Lies from the enemy

Recognizing lies and half-truths

“How do I fight the negative thoughts?”

Have you ever been at practice or a game when out of nowhere, negative thoughts consume you? Thoughts such as:

• “You’re not worthy.”
• “You’re not good enough.”
• “You can’t do this.”
• “You’re not deserving.”

Every word of that is true. Scary, huh? It can be for me. But it’s because these are half-truths -- something Satan is so good at telling.

Satan is a liar—an important truth to remember. But more than that, he excels at telling half-truths. In the Garden of Eden, Satan lied to Eve. He told Eve that she wouldn’t die. He also told her that when she ate the fruit, her eyes would open, and she would be like God, understanding good and evil.

Not everything Satan said was completely false. Eve had her eyes opened, but not in the way she expected. She did come to understand good and evil, but that didn’t make her like God. Instead, she was now opposed to God. Satan told her she wouldn’t die, which was a direct lie. She did die, both spiritually and eventually, physically.

Satan continues this ploy today.

But, we can replace these half-truths with the total truth:

• “You’re not worthy. But God, in his grace, gives it to you anyway, because He loves you.”
• “You’re not good enough. But God’s strength is made perfect in your weakness, and He makes you perfect.”
• “You can’t do this. But with God, all things are possible. And with Him on your side, who can stand in your way?”
• “You’re not deserving. But God loves you and knows how to give good gifts to his children. Keep working hard and trusting in Him.”

We try to cover these lies with other lies instead of God’s truth. We tell ourselves “you’re worthy!” with a sticky note on the bathroom mirror. We say “you deserve love,” but as Christians, we know we don’t—we deserve death. But God’s grace gives us salvation through Christ.

I’ve heard coaches shout, “You’ve got this! It’s all you!” to a runner, only for them to slow down and give up before the finish. The coach meant well, but I think when exhaustion sets in, you can’t even lie to yourself. Reality hits you, and you know you can’t do it alone.

The next time you hear those negative thoughts, stop and ask yourself—what is the full truth? Replace the half-truths with God’s promises. You may not be enough, but He is. You may not be worthy, but He has made you His. So trust Him and keep running with Him by your side

Connection:

Take some time in prayer and ask the Lord to reveal what lies and half-truths you believe. Ask him to help you recognize lies when they pop in your mind and out of your mouth.

Application Questions:

• Half-truths are hard to identify. Take some time to sit down and think about what half-truths you believe. Can you identify them?
• Take those half-truths and find the full-truth in Scripture. Memorize the verse and write it down.

Prayer:

“Holy Spirit, help me to see the half-truths in my life. Help me to know and understand your Word as I read it so that I can capture and replace the half-truths with your Word. I depend upon you to guide me today, this week and going forward.”