Entertainment aboard a ship was hard to come by. Oftentimes, the sailors would gather around on deck when all their duties were done and tell each other stories. Many of these fanciful tales involved sea monsters, giant octopuses, the dreaded kraken, and mermaids! Frightening to listen to but were they lies or the truth?
They say the spiritual battlefield is in the mind. I quite agree! I feel like I’m always engaged in warfare with my own thoughts. How about you? Some of it is my old sinful nature shining through. Much of it is Satan and his lies. And lies are what they are! It’s so important to recognize when a lie has been planted in your mind. Once you do that, you can easily rid yourself of that damaging enemy with the Sword of the Spirit.
But how do we recognize the lie? The lie is anything that goes against what God’s Word says about you, your family and your life. Don’t just allow thoughts to flit about in your mind uninhibited. You must capture each thought and check it against the Truth.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NKJV).
Let me give you some examples from my own life.
Lie: My own father didn’t want me. Why would anyone else ever love me?
Truth: God adopted me into His family, and now I call him Father.
I received God’s Spirit when he adopted me as his own daughter. Now I call him:
“Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15 NKJV).
Lie: Who do you think you are? You can’t write a novel. You don’t have the time or the talent.
Truth: God will give me everything I need to do what He calls me to do.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward me, that I, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8 NKJV).
Lie: My prodigal children won’t ever get saved.
Truth: My children will be saved.
But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered (Proverbs 11:21 NASB).
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants; They will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water (Isaiah 44: 3–4 NASB).
Satan may be telling you other lies. Lies to make you believe you are worthless, ugly, dumb, won’t amount to anything; you’ve made too many mistakes; you’re a bad mother, wife, husband, father, worker. You’ll never find someone to love you. Whatever the lie is, if it goes against the Word of God, it is a lie! So stop listening to the Father of Lies and search the Bible for the truth that defeats that specific lie. It takes discipline. It takes studying the Bible daily. But it’s worth it! So, read the Word of God and ask Him to show you His truth.
I created a document with two columns. On the left side, I wrote all the lies I’ve been told my entire life (some I’m still being told). In the right column I listed the truth and the Scriptures to back it up. Then I hung it up somewhere I can easily see it; and every time the Enemy lies to me, I counter with a Scripture.
If you do the same, you’ll soon find that the lies will not come as often. Not only that, but you’ll start believing the truth. You will no longer be like the sailors of old who believed every mythical tale they heard. When your mind is filled with the truth of God’s Word, it becomes renewed, and you have the mind of Christ. Then, watch out, world! Nothing will be impossible for you!
MaryLu Tyndall