Several years ago one of my grandsons was struggling with passivity and a lack of motivation. Instead of getting rough on him and following some bad advice, our family decided to seek God and get to the bottom of the problem. As it played out, we discovered that he was feeling defeated, fearful and unqualified to step out in some areas. After asking him some questions that would bring insight into the situation, we discovered that when he was in third grade, a teacher had called him an idiot. She had asked him a question and he didn’t know the answer. She also withheld recess for the other children until he came up with the answer – which he never did. The classmates became angry with him because they had to suffer with him. Double whammy! Not a good day for him!
He was still carrying the embarrassment of having been shamed and was convinced he wasn’t smart enough to embrace the challenges set before him. He came into agreement with the lie fed into him through a teacher. The enemy had used a person in authority to plant a lie that would remain a part of his belief system until he understood the truth of who God says that he is. By the way, Jesus told him, “You are not an idiot. You have my mind.”
Sometimes, the enemy works through others or he may come to you disguised as you. You think the negative thoughts are your thoughts. And, they become your reality. Ask yourself this question: Would I choose to think these thoughts? Ask God, “What is the truth.” It makes Him happy to answer.
Deception is about believing lies, being misled, tricked, entrapped or betrayed. My pastor, Robert Morris, says: “If a person is deceived, he doesn’t know that he’s deceived. If he did, he wouldn’t be deceived.” Someone once coined the phrase, “FEAR stands for false evidence appearing real.” The enemy is a liar and there is no truth in him.
The Apostle Paul taught that spiritual warfare primarily deals with the “Pulling down of strongholds.” But, what are strongholds? They are the lies that the devil feeds into our thoughts. We accept and believe them and those lies became our reality. Until those thought processes are discovered and destroyed by application of the truth, the Word of God, we are deceived into believing lies about self, God and others.
The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of truth and love. The kingdom of darkness is lies and deceit. Scripture tells us that the devil is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). I encourage you to learn to recognize negative thoughts and lies. Let truth become your reality.
If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31-32