Thursday Tippity Tip - The ABCs of Resisting the Devil’s Lies
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Here is a little Tippity tip I learned in my journey of stepping into my God given authority to resist the devil’s lies with the truth. It is simple but powerful and never fails to reveal to me the devil’s words to be the useless, lie filled threats that they are.
A - Admit there are somedays that the devil’s lies seem like truth. Yup, a Christian just admitted that out loud. *gasp* But here’s the thing, just because something seems like the truth doesn’t mean it IS the truth. So here is the truth, the devil can only accuse me with past things that are already paid for by Jesus and threaten me with unknown possibilities that feed my fears. Regardless of his tactics, there is no need for me to defend myself to the devil about anything. The only one who has a right to cast any judgment is Jesus and He chose to extend forgiveness through the shedding of His blood on the cross for me. I can admit what I have done because admitting it speaks of God’s power over those things, not those things having power over me. I can admit there will always be the possibility of me failing or the things that I fear coming true, but even if either of those things happen I know that I now stand in a place of eternal grace because of Jesus and his perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
B - Be truthful and real with God. When I am honest with God I become honest with myself. I only think I am hiding my feelings and thoughts from God if I don’t say them, but spoken or unspoken he knows my every thought. Being truthful with God about what I am thinking and feeling gives my heart a voice. It starts a heart to heart conversation with God and gives Him the opportunity to pour out the comfort and peace He is longing to give me as soon as I invite Him to commune with me.
C - Confess who God is and what He has done! Confessing the truth about who God is, what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do makes all other things fade into the background of life. It gives God the glory due to His name and reminds me of the immutable truths about His power. Here are just some of the truths I have confessed over my life.
Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: (Psalms 144:1) I will love thee, O Lord , my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalms 18:1-2) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14) This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:21-26) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)
