Too often we listen to words from Satan. Sometimes he whispers them in our ears, other times he plagues us by screaming them at us. Sometimes they come directly from him, other times he uses others to speak his lies to us. We must make sure that we are listening to the voice of truth, God, and not listen to Satan, the father of lies.
I suggest you practice the following steps. Take time to write down things which are discouraging you, despairing you, depressing you, plaguing you, and defeating you. The negative thoughts that are coming into your mind. Write all of the things you have thought to yourself or others have said of you recently, or maybe even those hurts from the past. Pray and ask God to tell you whether these things are true. If they are true, right them down and confess them, and repent of them.
If they are not true, write them down under the area Satan is attempting to speak lies about you. Next write down the truth of God that corresponds. After that write out the Scripture that corresponds with the truth of God. Remember to look at the Scripture carefully. Think about the fact that Satan twists Scripture to attack us. He did it with Jesus in the desert, he will do it with us.
The purpose of writing these down and not just thinking about them is that often, when Satan is lying to us and speaking to us, we are not thinking clearly. Having things written down helps us have something concrete written down when we are being attacked.
Memorizing the Scripture that pertains to us is important so we have that Scripture ready as a defense against Satan’s attacks at any time. Also, let me encourage you to have several, not just one, but several accountability partners in this area. People who can remind us of the truth of God when Satan is lying to us. Satan loves to isolate, because he can attack one victim easier than a group.
Satan Says God Says
1. You are worthless You are worth dying for John 3:16 If you are worthless, why would Christ die a horrible death for you?
2. You are condemned You are free from condemnation Romans 8:1, 34 If you put your faith and trust in God, you are no longer condemned, but free.
3. Lies about you Truth about you
Satan speaks lies God speaks truth John 8:44 John 1:14 If God were here, would the accusations about you be true?
4. Words that lead to bondage Words that lead to freedom Romans 8:2; Galatians 4:7
5. You are alone I am always with you You can do this on your own You have a local faith family Deuteronomy 31:6 Galatians 6:10
6. Accusations of confessed past sin God convicts so we confess, and forgiven so we can have a right relationship with God again
Satan accuses Christians of their past God remembers our sin no more sins without forgiveness Revelation 12:10 John 1:9; Hebrews 8:12
7. Self-Consciousness Fix our eyes on our identity in Christ Self-Centeredness Hebrews 12:2; Ephesians 1:3-5
8. Words and thoughts of despair Words of hope Romans 15:4, Isaiah 40:31
9. Satan wants death God gives life James 1:24-25, I Peter 5:8 Job 33:4; Psalm 36:9; John 10:10 He wants spiritual, emotional,financial, emotional, relational, and mental death
What are the general and specific ways Satan is attempting to lie to you? What is the specific truth of God that you need to know, understand and own as a part of your life? What are practical ways that you can make sure you are hearing the voice of God and not listening to Satan.
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10:45 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.