Satan's Lies vs. God's Truth

When you are in the valley of depression and/or discouragement, your mind is weak and particularly prone to believe Satan's lies, and he knows this. Satan uses our times in the valley (when we're discourage or depressed) to ensnare us in the bondage of self-absorption. Self-absorption takes your focus off of God and His truth and onto yourself. That's why it is extremely important that you replace Satan's lies with God's truth as soon as they come to your mind. You need to remind yourself of the truths you have neglected in order to reaffirm them in your mind and heart to avoid this trap and experience victory. 

What better way to combat Satan's lies and remind yourself of God's truths than with Truth itself, the Word of God?

Below is a list of some of the most common lies Satan uses to try to ensnare us. I have paired each lie with at least one verse to help remind you of what God has to say about that particular lie. 


Satan's Lie: "No one cares, including God."
God's Truth: Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. {Jeremiah 31:3}

Satan's Lie: "I'm no good."
God's Truth: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. {2 Corinthians 5:17}

Satan's Lie: "I'm all alone." 

God's Truth: I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. {Hebrews 15:3b}

Satan's Lie: "I don't need God."

God's Truth: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. {John 15:5}

Satan's Lie: "This problem is beyond help."

God's Truth: Is any thing too hard for the LORD? {Genesis 18:14}

Satan's Lie: "Nothing will ever change."

God's Truth: ...to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. {Isaiah 61:3}

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. {Psalm 30:5b}

Satan's Lie: "I should be afraid of the unknown."

God's Truth: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. {Jeremiah 29:11}

Satan's Lie: "These feelings of hopelessness will never change."

God's Truth: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: {Psalm 42:5, 11}

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. {Lamentations 3:24}

Satan's Lie: "I hate people."

God's Truth: If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. {I John 4:20-21}

Satan's Lie: "God is angry with me."

God's Truth: The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy ... For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. {Psalm 103:8, 14}

Satan's Lie: "No one understands me."

God's Truth: Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. {Psalm 147:5}

Satan's Lie: "I hate life."

God's Truth: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. {John 14:6}

Do you have any additional lies and/or truths to add to this list? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Read more...

Praise: A Sacrifice Well-Pleasing

A missionary in China was living a defeated life. Everything about him seemed to be touched with sadness. Although he prayed many months for victory over depression and discouragement, no answer came. He determined to leave his post and go to an interior station where he could be quiet and spend long hours in prayer. Upon reaching the place, he was brought into the home of a fellow missionary. On the wall of his bedroom hung this motto: "Try Praising." He took that motto to heart and began praising. His discouragement and depression vanished almost immediately.

David was forced to hide from his enemies in the barren wilderness of Judah. He cried out to God to help him with his loneliness and discouragement.

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. {Psalm 63:1-7}

Paul and Silas were humiliated, falsely accused, stripped, beaten, and placed in stocks in a filthy cell. Despite the circumstances, they prayed and sang praises to God.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. {Acts 16:25}

You may not be able to praise the Lord for your circumstances, but you can praise Him for who He is. 

I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. {Psalm 9:1}

 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. {Psalm 145:1-3}

Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. {Psalm 146:1-2}

Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. {Psalm 150}

Your praise is a sacrifice well-pleasing to God. 

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. {Psalm 147:1}

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. {Hebrews 13:15} 

Are you depressed or discouraged about difficulties you are facing? Try praising.

Praise unlocks heaven's portals;

Praise causes doubts to cease;

Praise brings precious blessings;

Praise leaves the sweetest peace.

Praise breaks all bonds asunder;

Praise sets the captives free;

Praise lightens every burden;

Praise is the master key.

Praise changes circumstances;

Praise establishes the heart;

When praise becomes perpetual,

Praise is a Holy Art.

                           Frances Metcalf

Read more...

Overcoming Shame

Shame is the feeling or belief that something is fundamentally wrong with you. Feelings of shame can rule your life if you have been influenced by hurtful, unhealthy relationships. Shame can consume you when you focus on other people's negative opinions of you to the point where you believe them over God's opinion of you.

God created us with the emotion of shame to help us live by biblically based standards. God wants you to feel shame when you choose to violate His standards. That's how He created us. You should feel shame when you lie, cheat, steal, hurt someone, or act immorally. However, don't confuse shame with guilt. Guilt is legitimate shame designed to bring us to repentance. Shame is a distorted form of guilt where we feel  responsible for the sinful actions of others. Perhaps someone belittled you, violated you, threatened you, or blamed you for a something for which you were not responsible. Sadly, most people who have experienced those types of situations assume responsibility for the other person's sin and carry the shame of that sin for years (sometimes indefinitely). 

{ Guilt is about what you have done. Shame is about who you are. }

Shame causes feelings of embarrassment about things that should not cause embarrassment. Some examples of this would be:

• For being sick or hurting.
• For being alive.
• For needing to talk to someone about a problem.
• For wanting to feel loved and appreciated.
• For wanting to feel significant. 
• For needing to ask for help.
• For letting someone help you.

Shame often leads to depression. Depression results when we meditate on the circumstances of our lives in an unbiblical way. 

How is depression fueled by shame?

• Shame tells you you are guilty.
• Shame causes you to feel you have to "work off the dirt" or the weight of guilt over sin that wasn't yours to begin with.
• Shame causes self-pity.
• Shame takes your joy.
• Shame brings hostility and bitterness.
• Shame hinders your view of God.
• Shame causes you to reject relationships, even your relationship with God, because you feel you are not worthy of love or acceptance. 

God gives special promises in His Word about relief from shame.

Let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. {Psalm 25:3}

I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. {Psalm 34:4-5}

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame... {Isaiah 54:4} 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. {Hebrews 12:2} 

Crucifixion was the most painful and humiliating form of execution in ancient times. When Christ died on the cross, He despised the shame that kind of death brought. He rejected it because He knew He was innocent. He can help you reject the shame, the depression, the false guilt that comes from shouldering the burden of sins that are not yours to bear.

Read more...