Who do we believe?

It amazes me how vulnerable we are to the enemy when we don't whole heartedly purpose in our minds to recognize the schemes Satan lavishes on us. The instant he is in our presence we must practice "psychological warfare", a term Beth Moore uses in the current study MaKayla and I are doing in our Sunday School class about the life and destined purpose of Esther. The second we sense Satan's presence or work, we must immediately come against it through prayer and the Word of God...whether it be a lie he is telling, a temptation he is extending, a thought he is imparting...

There have been three specific instances in our home in the past few days where I have discerned that a "trap" has been set and someone has willingly stepped into it, therefore believing the lies of the devil rather than warring against his deception and purposing to listen to the voice of God. Why do we do that when we KNOW that God is faithful...He ALWAYS has been...He ALWAYS will be!

1.) The belief that we are "condemned" to a certain state of mind, a certain stronghold, a certain demise...Of course he wants us to believe that...he has already been condemned to Hell therefore he wants us to feel condemned as well...believing that there is no hope. He wants us to believe the lie that we will always be what we always have been...a failure, a loser, unworthy...No where in God's Word do I find that...in turn we are freely offered love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. We find hope, peace, strength and rest when we turn our weaknesses and shortcomings over to the Lord and allow Him to wash us clean of them...purposing to follow His way rather than the enemy's way. We should see correction from God as a rich investment in our lives and praise Him for the revelation he has given us due to the promise that He is enlightening us to an area of our lives that is dragging us down and destroying us. We ALWAYS have hope in Jesus!

2.) Deceiving us into believing that certain things look "appealing" when we know that is not God's purpose or best for our lives. Deceiving us into believing that "a little won't hurt" or the things we are seeing as "appealing" are just "natural". I am reminded that a little bit of yeast leavens the whole batch of dough (Galatians 5:7~10) and a little bit of invited sin will bring us to ruin.

3.) Convincing us that if we ask God to purge a certain sin in our lives, He will take away anything good that is associated with that sin. God doesn't take away "good things (blessings)" from the people He loves unless it is for our good and His glory. Satan wants us to believe that by "giving up" certain things that are "weighing down", our lives will be empty, void and meaningless. The God I serve promises fullness of life when we strip ourselves away and live in accordance with His will.

As Beth Moore states...

Haman had placed himself in Satan's hands only to betrayed by him.
It happens EVERY time.
First Satan lies to us.
Then Satan lies for us.
Then Satan lies about us.

He convinces us into believing his lies, then he justifies that what we are doing is right so we don't turn back and then once he has us in his trap he turns around and stabs us in the back laughing and telling us what a fool we are.


The Lord reminds me once again this morning that the only way to defeat the enemy in our lives on a daily basis is to:

saturate ourselves in God's Word...
stand on God's promises...
continually place ourselves in God's presence...
be determined to live God's way!

I am determined...are you???

Who will you believe?