Does your life look like a big fat lie?
Outwardly, you appear beautiful, smiling, productive, charming, spirit-filled… But you know the truth. You know the real you is confused, struggling, tired, depressed, bitter, dirty…
Others may be deceived by your “show”, but you’re not. You know the cries in the bedroom after the smiles in the sitting room.
Someone has been lying to you. He feeds your mind those lies because he wants you to be deceived.
As I ponder the deceptions young women swim in, I imagine how your heart yearns for a way out. A way out of lies. A way to know the truth. A way to walk in the truth always.
I know. Because I too want to live in constant dominion over deceptions. Because the deceiver never gets tired of throwing his arrows – lies. If you win him one day, he’ll just depart for a season… I want to be ready to knock him off every time he shows up.
You too want to have dominion over deceptions, right? That’s what we’ll be doing together by God’s grace. We’ll pick a deception each day and gun it down with the TRUTH. But before we dive in, let’s take a walk back to the first case of deception. We need to understand how it all began… First, the definition:
Deception
“Deception” is an act or statement which misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. Now, quickly pick your Bible and head to Genesis 2:15-17 and Genesis 3:1-10. Please read these texts before you continue.
Done? Ok. Let’s ride on.
I discovered 7 things involved in this whole deception plot – right from the beginning. Any form of deception comprises these elements. This will help tackle each deceptive idea we’ll discuss later.
1. The deal:
In Genesis 2:15-17, God struck a deal with man: Stay in the Garden of Eden, eat all you want, but don’t taste of the tree of good and evil. The day you do, you shall surely die. Period.
The same way God gives us counsel and instruction through His word – do this and don’t do this… And you will get that or not get that. That’s the deal God has with man. But when you disregard the deal, you’ve allowed deception in. That’s what happened to the first man and woman.
2. The deceiver:
The Bible tells us who he is – the serpent, more subtil (cunning) than any other beast. He is the devil. He hasn’t changed. He’s still in the business of going to and fro, seeking whom he will destroy.
The Bible calls him a liar and the father of all liars. He’s the one who goes around, whispering into our hearts or speaking to us through something or someone around. No, you can’t see him. But he’s still active; never on vacation.
3. The deceived:
You read verses 1-2 and see that the devil came to Eve – the woman. He knows the personality and power of a woman. That she can influence the man and people around her… and she can be influenced too. Girl, you know how tender and emotional our heart is. How sometimes our emotions run faster than our reasoning. That’s the reason we need to be more aware of deceptions and guard our hearts and lives with the big blanket of God’s truth.
4. The dialogue:
What if she dismissed the devil immediately? As Jesus did: “get behind me Satan.”
No “God said we should…” No listening to what he has to say. The moment he questioned God’s “deal” with them, she would have dropped the call. Or showed him the exit door and slammed it behind him. Or, like Joseph, fled. But she stood and lent the deceiver her ears.
Is that not what has ruined the life and joy of many ladies? They know those sweet talks smell lies… from one guy or girl. Yet they open the line of discussion, feeling they’re smart enough to snap out before they get swallowed. But the devil has been in this business for centuries. As Ephesians 4:27 admonishes: “Neither give room to the devil.“
5. The desire:
The dialogue planted a seed in her heart. And the seed birthed desires: she saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desired to make one wise (Genesis 3:6) – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. Watch the things you desire. Once you notice they are contrary to Godliness, uproot them. Don’t feed it. Don’t act on it.
6. The deed:
Eve left that ungodly desire to thrive, and you know what it led to – she stretched her tender hand, reached for the apple, plucked one, put it close to her lips, opened her mouth, placed her teeth on it, and took a bite. The devil must have plastered a sardonic smile on the side of his lips as he watched her. I guess her heart was pounding when she gripped the fruit, but she felt – I’ll be alright, no one will know about it. But that was a lie. Yielding to deception has consequences.
7. The destitution:
They heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden… and (they) hid themselves.” (Genesis 3:8)
Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (Genesis 3:23)
That was it! They became destitute – moving from one place to the other. Confused. When you swallow the lies and deceptions of the devil, no matter how minute it seems, it throws you into utter confusion. You lose the joy and peace God gives his own. Life makes zero meaning.
But when you exchange those deceptions for God’s truth, you walk in dominion. No matter how rugged the road of life appears, your feet won’t slide, because you are planted by the rivers of living water, and underneath you are the Everlasting Arms.
That’s what I love about God. He doesn’t leave His creation in destitution all their lives. He made a way for everyone to walk from the destitution of deception to dominion.
That’s what we need to do together this month of August (and always) – Break Out Of Lies, and Build Trenches of Truth in your mind.
Thank you ma ?