I Hear Voices…

We’ve all seen those images, like the one above, with a mean-looking devil on one shoulder and a cute angel on the other. The image depicts our struggle to make the right choices. What voice do we listen to? It shows Evil and Good fighting for control of our thoughts and our decisions. Satan’s choice is always shown as the “fun” one, while the angel is struggling to help the person do the right thing, albeit a less-desirable choice.

Satan Doesn’t Look Scary

Now if the Devil really did look scary, then we would know to stay far away from him. But he is too smart for that. He tries to convince us by using our own weaknesses and desires to convince us that “it’s okay” for us to make a choice that is not a wise one. Satan’s voice sounds a lot like our own!

Jesus’ voice simply says, “I love you and died for you. You’re not alone. I know you will make the right choice.”

The thing that bothers me about these good vs. evil pictures is that as Christians, the battle for our souls has already been won. Jesus took our shame and sins with him on the cross. We are redeemed, clean, and free. What does that mean? It means that, as hard as he may try, Satan will NOT defeat us. He can shout his voice all he wants, but when the Spirit is living in us, we are deaf to his wiles.

Satan’s Voice Roars at Us

But let’s be honest, sometimes it’s not always easy to ignore Satan. He is said to be a hungry lion. Here’s what we are warned about in 1 Peter 5:8:  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NIV) That means we have to be on our guard and watch out. He is sneaky and sometimes his voice can be convincing if we are not careful.

So, what are some of the lying voices that Satan uses to devour us?

The Voice of Value

The lie: Satan’s voice says, “You are worthless and useless. You have no value to anyone. The world would be a better place without you.” For us women, this message comes from the media, from influencers, from friends at school or at work. Sometimes, sadly,  it even comes from our families. We feel less than what we truly are, and it’s hard to see ourselves as worthy of love. We beat ourselves up when we listen to Satan and believe his voice.

The truth: We are cherished daughters of the King of Kings! If Jesus loved us enough to die for us, we must be precious in His sight. And we are. He died when we were at our ugliest and transformed us into his image. He made us valuable, and He wants to spend eternity with us. And the amazing thing about this is that he had us on his mind and heart even before He created the world! If you need a reminder of how precious you are to him, go read Psalm 139. It’s my favorite!

 The Voice of Esteem

The lie: Satan’s voice says, “Look at you! You’re strong and confident. No one is better than you. You are the best of the best. Your success is all your own doing. You can do anything you want. The world is yours for the taking. Don’t think about those you step on along the way. They mean nothing. You deserve to be at the top!”

The truth: Yes, my dear, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. It’s not through your own strength, but his. Does that mean God doesn’t want you to be successful? Of course not, but He wants you to always be a servant first. Remember the story when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet? He was the perfect example of a servant leader. And that’s the best leader anyway. Would you want others to follow you because they fear you or because you are someone who cares about them?

The Voice of Choices

The lie: Satan’s voice tells you, “Hey, God gave you free will. You can choose to do whatever you want. It won’t hurt. As long as it feels good, just do it.” What kind of choices are “okay” to Satan? Here’s a few: getting drunk, taking drugs, having sex outside of marriage, using foul language, losing control of our temper, going to inappropriate places (places we would never invite Jesus to go), and even wasting our time on worldly things. This list could be a mile long! These choices are anything one chooses to do that pulls them away from God. And Satan just smiles and says, “It’s all good.”

The truth: Yes, we do have a free will, and we are glad God allows us to make our own choices about life. But you also have the Holy Spirit living in you, so your choices should naturally reflect his influence in your life. Some of the right choices may not make you popular with others, but listen to the Spirit’s voice, and he will give you the strength to do the right thing. Our thoughts have a strong impact on our choices. In Philippians 4:8  we are told, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” When our thoughts and our wills align with the Holy Spirit, our choices will be the right ones.

The Voice of Righteousness

The lie: This is the most dangerous one of all because Satan’s voice will try to convince you that you don’t need to do what God says. He tells you, “Hey, my friend, you are good enough. You try hard and go to church most Sundays, unless you were out too late Saturday night, but that’s okay. When that collection plate comes by, you always try to put in a dollar or two.  You don’t do any of those “big” sins like murder, stealing, or committing adultery. Reading the Bible and praying every day? Who has time for that? God can’t expect you to do everything. You don’t want people to think you’re some judgmental “Christian,” do you? After all, everyone is going to Heaven. That’s all that matters.”

The truth: You have been bought with a price and it is the Lord’s righteousness that is living in you through the Holy Spirit. It is nothing you can do on your own. You can’t be good enough. Even one sin can keep you out of heaven if it wasn’t for the blood of Christ. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

What is the Answer?

It sounds pretty hopeless. So, what do we need to do? Acts 2:38 tells us, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And we sure do need the Holy Spirit in our battle with Satan!

In Colossians 3:2-4, it says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” This life, and all that is in it, is not our main focus. We need to remember that this world is not our home. Thankfully, the Spirit helps us adjust our priorities. We just have to be willing to listen to him.

Where Should Our Focus Be?

You see, our focus is to be on godly things. In that same chapter in Colossians, the apostle Paul tells us we used to walk in earthly ways, ways not becoming of our new life in Christ. But since we have been bought with a very expensive price (his painful death on a cross), then we are to live worthy of his calling and model traits that reflect his goodness in our lives. In verse 17 it says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

That does not mean that we are expected to work hard to “earn” our salvation. The price has been paid, and we have been redeemed. But, as God’s beloved children we will show our gratitude and the joy of our salvation by living in ways that are pleasing to Him. It’s not about how little we can do to “get by,” but how much we can do because we love Him.

Whose Voice Are You Listening To?

So, my dear one, have you struggled with listening to the cunning voice of Satan? He sure tries to wrap his lies in a lovely package with a bow on top, doesn’t he? Yep! The prettier they are, the more he can entice us. But I promise that as you grow in your prayer life and your time learning the Word of God, you will also grow in your strength to fight against Satan! And the Holy Spirit will be right there inside you to help. You are never fighting by yourself.

Here’s one of my favorite songs about how much we are loved, called “Who Am I?” by Casting Crowns. It’s because of who He is, not because of anything I have done. And that makes me so grateful.  Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rT8Re1EIQc

Now stop listening to the lies of Satan. He doesn’t even like you anyway!

Prayer:

Dear Father, We are so grateful for our salvation! We cannot earn our way to Heaven, but the great price that Jesus paid is beyond what we deserve. Help us to always listen to Your voice and not the lying voice of Satan. Draw us close and protect us from the evil one. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.