“Did we meet? I don’t remember you at all.”
Wrote the editor of a large publishing house in a curt (bordering on rude) email. We had met together just a few weeks before but obviously, I failed to make a lasting impression. Ouch.
He went on to say, “Your book proposal doesn’t meet our current editorial needs.” Or in plain English, he didn’t remember me, nor did he even look at the book proposal I had worked so hard on before he trashed it.
In crushing, disheartening moments, I’m so tempted to believe lies like:
I’m a failure.
I’m not good enough.
I just can’t do it.
Sometimes, I brush off the temptation to believe such garbage, and sometimes not.
I don’t think I’m alone.
We’re all tempted to believe lies that simply aren’t true. Our world is deceptive. We are easily confused and misled. Why is this?
Because all lies have the same origin: they come directly from Satan, the “father of lies” (Jn. 8:44), and they are thrown at us like flaming darts to pin us down. Cause pain. Make us weak. Stifle our growth.
Let a bad day hit, a project fail or a dream shatter into a million pieces, and Satan will start hurling lies at your mind about:
Who you are.
What you can and can’t do.
Your past, present and future.
These corrosive lies will eventually become your truth, unless you know the truth and use it to protect yourself. That’s the good news about lies—they can be easily overcome with truth, just as light overcomes darkness.
As I see how damaging lies have been to my own life, the more I value God’s truth. I need to cling to it, daily. And I’m thinking you do, too. Jesus promised, “that you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:32)
So, to inspire you (and me) to live in the mindset of truth, rather than deceit, I’ve made a list of common lies Satan whispers and the truth of God that overcomes it.
Satan’s Lies . . . God’s Truth:
Your life doesn’t matter . . . Your life has a purpose. (1 Pt. 2:9)
You evolved from a cell . . . You were carefully designed. (Ps.139:14)
Live for #1 . . . Live for Me. (Ro. 14:8)
Amuse yourself . . . Don’t waste your life. (Eph. 5:16-17)
You deserve the best . . . Deny yourself and follow me. (Mt. 16:24)
Do what pleases you . . . Do what pleases Me. (Col. 3:23)
Others should love & serve you . . . Love and serve others. (Heb. 13:16)
Belief in God is ignorance . . . Belief in God is wisdom. (Pr. 9:10)
Take all you can . . . Be a giver. (Lk. 6:38)
You are the center . . . I’m the center. (Ro. 11:36)
Have as much fun as you can . . . Be all that you can be. (2 Pt. 1:5-8)
Change spouses if you want . . . Be true to your spouse. (Mt. 19:16)
The goal of life is happiness . . . The goal of life is faith. (Heb. 11:6)
This life is all there is . . . This life is just the beginning. (Rev. 21:4)
There is no truth . . . You can know the truth. (Jn. 8:32)
Demand respect from others . . . Give respect to others. (1 Pt. 2:17)
Feel free . . . Be free, indeed. (Jn. 8:36)
Have it your way . . . Do it my way. (Jn. 12:26)
No one cares about you . . . I care. (1 Pt. 5:7)
Your future is death . . . Your future is life. (Jn. 10:10)
Even though I let that discouraging email shut me down for a week or so, I finally decided to keep on writing anyway. Somehow, I knew it was what God wanted me to do.
With His help, I pushed past the defeating thoughts of “I can’t,” “Who am I to write a book?” and “I’m not good enough.”
Some days, I battled through writer’s block. More than a few times I was almost convinced that I wouldn’t finish, but then, I kept thinking about how all things are possible with God (Mt. 19:26), and I kept going.
Last year, to God be the glory (not to me), my book Seeking a Familiar Face was finally published! And much to my surprise, sales have soared. Now, my book’s companion study guide A 40-Day Guide for Seeking God has just been released. Here’s what it looks like:
Here’s a little about the 40-day guide: If you’ve ever struggled to find time to connect with God or if you tend to get sidetracked, then this study guide is for you.
For 40 days it will lead you to seek after the Lord, through simple yet, meaningful ways. It features daily Bible reading, thoughtful questions and writing space. And for super-busy days when you can’t even sit down, it includes simple 2-minute meditations.
If you seek the Lord through this guide for 40 days, you will not be the same on day 41!
How do I know that? Because no time spent with God is ever wasted. He reveals truth and He helps you believe it.
What you believe affects every single aspect of your life. Every decision you make stems directly from what you think is true. Or to put it another way, false beliefs produce faulty, weak decisions, but true beliefs produce wise, powerful decisions.
Satan understands this, so he attacks your mind with a barrage of wrong thoughts, hoping you might believe some of them. As author Joyce Meyer says, your mind is the battlefield between God’s truth and Satan’s lies.
Today you may be assaulted by negative thoughts. Like darts, deceptive ideas may be hurled at your mind, one after another. And you may be sorely tempted to believe something false, limiting or defeating about yourself.
Don’t let these lies pin you down, make you negative or take over.
Like a shield, your faith can protect you. Use the sword of truth from the word of God to fight back. Cling to God’s wisdom. Find hope in who He says you are and in what He calls you to do.
Fight each lie as if it were an enemy–because it is.
The list below can help you.*
Set your thoughts free today by remembering God’s truth. Let it inspire you to do greater things today than you ever thought were possible.
*Want a copy of these lies and truths? Email me at hello@maypatterson.com and I’ll send you this free PDF of Satan’s lies vs. God’s truth with Scriptures.
Leave A Comment