The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. We know this from John 10:10. He will twist any narrative he can to pull you away from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. But this scripture also says that Jesus has come so that we may have life, and have it to the full. In this post we will look at 5 lies the enemy tries to make you believe to pull you away from growing deeper in your faith and what God’s truth says about these lies. If you are struggling to have a personal relationship with Jesus, keep reading and allow God’s Word to saturate your mind and heart.
#1. The Enemy Tries to Make You Believe..
You don’t deserve a relationship with Jesus considering your past and/or present because you have messed up your life way too much..
You might feel guilt and shame for the mess you have found yourself in or from your past mistakes. Maybe you had a very difficult childhood, maybe you made poor decisions as a teen or into your adult life, maybe you are still unable to shake off some of the bad habits from your past. Whatever it is, know this: Jesus came to give you a full, victorious and abundant life. He came to set you free from what seeks to accuse and shame you. No matter what that may be. When we give our life to Jesus we are also accepting the free gift of salvation and grace.
John 3:16 – 17 in the amplified version says: For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.
In verse 18 it goes on to advise that: Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].
If you have decided to trust Jesus as your Savior and accepted Him into your heart, He has lifted all of your guilt and shame onto Himself. He can bear it. You are now free to live your life as though you are a new person no longer bound by sin, shame, guilt or anything else holding you back.
So when the enemy tries to whisper his lies into your ear about your messy past, you can stand up for yourself, backed by the name of Jesus, and tell the enemy that you are no longer going to allow him to manipulate you into feeling unworthy of salvation through Jesus. You can declare that you are free! Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)
#2. The Enemy Tries to Make You Believe..
I go to church so I don’t need to focus more on a relationship with God.
Attending church to have fellowship with other followers of Christ is only one aspect of maintaining and maturing your faith. While church is a great place to learn and gather with like minded people, there’s no better way to receive God’s Word than by reading it for yourself.
We also should ask ourselves if going to church is the only way someone would know whether we were a Christian. As followers of Christ, the fruit of the spirit should be noticed within us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Church attendance shouldn’t be the only indicator to others that we are believers. Our actions and words should also show this. Our life should show this as ambassadors of Christ.
James chapter 2 talks about faith alone without having works to show for it, is dead. We can go to church and proclaim that we are Christian, but if there is no fruit, no evidence of Christ within us, there is something missing.
It is important to focus on continuing to learn and mature in our faith. Knowing and following what God’s Word says even when that might feel hard. Evidence of your growth will look like obedience to God’s will, and showing fruit of the Spirit in your life. We don’t want to become lukewarm in our faith.
Revelation 3: 15-16 depicts how the Lord feels about a person being lukewarm.
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. (AMP)
I don’t know about you but that verse makes me want to strive to be on fire for Jesus! It’s a good reminder and a springboard for when we start to become stagnant in our faith, disinterested or indifferent.
#3. The Enemy Tries to Make You Believe..
My friends and family will think I am weird for wanting to follow Jesus.
This can be difficult if you are the only person you know in your social circle who wants to pursue Jesus. It can feel a little uncomfortable when others don’t fully understand your choice or have an opinion about it. Especially when you start to make positive changes in your life that may cause them to reflect on their own current situation or obstacles.
The bible assures that when we trust in the Lord, He will keep us safe. Even if trusting in Him looks foolish to the outside world. Proverbs 29:25 says “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
A snare is defined as something by which one is entangled, involved in difficulties, or impeded. Or something deceptively attractive according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary.
Fearing judgment from those around us can drive us to a habit of people pleasing instead of acting to please God. This is like being entangled in a web or a trap. Bending ourselves to meet the expectations of others is putting them (man) before God. This can become a slippery slope leading into sin when we continually give something other than the Lord our full heart, time, attention and devotion.
Living for Jesus may not always produce immediate feelings of satisfaction or attract the esteem from others, it sometimes does the opposite. But the peace that rests in your heart knowing that you are living for and serving a loving, just and All Mighty God feels so much better than compromising your beliefs or values to feverishly fulfill the ever changing desires and expectations of man.
We have no reason to fear when we are trusting in God for all things in our lives. We can also ask Him to give us the courage that we need in order to live without fearing what others may think of us.
Proverbs 28:1 describes the righteous being bold as a lion. And Philippians 4:14 assures us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Ask the Lord to give you courage as bold as a lion and declare aloud when you are feeling anxious that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Living for Jesus doesn’t mean that you are meant to do it all alone. Trust that the Lord will guide you on this exciting journey and that He will be with you when you face adversity for choosing to follow Him.
#4. The Enemy Tries to Make You Believe..
Only good, perfect Christians have a real relationship with Jesus.
This is a lie that the enemy uses in attempt to paralyze us from understanding and seeking the heart of God.
Jesus died for us because we all need a savior and all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We all are sinners because of our fleshly nature, caused by the fall of man referenced in Genesis.
The key is to know, understand and obey what is written in God’s word. When we stumble its important to come to the Lord with a sincere heart of repentance (meaning turning away) and asking for forgiveness. Then, making choices that reflect our repentant hearts to avoid falling into the same sin again.
No one is perfect. Don’t let the enemy use comparison to make you feel like you aren’t worthy of developing a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus because of your past mistakes. Don’t allow despair or disappointment in yourself turn into self pity either. Change will involve focusing more on the Lord and less on ourselves.
The most important thing is to course correct and continue to seek wisdom and knowledge from the Lord so that the next time you are faced with a challenge or temptation, you can successfully navigate the situation. Coming away victorious through the help of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 10:13 reassures us in saying:
No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].
Coming Out Of Agreement With Lies
Once we receive revelation by the Holy Spirit that we might be in agreement with something that is untrue about ourselves, we have the power to come out of agreement with it.
We can first pray and thank the Lord for revealing this to us and ask for His forgiveness for accepting it. Then state out loud that we renounce the lie (describe what it is) and reject any power that it may be holding over us. We can also declare to renounce any statements that we have made in the past or present agreeing with or reinforcing the lie.
It’s important to also forgive anyone who has introduced the lie to you. Maybe someone made you feel like you have messed up your life too much to have a relationship with Jesus. Or maybe you felt judged by a friend for wanting to make changes to pursue a godly lifestyle, leading you to believe that you were an outsider. Whatever it might be, resolve to forgive them. Don’t let that bitterness stay in your heart. Let God be your vindicator.
Lastly, ask the Lord to reveal His Truth about you in place of this lie. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart to this new truth and let it take root in your heart. Ask the Lord to renew your mind and give you a new view of yourself. That you would have the ability to see yourself the way God sees you. Then receive it!
If you want to learn more about growing in your walk with God check out this blog post: How to Bring Intentionality into Your Spiritual Growth Journey
Closing Prayer
Lord, I lift up the woman who is reading these words. I ask that if she has allowed any lies to come into her mind and agreed with them in her heart that you would reveal them to her. That you would also give her revelation of your truth. Give her understanding of what you think of her and how much you love and care for her. I ask that you would open her heart to receive your truth and that it would replace any lies that she knowingly or unknowingly has accepted. In Jesus’ name, amen.
