Ever since the slippery serpent tempted Eve, Satan’s favourite tactic has been deception. If you’ve already accepted Jesus as your Saviour, Satan knows he can’t steal your soul. But he can do his best to ruin your testimony, destroy your life, and make you miserable.
Read on to learn 3 truths that Satan doesn’t want you to know.
1. Sin always steals from us.
Have you ever thought that you can sin and “get away with it”? Because many people believe this lie, they are unafraid to sin. When they experience no immediate consequences, they become even bolder in disobeying God’s Word.
However, they have forgotten the principle of sowing and reaping. When you sow a tomato seed, you cannot expect a tomato immediately. First, you must wait for it to germinate, sprout, blossom, and finally produce a mature tomato.
Although we may not see immediate effects from one sinful choice, we will always reap what we sow. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:8,
“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Here are just a few of the consequences of sin in our lives:
-It breaks our fellowship with God. (Psalm 66:18)
-It steals our joy. (Psalm 51:12)
-It can cause physical stress, anxiety, and actual illness. (Psalm 32:3-4)
-It hurts our relationships with others. (1 John 2:11)
-It enslaves us. (Romans 6:6)
When we consider these consequences of sin, we realize that sin is not as fun as it looks. At the local church’s prison ministry, we believe that it’s never worth it to disobey God.
2. Obedience brings us joy.
In addition to telling us that sin is fun and harmless, Satan also tries to tell us that obeying God is extremely boring, too hard, and completely joyless. That’s a pretty good sales pitch, isn’t it?
Looking back on your life, how would you describe the times when you obeyed God? Did you regret choosing to follow Him? Or did you find yourself strangely at peace, filled with a quiet happiness, and satisfied in the knowledge that you had done the right thing?
No matter how loud the devil may shout, obeying God will bring us joy. Unlike the pleasures of sin, it comes with no hidden regrets or guilts. Jesus described it this way:
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love…These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:10-11)
Have you been delighting in obeying God? Have you been experiencing true joy in Him? If not, choose to obey Him wholeheartedly from now on. And ask Him to fill your heart with His joy.
3. God never stops loving us.
While each of his lies are dangerous, Satan’s most deadly lies are his lies about God. He tries to persuade us that God is not really good, or trustworthy, or faithful.
And, horror of horrors, he tries to convince us that God’s love depends on our behaviour or circumstances.
“God won’t love you anymore,” he whispers. “Look at what you’ve done!”
Sometimes, in our darkest moments, we listen. And we pull away from God, hurt.
Is this the right way to respond? Not at all!
When such thoughts enter our minds, we must learn to reject them immediately. We must replace them with the truth from God’s Word.
The apostle Paul, who’d been both Christ’s worst enemy and one of His greatest preachers, had discovered the truth. He wrote…
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Are you, like Paul, fully persuaded of God’s love for you? If not, ask Him to show you how much He loves you. Ask Him to spell it out in words, sounds, colours, and circumstances unmistakably written by a Heavenly pen. And prepare to be amazed!
At the local church’s prison ministry, we are so thankful for God’s love for us.
Let’s Chat:
Have you been tempted to believe any of these lies before? What truths from God’s Word have encouraged you to trust God instead? Let us know in the comments!
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Are you searching? Jesus has the answers for addictions and stubborn habits. For more information, send the Crossmans a private message here on Facebook or come to a church service at Prince Albert Baptist Church. Take the first step in a walk of freedom!
For more information, call (306) 940-9554 or email anchorofhopeheb@gmail.com
