Silencing the Lies Behind Every Battle You FaceSample

The Secret Strategy against Your Mind

When we think of the devil talking, most of us think of dramatic things that are blatantly immoral or destructive, such as “have that affair” or “end your life.” And while those are certainly from the enemy, he also speaks much more subtly.

Prowling like a lion, the devil hides amid your ordinary routines. He plays in your mind with common sense and seemingly wise thoughts to eventually convince you of something that is negative. What makes the enemy’s influence so covert and deceptive is that the thoughts are usually based on truth.

I know that we often think of the devil as a liar. And he is. But starting with truth is the sneaky way he crafts a lie. It would be too obvious if he came out and said something like, “You’re going to fail,” with nothing to back it up. So he builds his case for why you are going to fail using real evidence from your past or present.

The apostle Paul gives us insight into the devil’s strategy. Revealing the enemy’s efforts in our minds, Paul instructs, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV). “Arguments” and “opinions” are the building blocks of the devil’s lies.

We all know what an argument is. It is a way of presenting evidence to persuade someone. The enemy’s arguments against us include evidence of the things we did or something we are presently facing. These might sound like:

·“You were a druggie.”

·“You are divorced.”

·“You do not have enough money.”

When you hear one of these kinds of arguments, it often captures your attention because it is true.

Hooked by the litany of evidence, most of us automatically accept as truth what the enemy offers next: opinion. He attempts to explain what those things mean about who you are and what the status of your situation is. Usually, his opinion includes something hopeless. These might sound like:

·“You were a druggie; therefore, nobody will ever trust you.”

·“You are divorced; therefore, nobody will want you.”

·“You do not have enough money; therefore, you are a nobody.”

Do you see how each of these statements includes both a fact and an interpretation of what that fact means about you? By using something that really did happen or is present in your life, the devil quickly moves into the realm of hypothetical doom and gloom, often without you realizing it. Cue the insecurity, fear, shame, depression and about every other negative emotion you might face.

Tomorrow, we will explore how to use your mind and mouth to shut down the enemy’s lies. But for now, you need to know that God’s Word is more real than what you feel. It is your ultimate reality, and the only real interpreter of what your past, present and future mean.