Exploring the Question of God and Strong Delusions

Second Thessalonians 2:11 contains one of the most sobering statements in the New Testament.
“Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false.”

This verse prompts a serious question: Does God actually send deception into the world? And if so, does he still do it today?

It’s a question that naturally arises as we read about the end times, the man of lawlessness, and the final rebellion. But it also touches deep concerns about God's character and human responsibility. Let's take a closer look.

The Text in Context

The fuller passage (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12) describes a time when Satan will deceive people with “power and false signs and wonders” and then says God himself sends a strong delusion, “so that they may believe what is false.”

The sequence is important. God’s delusion is not arbitrary it is a judicial act of judgment on those who have persistently and willfully rejected the truth.

Paul is not describing innocent seekers being pushed away by God. He’s describing people who refused to love the truth and not just the truth itself, but love for the truth. It’s not merely an intellectual rejection, but a heart-level resistance.

Why Would God Send a Delusion?

At first glance, it seems shocking that God would send anyone a delusion. Isn’t deception always Satan’s work?

In one sense, yes. Verse 9 makes clear that Satan is the one who energizes the lawless one and carries out the deception.

But in another sense, Scripture also teaches that God is sovereign over all things even Satan’s actions. That’s why Paul can say in verse 11 that God “sends” the delusion. This isn’t God doing evil it’s God giving people over to what they have persistently desired.

It’s the same principle we see in Romans 1, where Paul says three times that “God gave them up” to their desires (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). If people continually reject the truth, eventually God gives them what they want and that judgment is their punishment.

As John Piper puts it, “Their deception comes not only as their crime, but also as their punishment for the crime.”

What Role Does Pleasure Play?

Verse 12 offers a key insight into the condition of the human heart:

“In order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Why didn’t they believe the truth? Because they found pleasure in unrighteousness. Their hearts were wired for sin. They didn’t just disagree with God intellectually; they delighted in what opposed him.

This helps explain why the rejection of truth is not neutral. It’s driven by desire. Saving faith is not only about believing right things it’s about loving what is true and good. And when hearts love sin, they will naturally reject the truth that exposes it.

That’s why rejecting the gospel is not just a mental mistake. It’s a moral one. It flows from what people love.

Can a Deceived Person Still Cry Out for Mercy?

This brings us to David’s question: If someone has previously resisted the truth, are they now hopelessly deluded? Or can they still turn to God?

The answer is full of hope. Yes, they can still cry out to God.

Even if someone has hardened their heart in the past, God is not bound by that history. He is able to remove hearts of stone and give hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). He is able to grant repentance and open eyes (2 Timothy 2:25–26).

The Bible is filled with examples of people who once resisted God but were later saved by his grace Paul himself being the most obvious (1 Timothy 1:13–16).

So yes, a person deceived by sin or hardened by rebellion can and should pray for God to deliver them. Crying out in repentance is always right and God is always able to save.

Final Thoughts

The warning of 2 Thessalonians 2:11 is real. Those who persistently reject God may find themselves unable to believe not because God has made belief impossible, but because they have hardened themselves to the truth for so long that delusion becomes their judgment.

But wherever there is a spark of repentance, there is hope. If someone still desires to love the truth, even after resisting it, that itself is a sign that God is at work.

So yes, God does send delusions as judgment. But he is also the God who restores, renews, and redeems. If you or someone you love feels distant from God or confused by deception, there is still hope not in your own strength, but in the mercy of the sovereign Savior.

Cry out to him. He is mighty to save.

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