You Have An Enemy

How would it affect you to find out that some of the things you have believed are not true? What if you found that you have an enemy who has been systematically brainwashing you? What would you do with that information? How would you combat it? You do have an enemy named Satan who is intentionally lying to you. He only speaks one language, and everything he tells you is a lie. His target is your mind. He knows that when he controls your mind, he controls your beliefs. The frightening thing is that a false belief holds just as much power over your actions as a true belief. The only way to combat a false belief is with the truth. Darkness can only be defeated by light. But, hallelujah, it is always defeated by light! How do you know if a thought comes from God, yourself, or demonic forces? If any thought is destructive, defeating, depressing, or divisive you can assume it is not from God. The Scriptures say that Satan's objective is "to kill, steal and destroy" (John 10:10). When your mind believes a lie, it causes you to act in ways that kill your relationships, steal your joy, and destroy your hope. His mission is accomplished. Satan's goal is for the lies he speaks to take root and become a part of your mind's default pathways. When that happens, they become part of the very fabric of who you are.

This is Warfare

You must take the offensive by proactively, immediately, and intentionally replacing those lies with truth each time they enter your mind. This must be done within seconds before they have a chance to take root. It can only be done through the truth of Scripture. It is not enough to recognize and challenge the lie. You must also replace the lie with the truth. The truth must be emphasized with the same power the lie was emphasized. It must be repeated often enough to form a new default pathway in your brain. This takes work. It is intentional. Lazy minds are the devil's delight.

Hope Restored

When you memorize and meditate on the truth, your mind is transformed, and your thoughts become the thoughts of Christ. The ruts that your thoughts automatically go to in your mind become pathways of truth rather than pathways of lies. Your thoughts are transformed into correct beliefs, which result in correct actions. Your relationships are strengthened, your joy is returned, and your hope is restored..

Arm Yourself with Scripture

Only you know where you are the most vulnerable. You must arm yourself with specific and targeted Scriptures that counteract the particular lies you believe. You can take screenshots of those verses on your phone. You can write them on notecards and put them on a ring clip. They are the antidotes to poison darts that are aimed at your unsuspecting mind all throughout your day. You must make the effort to find and take those screenshots. You must take the time to handwrite those Scriptures on notecards you can carry with you. You must "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Never put your mind on autopilot. Always think about what you are thinking. There is never a time when your mind is not Satan's target. Whenever it is left unguarded, he seizes the opportunity and opens fire. The hardest work you should do every day is the work of guarding your mind by intentional thinking: You hold the remote control to operate the channel guide in your mind. You can change that channel. But you must intentionally do so.

Jesus warned us when He said of Satan, "He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44b).

"Satan is a clever liar because his lies sound so much like the truth.
He wants to change your thought processes in order to deceive you and destroy you. He is not only the father of lies, but he lies about the biggest subject- God." Adrian Rogers