You’ve Been Deceived

You’ve Been Deceived: Learning to discern the voice of the Enemy and squash it!

 

“Just one more drink, you deserve it.” 

“The kids will understand why you left and that you followed your heart’s passion. It’s for them, afterall.” 

“It’s all up to you.” 

“If you buy that car, everyone will want to be like you!” 

“Quiet people can’t make an impact.”

“You’ll never amount to anything.” 

“You’re just damaged goods.”

“If I do enough, then God will love me and I will make it to heaven.”

 

These statements may shock you. These statements may cause an unsettled feeling in your spirit because you can relate to them. In fact, maybe you have heard them before.

 

If you have heard these statements of similar ones they may have come from an authority figure, like a teacher, boss or parent. Maybe they have been said by a well meaning friend. But when the layers are peeled back, these are deceptions that come from our adversary, Satan. 

 

Satan has a game he really likes to play. The Bible tells us that he is the Father of lies, (John 8:44) In fact, John 8 tells us there is NO TRUTH in him. 

 

Yet how often do statements like the ones above flow into our ears and get planted like seeds in our hearts and minds. Over time, these deceptions started out as tiny seeds – words exchanged in the heat of the moment, or with little understanding of the lasting impact they could make – begin to take root.

 

Our minds, I believe, are Satan’s favorite battlefield. Why? I think it is because we are so often not guarded. We do not recognize and distinguish between the voice of the accuser, our own voice or the voice of God. 

 

Revelation 12:10 says, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night has been thrown down.”

 

Did you catch that? 

 

The same enemy that has whispered lies into your ear to draw you off course from God’s best for you – also stands and accuses you of the very thing he told you, “know one will ever know.”

 

He deceives and then accuses.

 

His accusations and attacks lead us to believe – if we are not guarded – to think, “see my boss was right, I will never amount to anything.” If we are not mindful of what saturates our thought lives we will end up deceived hook, line and sinker.

 

Why does this matter? Why does it matter if we believe the lies of the Deceiver? 

 

In order to answer this question we have to understand why Satan deceives us in the first place. He wants us to be as miserable as he is. He doesn’t want us resting in God’s presence, at peace. All that God offers is like nails on a chalkboard to the devil.

 

He wants to steal (joy, peace, contentment, happiness, hope, comfort, love & God-esteem). John 10:10 says, “A thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

 

The devil’s schemes lead to destruction and death. The pathway of God leads to abundance and life.

 

Now back to our previous question, why does this matter? 

 

When we begin to believe the deception of the devil the lies lead us toward the path of destruction and death. You may think, well the lies he tells me about myself, they aren’t hurting anyone else – he just whispers lies to me about me.” 

 

If we believe the lies he whispers to us about us, the lies cause us to shrink back. The lies cause us to stay stuck. It causes a chasm of dull pain that leads to settling for what we have been fed by Satan instead of seeing what’s possible with God.

 

What lies have you been believing? What area of your life have you “given up” and “given in” to satan’s deception?

 

The lies he tells me are generally performance related. That if I do enough, or perform well, or please those around me that will translate into being loved, being esteemed and being accepted. 

 

He also has told me that I’m quiet and God made me that way because I have nothing valuable to give the world. Gosh…totally had to combat this one!

 

So, now what?

 

If you have decided to walk this out with me and identify the lies that the deceiver has whispered to you we have some work to do!

 

One of the most powerful things for me has been very simple. Identifying the lie. Calling it what it is – a lie. Now, when I hear that little whisper in my ear telling me the lie, I am able to catch it and hold it captive. 

 

2 Corinthians 10:5, “and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 

 

If I believe the lie – it will lead me to disobedience. Every time.

 

The other key to overcoming the lies after they have been identified is to replace the lie with the truth of scripture.

 

As an example: to combat the lie Satan has whispered to me about my voice I now speak these words over my mouth and over my life:

 

“The Lord has given me the tongue of those who are instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens me each morning; he awakens my ear to listen like those being instructed.” (Isaiah 50:4)

 

Recognize the lie for what it is. Know where/who it came from (Ephesians 6:12). And exchange the lie for God’s word – TRUTH! 

 

God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) and Satan cannot speak the truth.  This is as black and white as it gets. 

 

My prayer for you today is that God would open your eyes to see the deceptions that Satan has used to draw you away from the heart of God, to keep you stuck in brokenness, to keep you from walking in freedom, healing and deliverance! And once your eyes are opened to the deception, I pray that you,with God’s truth, will build a strategy to combat the lies – fracturing the stronghold they have had on your life for far too long!

 

Let’s pray and let’s experience freedom today!

For resources to grow in the freedom of Christ, go to my website. And for your daily dose of Hope, check out Cup of Hope!