Friends I will tell you straight. Don’t agree with the enemy. He is prowling around seeking to rob, steal and destroy and no one is spared. He goes after Christ followers, whispering in our ears lies so that we are discouraged, bringing his bedfellows of unbelief, stress, and anxiety.
I recall a time early on in my marriage when I was lonely living in a foreign country and a bit depressed. My husband would go off to work and I was at home with three very young children. I was tempted to blame him and my faith took a hit. Why God? Whatever lies the enemy told me I believed. Then I met a wonderful German woman up the street from me who became my friend, invited me to her Bible study (although it was in German) and helped me to shift my perspective. I will always be grateful to her for her love and generosity. The children loved her too!
Jesus stood the devil down in the wilderness. He used God’s Word to combat the lies.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “it is written:’man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mount of God. (Matthew 4:1-4)
Jesus was starving. Fully God and fully man, He felt the pain but He also knew the call. Temptation crouched at the door, but Jesus quoted the Word knowing that it was powerful like a two-edged sword. This is the answer to pulling down strongholds of lies; the Word.
Today, we all face uncertainty as we live through Covid and the constant pivots that uncertainty brings. Children are experiencing the stress of their structure and order being disrupted and moms are tired. Older women are trying to be present for the younger women, but are fearful of getting Covid. In our weakness we know that God is strong, but the enemy also has as his assignment to wear down the saints. When we are exhausted we are vulnerable to his lies.
Today in my Drawing Near to God class study of Philippians, I spoke about the need to encourage one another. My working definition of encourage is to put courage into someone. Paul, imprisoned in Rome, writes to the Christians in Philippi to stand firm and encourage one another in the faith. We cannot do life alone. We need our sisters in Christ to encourage us and we need to do the same. Paul could count it all joy because he had already died to himself. And you know what?
You cannot kill someone who has already died.
Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and at that moment as a high powered elite Pharisee, the old self – the false self died and now in jail he rejoiced!
He cut off access to the devil’s lies.
Every time we have a God encounter, our anchor to this world is released. As we begin to let go of the rope and allow the Lord to work in us, we find unsurpassable joy. That is my goal. Have you made it yours?
