Pastor Jack Hibbs is warning that the greatest challenge facing many churches today is not political turmoil or cultural change but what he described as a growing “spiritual pandemic” rooted in abandoning God’s wisdom for worldly thinking.
Teaching from Proverbs 2:10-13, Hibbs told his congregation that Scripture presents two distinct paths and that believers must intentionally pursue God’s wisdom to avoid deception.
“We’ve learned that already. There’s the wisdom of the world, but the Bible says it’s devilish. It’s seductive, and it’s fatal. And then there’s the wisdom of God which is life. It’s meaningful. It’s purposeful and it’s enduring. That is that it’s eternal,” Hibbs said.
He said a person’s daily choices ultimately reveal which source of wisdom they follow.
“There are those who say they are Christians, but they walk in the wisdom of the world. Works do not make you a Christian, but works prove they exhibit your Christian faith,” Hibbs said.
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Wisdom Is God’s Protection
Hibbs said Proverbs remains especially relevant because deception has become increasingly difficult to recognize.
“We have got to wake up,” he said. “We live in a world of deception right now, like no other time. We need the wisdom of God.”
According to Hibbs, biblical wisdom is not something believers acquire through education alone but something God gives to those who seek Him.
“God says to you that He knows the purpose. He’s going to share that with you. … We need discretion. We need discernment,” he said.
Hibbs encouraged Christians not to react impulsively when facing uncertainty.
“Not one Christian should be in the area right now of frustration or anxiety regarding what they’re to do next. … If you don’t know, wait. There’s wisdom in waiting.”
Discernment in an Age of Deception
Hibbs argued that spiritual attacks are often subtle rather than obvious, making discernment increasingly important.
“In my life now … Satan comes attacking not with flashbang but with very, very almost undetectable subtleties that without God’s revelation of wisdom and discernment you wouldn’t be able to figure out what is coming against your life,” he said.
He urged believers to measure circumstances against Scripture instead of relying solely on emotions.
“I cannot trust my situation or my feelings. I need to rely upon God and seek Him and ask Him for wisdom because He knows the answer,” Hibbs said.
Pointing again to Proverbs, Hibbs said biblical wisdom serves as a safeguard before destructive choices take root.
“Walk in the way of wisdom and you will be plucked out and away from the evil path and from this course of destruction,” he said.
Closing the message, Hibbs encouraged believers to seek God’s wisdom daily.
“The greatest thing you can do is … ask of Me and I will not hold back. Ask of Me and I will give it to you abundantly. But ask,” he said.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
