John 8:32
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Several years ago, I was washing my hands in a friend’s bathroom when I noticed an index card scribbled with a Bible verse, taped to the mirror. She had similar cards with different Scriptures posted elsewhere in her house and on the dashboard of her minivan. I thought to myself, “hey, that’s cool,” but as time went on I realized this wasn’t something she did to be cool. This was spiritual warfare.
I live a pretty peaceful life, so sometimes I forget that I am at war – a war that is mostly waged against my mind. As John Mark Comer puts it in his book, Live No Lies, “our fight with the devil is first and foremost a fight to take back control of our minds from their captivity to lies and liberate them with the weapon of truth.” Scripture names our Enemy “the father of lies,” and make no mistake, he does not fight fair. He is not above kicking us when we are down. You might have noticed that the lies he tells you hit right where you are the most vulnerable.
If you’ve experienced abandonment in your life, he’ll tell you that you don’t really belong and that the people who say they care about you will eventually leave you.
If you didn’t get a recent promotion, he’ll feed your contempt and pride by telling you that you are better than the guy who got the job. He’ll convince you that your identity is in your work.
If you’re in recovery, he’ll whisper words of shame over you –there must be something wrong with you. You’ll never be free of this. Relapse is inevitable.
If you are struggling with a parenting challenge, he will tell you that you are a terrible mom or dad – and sometimes he’ll say it right out of the mouths of your kids!
There is no end to the tactical treachery of the Enemy, but we don’t have to be ignorant of his schemes or how to defend against them. For every lie the Devil dishes out, there is a truth in scripture with the power to demolish it.
To the abandoned – “God settles the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6). “In love, God decided in advance to adopt us into his only family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:5) And “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38).
To the disgruntled, your heavenly father says “Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord and not for men. Remember that you will get your reward from the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).
To the shamed, he says “anyone who trusts in Jesus will never be disgraced.” (Romans 9:33). “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20).
To the discouraged, he says “you are my workmanship – my masterpiece – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that you should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10) so “don’t grow weary of doing good things, for in due season you will reap, if you do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
The lies of the Enemy are always being hurled towards our minds, but God’s Word equips us with the truth – weapons of warfare that “are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
So how do we wield these mighty weapons? 2 Corinthians 10:5 says “we destroy arguments raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive.” We touched on this a couple days ago, but it is worth revisiting. The process could look different for every person, but I can tell you what it looks like for me. When I sense a lie being spoken over me, I try to do 3 things:
- I call it out as a lie. I’ve found it can be very empowering to say outloud “Shut up Satan – you’re a liar and that’s a lie!” (I try not to do this in the grocery store – ha!)
- I proclaim the truth from Scripture “God says this about me…” It’s very important to always replace the lie with the truth. This is when it’s really helpful to have God’s promises handy – like index cards in your bathroom!
- I thank the Holy Spirit for helping me to guard my mind, reminding me of the truth and reassuring me with his presence.
As you enter into this time of preparation for WPH, anticipating that God is going to heal, restore and set people free, don’t be surprised if the Enemy ups his game. This is what desperate losers do when they realize they are about to lose ground. When the devil comes at you –bold or stealth– have your arsenal of promise-weapons ready. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7)
Listening Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the places where your mind is most vulnerable to the lies of the Enemy and then to remind you of the true promises that demolish those lies.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I know my mind is vulnerable to the lies of the Enemy. Sometimes I don’t even recognize them as lies because he is so sneaky or because he’s telling me something I want to hear. Help me to renew my mind every day, by spending time in the truth of your word. I want to know your promises, because the truth sets me free. In Jesus Name, amen.
Resources:
John 8:44
…There is no truth in [the devil]. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
II Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
I Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Ephesians 4:7-8
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus… Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.