Hey Dad, Let's Talk 2| The Father of Lies |
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Anyone who suffers from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, mental illness, chronic illness, and the like, will have experienced that whispering voice that seems to have the power to pluck you off that mountain ledge (which took you years to reach) and cast you tumbling all the way back down to the bottom. If you don't understand what I mean, you soon will. Once your eyes are opened to the wiles of the devil, you'll be shocked at how often he's managed to defeat you. 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Unlike the hyena or the vulture, a lion does not necessarily seek out prey that is weak and dying or already dead. The roaring lion is powerful and ferocious, able to take down even the strongest of animals should he so choose. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! Whether you're on the mountain top (strong) or in the valley (weak), you're an equal target for the enemy. Let me give you the example of a sea wall. When the tide comes in, we'd be washed away if not for a sea wall in place to protect us. This is just common sense. However, there's the tendency to relax when the tide is low; to get careless even. In fact, we might become so relaxed and secure that we decide we don't need that sea wall anymore. We actually tear it down; or we simply don't bother to fix it when it begins to crumble. So, what happens when the tide inevitably comes crashing in? We get sucked away, time and time again. How does one maintiain a sea wall while the tide is low? 1) Keep tabs on your anger. Anger is one of the top methods the devil uses to weasel himself into our hearts. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anger that is left to fester day after day will manifest itself in a multitude of ways. Resentment, bitterness, apathy, inertia, jealousy, pettiness, passive-aggression, outright revenge. The list goes on. Unresolved anger gives the devil a foothold. It doesn't matter how strong you may feel, any mole hill can grow into a mountain over time. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. 2 Timothy 2:26 says, ...that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2) Recognize that the little voice whispering in your ear is not necessarily your own. The devil is sly and knows just the right words to send you sprawling. One of his most effective methods is to speak an outright lie in a way that is believable and convincing. The rational mind responds with, "Yes, that could really happen," or "Yes, that must be true, it makes sense." If his lies were always blatant (and sometimes they are), we wouldn't be so quick to fall for them. "You're ugly" is not nearly as effective as "You're boring; it doesn't matter if you lose weight because you'd still be boring." Both statements have the same meaning. In the end, you feel unattractive; your self-esteem takes another hit; and your inferiority complex grows a little more. You feel hopeless. "Why should I bother to keep up with my diet? Why should I put any effort into how I dress or do my hair? No one likes me because I'm boring. I'm unattractive in every shape and form, inside and out. I'm worthless and should just give up." The original lie compounds upon more lies until we're firmly convinced. To make such a lie all the more effective, the devil might also wait for an external event to give the words more punch. Perhaps you went to a social function in which someone you were talking to seemed distracted or disinterested in what you had to say. You went home feeling a little bit rejected but you tried to tell yourself that so and so must've had a lot on their mind or weren't feeling well, etc., and that there's no need to take it personally. But then along comes that whispering voice in your ear: "No, it was all because of you. You never have anything interesting to say." See, the devil doesn't have to say, "You're ugly," because you've already gone to bed feeling like a loser. Mission accomplished. Meanwhile, that guy at the party probably did have a lot on his mind and found it hard to socialize with anyone who was there, not just you. 3) Test the Spirits. There is, perhaps, no better way to derail a Christian, than to convince him or her that that little whispering voice in the ear is not the devil speaking, but actually the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:1 says, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. The devil does not work alone. Other fallen angels, demons (his minions) work right alongside him. If he is the roaring lion, they are the skulking hyenas. The Lord of the Rings films gave us some vivid imagery of "the powers of this dark world" and "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (as described in Ephesians 6). Ringwraiths. They were always following the scent of Frodo, always on his tail. And look what happened whenever he lowered his "sea wall" and began to slip that ring on his finger: Those cloaked Ringwraiths on black horses were instantly alerted to his whereabouts and came charging after him like a stampede. But what's the clicker? They were invisible to the naked eye, most of the time. And so it is with demons: we do not see them there, so we (at least subconsciously) believe they aren't around; when the devil thus whispers in our ear, we erroneously think it's our own voice or the voice of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:7-8 says, You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasian does not come from the one who calls you. Take for example, that voice that says, "It wasn't meant to be, it's time to move on to another project," which causes us to throw in the towel on a project we had originally believed was divinely inspired. We think it's the Holy Spirit telling us to move on when it's really a demon speaking. God's work is left incomplete, and we're sadly none the wiser. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. The next time you hear a convincing voice, don't be so quick to make a decision based on it. Wait it out. If it's the Holy Spirit speaking to you, the truth will eventually unfold in God's perfect timing. But if it's the devil deceiving you, those whispered notions and/or threats will never pan out. Christians sometimes assume that the path of least resistance is God's will; but Scripturally, we recognize that God's will can be difficult and fraught with many road blocks. So, if you don't give up at that first road block, time will eventually reveal - without a doubt - who was actually speaking to you. 1 John 4:8 says, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. If the words being whispered to you are filling you with dread and fear, consider the source - and test the spirits. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. A voice that fills you with fear is doing so to torment you. This is not the Holy Spirit speaking. The devil has one mission: to destroy you. He was a murderer from the beginning. Jesus said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).Think back on the defeat you've experienced in your life or that you may be currently experiencing. What voice is whispering in your ear right now? Are you being built up, renewed and encouraged, or beat down, frustrated and defeated? The devil is a liar and the father of lies. Always remember: be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power and put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:10).
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(c) 2010 Bekah Ferguson Permissions: By all means, you are welcome to reproduce and distribute my articles in excerpts or complete format as long as you don't change any of the wording. If you do reproduce any part of my articles, please include the following information: by Bekah Ferguson, Ontario, Canada. www.bekahferguson.com Licensed under Creative Commons.
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He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)