Recognizing the Enemy's Lies

After I was married, I moved into my husband’s home. I couldn’t wait to give his bachelor’s pad the redecorating it so desperately needed – including removing outdated wallpaper. As I minister to women, I have become acutely aware that many of us need to do some mind “redecorating.” We need to tear down the lies that “wallpaper” our mind and redecorate with the powerful truth of the Word of God. Much of the spiritual warfare we encounter could be averted if we did a better job “minding our mind.” 

The enemy of our soul strategically, but cunningly, deceives our minds hoping that we will take the bait and meditate on his lies instead of God’s Word. It was the same method he successfully used against Eve in the Garden. He does this by diverting us from the truth and casting a shadow of doubt on our perception of God’s goodness. That’s why Paul stresses the importance of taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

So, how can we recognize his lies and stop him from wreaking havoc in our lives? 

It helps to remember that he is a defeated foe – the only power he has is the power we surrender to him. Unfortunately, we make the choice to surrender power when we allow his lies to occupy a place in our mind. We may not be able to control the thoughts that come through our minds, but we can make the choice not to be controlled by those thoughts.

Every time he tries to “penetrate” our minds with deceit, we must seize the lie and take it captive to the obedience of Christ. We need to take responsibility for our minds, managing our thought life and asking ourselves if what we are meditating on is “true, noble, right, pure, lovely admirable, excellent or praiseworthy” (Phil 4:8). If the thought coming through our mind doesn’t meet those criteria, it’s not from the Lord and needs to immediately be taken captive. Many of us are stuck in pain and defeat and strongholds have been established leaving us feeling powerless, defeated, and hopeless. 

So, how do we recognize the enemy’s lies? 

As we spend time with the Father abiding in His Word and meditating on it, we will become more and more familiar with His truth and become intimately aware of His voice. We will be better able to recognize the counterfeit voice that wants to lead us astray and into captivity. 

Why not take some time today and sit with the One who calls Himself “Truth” and ask Him to help you tear down the enemy’s lies and redecorate your mind with the truth of His mighty Word in the power of the Holy Spirit.

~ By Rhea Briscoe