“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

A regenerated man (a saved man; one Born of God) must always remember what happened to him in his father Adam:

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:21)

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)

When Adam sinned against God, he plunged himself and all of his posterity (his descendants) into spiritual death (separation from God). His action caused him and his posterity to be “dead” in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). Dead means dead; without spiritual life. The soul and the spirit of man became one; with the soul (the seat of his emotions, lusts, passions, etc.) to be the ruler of the spirit.

Adam and his posterity became servants (or slaves) of unrighteousness (Romans 6:17, 20-21). This means that sin was man’s master, man’s ruler, had dominion over man. Man was under the law of sin and death (spiritual). Paul wrote:

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” (Ephesians 2:1)

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” (Ephesians 2:2)

“Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:3)

Men, in their unregenerate state, are controlled by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17); and are void of the Love of God. Paul wrote in Romans:

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)

“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)

And in our text verse, Jeremiah wrote:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

The answer to this question is, not man. Not even the saved man knows the depths of a depraved heart. Only God knows a man’s heart.

“The heart is deceitful.” Synonyms for “deceit” are “crooked, dishonest, false, fraud, deceptive, delusive, misleading, double-dealing.” It is an attempt to deceive (or to cause one to believe an untruth). When you deceive someone – you beguile, delude, fool, hoodwink, misinform, mislead, or trick them. You may even cheat, defraud, or fleece someone.

Jeremiah said “the heart is deceitful (or is deceiving) above all things.” This is true when the heart is not being controlled by the Holy Spirit; which is when you rebel against truth; when you are in denial that you are in unconfessed sin, by using self-justification or rationalization as to why your sin is “okay” with God. Of course, sin is never “okay” with God.

The Flesh is a real “piece of work” (to use an idiomatic expression). The Flesh is in constant warfare with man’s spirit; constantly deceiving and misleading and trying to mask the real truth of sin (Romans 7:15-24). Therefore, the phrase “The heart is deceitful above all things,” should alert the Child of Grace that the real enemy is not the devil, but is that “deceiver” that lies within the believer, called “the old man” or the flesh, where Paul said, sin dwelleth (Romans 7:15-24). The flesh is a saved man’s constant enemy.

Therefore, a saved man needs to be fully aware of this fact. Yes the old man (the flesh) has been crucified as to its “dominion,” or rule, over the spirit (Romans 8:2; 6:4-14). And yet, the old man is still in the saved man until physical death occurs. The old man is lurking behind every bush, trying to lead the saved man astray, to once again practice sin. The saved man must be prepared daily to fight off the deception created in him by the old man and his tricks.

Then Jeremiah said, not only is the heart “deceitful,” but it is “desperately wicked.” “Wicked” is defined as “morally bad, evil, sinful.” Its actions are from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And its actions are unrighteous, not righteous; meaning they are of sin, and not of holiness or purity or of God.

Jeremiah said not only is the heart wicked, but the heart is “desperately (an adverb) wicked.” He was saying that the heart was extremely, intensely wicked; it was beyond hope – without the Grace of God. Being an adverb, “desperately” answers the question, “How wicked is the heart?” It describes “how wicked” the heart is. Without grace, it is beyond hope, “desperately wicked.”

Then Jeremiah adds, “who can know it?” The answer is, no man, only God knows the wickedness and the depths of depravity of the fallen heart, or the nature in men from the sin of Adam.

Jeremiah was preaching to Israel; a type of saved people; a people separated from all others by God. And yet, Israel had departed from God’s ways and His fellowship by their rebellion to submit and obey God’s Commandments. They committed spiritual adultery with pagan gods; and even physical adultery and fornication in the wickedest sense.

One might ask, “How did this happen to the chosen people of God?” The answer will be explained in the following devotions.

But first, the Problem is the heart, it is deceitful and desperately wicked and who can know it?

Wake up, Child of God; the old man, the flesh, is still with you. You can never let your spiritual guard down. You must check the flesh daily with confession of sins, faults, etc.; by prayer; and by daily Bible study.

Wake up, Child of God; the major enemy is the flesh within you; wherein dwells sin.