I’ve been in one of the seasons lately – too much death, too much destruction, too many friends walking through really difficult and painful journeys. The brokenness and chaos in this world can sometimes be overwhelming. There are troubles and struggles that shake our faith and evaporate our hope. There is something that aches inside of us and tells us that it wasn’t supposed to be like this, but yet it is.
Earlier this week I was chatting with Brenda and told her that in seasons like this, it’s almost like the devil whispers to me “do you still believe in this kingdom of God stuff because it’s never going to get any better? Why bother praying because you know it won’t do any good. You can’t really believe that Jesus is going to change any of this, can you?”
Now, for the record, the devil isn’t manifesting himself in Findlay, Ohio these days. I don’t know where the devil hangs out, but I’m fairly confident that Findlay isn’t high on his list as he roams. While he may not spend much time here, plenty of his minions are here and they’re glad to do his bidding and continue to spread his lies. That’s what the enemy does best: he lies and distorts and confuses and does all that he can to draw away our trust from the only One who can save and redeem us: Jesus.
I’m going to guess that I’m not the only one who hears these whispers from time to time. The enemy loves to lie, loves to twist and distort the truth and erode our faith in the Father who loves us so much. Perhaps you’re in the midst of one of those seasons where the effects of sin and brokenness in our world has you feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps you’ve heard those same whispers from the enemy, whispers that are aimed to erode your faith and trust in the One who loves you most.
So how do you respond to the lies of the enemy? How do you react to these seasons when it feels like the world is crashing down around you? How do resist the enemy of your soul? Where do you turn?
I don’t have any silver bullets or magic wands, but think there are a couple of ways in which we can respond.
First, we need to follow the example of Jesus. He also had to face the devil’s lies and schemes. Spend some time in Luke 4 and watch how Jesus handled the enemy – responding to the devil’s lies with the truth of what God had revealed in His Word. The devil came accusing, distorting and questioning and Jesus kept responding with the truth of God’s Word.
Second, we need to go deep into the story of God as revealed in His Word. This is why we need the full counsel of scripture. This is why we need to see the big picture of God’s story. An inspirational verse on the wall won’t cut it in times like these. We’re prone to rush through the crucifixion to celebrate the resurrection, but in doing so we miss the reality of the Saturday in-between. We live a lot of our lives on that Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We need to be reminded, over and over again of the full story of what God is doing through history. He’s won the victory and one day will make all things new.
Lastly, this is why we need the Church. We need the body of Christ. We need each other. The struggle is far too tough to make it on your own. We need brothers and sisters in our lives who not only sit with us in the difficult times, who practice the ministry of presence in our times of trouble, but we need brothers and sisters who will remind us of the truth, remind us of our true identity as sons and daughters of the King, and who encourage and bolster our faith when our faith is shaken, weakened or in doubt.
Whether you’re in a good season or a not-so-good season, whether you need to be encouraged or are the one doing the encouraging these days, let’s not give in to the lies the enemy loves to whisper in times like these. Resist him. Follow Jesus’ example. Go deep in God’s story. Look to your brothers and sisters for help. Don’t give in to the lies and press on toward the goal that King of Glory has placed before you.
Christ’s Peace,
Lance