused by fallen, anointed vessels of God. The good news? The Bible is not afraid to address the subject.
Every Anointed Person Has a Key
I use Samson as one of my primary templates, and I would encourage you to study Judges chapters 13 through 16. Here is a statement: every anointed person has a key to their anointing.
Consider Samson’s origins. His mother was barren, yet she was given a divine word of a supernatural birth and told he will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines (Judges 13:3–5).
Do you remember the podcast I did on eight barren women? The one where I said they should be renamed eight fruitful women? Samson’s mother is one of them. When these barren women in Scripture received their miracle, their sons each became a prophet, a deliverer of the nation, or both.
In Judges 13:24–25, it tells us the woman bore a son, called him Samson, and the child grew; the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him. Here is one of the keys: he was brought forth as a supernatural answer to prayer, consecrated from the womb, growing with the favor of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit moving upon him in different seasons for specific circumstances. The beginning of Samson’s life sounds like that of Samuel, John the Baptist, even Jesus. Sadly, not everyone who starts well completes the fullness of their destiny. And the enemy searches for the key.
A Word About Our Own House
Why is this so important? Because of the days in which we live. I have witnessed highly gifted people in denial of their weaknesses, and at times protected by leaders who covered for them.
I have attempted to address integrity in leadership in my messages on “How Are the Mighty Fallen,” and on needed integrity in leadership, and we are still in the process of making corrections.
You Reap What You Sow, But Not in the Same Season
We don’t normally reap in this present season what we sow in this season. Some think they can get away with sin. You can be walking in a powerful anointing, seeing signs and wonders, and still be walking in some dimension of sin. You might think you can get away with it, but the Bible is very clear: you will reap what you sow.
Why the time lapse? Because the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). A gift is given; it is not taken back. And God, in His mercy, is giving that person a window of personal responsibility, a window of self-initiative to repent, confess, and be restored, before the season when the Holy Spirit causes leaks to happen and exposure occurs externally. This time lapse is redemptive in mercy, but it will find you out. You can count on it. And remember, it works both ways: what you’re reaping in this season— the glory of God, answered prayer— may be the fruit of the fasting and seeking you sowed in a previous season.
Playing with the Anointing
Samson began to play with the anointing. He thought, “There may be a thousand Philistines, but they can’t touch me. I’ll just grab this jawbone of a dead donkey and take them out.” His confidence was in the power of his anointing.
Samson’s success led him astray. In Judges 16:1–3 the scripture tells us he went to Gaza, spent the night with a prostitute, and when he discovered he was trapped inside the city, he pulled up the city gates and carried them to the top of the hill overlooking Hebron. With that feat of superhuman strength, Samson headed toward his ultimate fall in the hands of Delilah.
It is clear that the enemy lures those he sees are anointed. When the Philistine lords learned Samson was in love with Delilah, they said, “Entice him. See where his great strength lies and how we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him” (Judges 16:5).
“Entice him.” The enemy was searching for Samson’s weakness and the key to his anointing. The devil’s plot goes beyond getting you into a one-night fling or a repetitive sin that brings guilt and shame. He wants to find the key to your anointing and shut it down.
There Is More to Come
There is so much to cover on this subject that I am making it a two-part teaching I’ll share next week. In part two, I want to open my heart and share how the mercy of God is at work, take a look at some of the current things that have happened, why they happened, and what we can do to stand in the gap.
Go Deeper: Standing Strong in the Anointing
If you can, get the book Standing Strong in the Anointing: Discerning the Traps and Embracing the Blessings of Supernatural Encounters. It will help you discern the traps of the enemy while embracing all that the Holy Spirit wants to release in your life.
God bless you!
James W. Goll
