It's becoming increasingly clear to me lately that the enemy often uses lies to discourage us. He tries to confuse us about our faith and identity in Christ, prey on our #insecurities and hurts, and make us feel #shame or #pride because of the good and unique things about how #God created us. And here are two of the main methods I've seen him discourage brothers and sisters in Christ.
Tainting Truth: Sometimes he twists #Scripture by planting just enough of a lie to make it harmful, or he uses it in the wrong context to cause confusion and discouragement.
From the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) to Jesus’ temptation (Luke 4) and beyond, we see Satan living up to his reputation as the father of lies (John 8:44), and sometimes we even feed ourselves these lives! The good news is that this is nothing new to God. God has given us His Word as our defense against his attacks! When you start to stew and spin in lies about God, how He created you, or how He sees you, follow Jesus’ example in Luke 4 by relying on the #truth found in the #Bible. Here are a few steps you can take — ones that I personally have taken — to combat the lies no matter where they come from.
1. Write down the lies.
Sometimes just writing down or verbalizing a falsehood we believe can help us realize how ridiculous it is. So take a sheet of paper and write each lie down, leaving room beside or under them for the next few steps.
2. Find truth to combat them.
Open your Bible (physical or digital) and search for in-context passages of Scripture that speaks to the lie you're believing. If you think you're unloved by God, look to Romans 5:8. If you don't think God can protect you, go to Psalm 91. If you think God made you as "less than," flip to Psalm 139. And if you're not sure where to start, ask a godly friend to help you! Looking up sermons that are related to those topics can also help you find the right verses to meditate on. The website for re:generation (a Christ-centered #recovery program), has a Struggles section that may help and encourage you! I also love using the Soultime Mood Tracker functionality to see what Scripture they suggest based on my emotions and struggles.
3. Write and remember!
Record those verses and encouragements and put them somewhere you can easily access them physically or digitally — whatever helps you learn and retain information the best! I also suggest memorizing some of that Scripture so you can recall it more easily. I personally use the Echo Prayer Manager and enter memory verses as #prayer requests with daily reminders to reflect on/review them. The Bible Memory app is a great resource for this. Either way, don't just write and forget them. Meditate on them daily so God can write that truth on your heart.
4. Phone a friend.
One of the lies Satan also tries to discourage us with is the idea that we are or deserve to be alone. So fight that urge by bringing #friends into your struggle. Seek our people who know God's word and know you, and ask them to share/remind you of truth when you're #struggling or approaching something that may be a #trigger such as spending time with family or facing a difficult holiday/event. They can also affirm the things about how God specifically created you that are reflections of His character—your kindness, graciousness, gentleness, wittiness, creativity, etc. — if that's what you're struggling with.
Fight the good fight!
It can take time to develop this habit of taking thoughts captive and replacing them with truth, but it’s SO WORTH IT! Be patient with yourself. Find some godly people who can encourage you and help you put this into practice, and just watch what God does in your heart!
Kristen Reed, a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, is an artist, filmmaker, and author from Dallas, Texas. As a Christian, her faith heavily influences her writing and is the driving force in her life. Visit Amazon to discover her books!