The disciples once asked Jesus to tell them the signs that would precede His return to earth. He gave them a list that included earthquakes, famines, wars, pestilences, and more. But the first thing He said was, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Deception will be a hallmark of the last days.

One would think it would be difficult to deceive Americans. We are the most-wired, most-informed, most-open society on earth. In fact, in history. But everyday I'm stunned by how ignorant, uninformed, and "in the ozone" so many people are. They seem to believe everything the media says without questioning it. They refer to popular culture as if it's reality. They spend their time, energy, and treasure on the most meaningless pursuits and stuff. And by "stuff," I mean stuff -- tons of it.

Yet our society is crumbling around us. The spiritual heritage of our nation is being systematically undermined. The essential foundational principles that built our nation and made it great, like free enterprise, individual liberty, private property rights, freedom of assembly, freedom of worship, freedom of speech and thought, are all being attacked daily by our progressive liberal government and those who want to see us become just another European socialized state.

The media doesn't report it, and when it does, the people don't seem to care. If this isn't the strong delusion the Bible promised would come, then it's the conditioning process that will lead to it.

Whether it's the Secretary of Defense telling the Congress that the Administration needs the approval of the UN or NATO, not Congress, to militarily intervene in Syria; students in Texas being punished and having to apologize for chanting, "USA, USA" at a high school basketball game; or the Department of Energy giving a $10 million prize for a new LED light bulb that will only cost 50 bucks for a two-pack, the America of today doesn't look much like the America of yesterday.

Of course, and you've heard me say this before, we can pin the blame for much of this drift on America's institutions of higher education. Talk show host and author Dennis Prager recently produced a list of educational priorities that will govern the education of your college-bound graduate during the next four years. Trust me. When you hear it, you may reconsider sending your son or daughter to college.

Mr. Prager pointed out that the obvious goals of many professors and administrators in our nation's universities are not as noble as they would have you believe. In fact, one of the shining icons of the progressive Left articulated it best. When Woodrow Wilson was preparing to leave the presidency of Princeton University (originally a Presbyterian college for training ministers) to become President of the United States, he made a stunning statement. In a speech, Wilson admitted, "I have often said that the use of a university is to make young gentlemen as unlike their fathers as possible."

If you hardly recognize your children when they return from college, now you know why.

Finally, it's easy to become discouraged when we look at the mounting evils and overwhelming changes that come rushing at us everyday. Maybe the most common emotion is a sense of helplessness. Don't be alarmed. That's how you should feel. You see, we are not fighting against other political ideologies. We're not trying to stem the tide of immorality foisted on us by a few money-hungry entertainment executives. We're not battling to maintain our free enterprise system or quality of life that's threatened by some misguided socialists and communists. We're not even trying to prevent the destruction of our Judeo-Christian heritage by an ever-growing Islamic threat. It's much bigger than that.

The Apostle Paul described it like this. He said, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (people), but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." In other words, we're fighting against Satan and his colossally powerful demonic forces. And if we were fighting alone, we WOULD be overwhelmed. But, praise God, we are not fighting alone. The Holy Spirit in His restraining ministry holds Satan's hordes at bay. And Paul describes how we are armored and armed to fight these battles through the Word of God and the power of His Spirit.

And though it will not be easy -- remember, it took the angel 21 days to fight his way through to minister to Daniel -- we are promised victory if we follow the instruction of the Word and depend upon the leading of the Spirit.

And, in the end, having done all, we will stand. Folks, we've got great armor. Let's use it.

Don't miss this week's Report here Sunday.

Hal Lindsey