Subtle lies are the devil’s oldest trick. The Bible introduces him in the Garden of Eden as more “subtle” than any other beast of the field. (Genesis 3:1). He duped Adam and Eve into believing his subtle lies about God. That tactic has worked on all of us ever since.
In his book You Can Change, Tim Chester asserts that behind every sin and negative emotion is a lie. We exchange the truth about God for a lie. (Romans 1:24-25)[1] “Did God actually say…?” “You will not die.” “You can be like God.” The devil knows we are too aware to fall for blatant lies. We would not listen to lies that question the existence of God or the most basic truths of the Bible. So instead, he plants the tiniest seed of doubt and seeks to cultivate it into full grown disobedience. If we are not careful, the weeds of subtle lies begin to crowd out and choke the truth in our lives.
Subtle Lies
I see the devil’s subtle lies attacking people from two directions these days. First, there are the negative lies.
We are tempted to believe God doesn’t love us. Or we think we have disobeyed Him so much that He is angry with us or is punishing us. Sometimes, the devil tempts us to believe that we will never be free from a shameful past. Other times, he tempts us to believe that God will not do for us miraculous things He does for others. You can probably identify other kinds of lies about God he has tempted you to believe. While the strategy is the same, his game plan varies from person to person.
Other times, the devil tempts us to believe what seem like positive lies. I hear this subtle lie often: “I am enough.” Other lies like this include “God wants me to be happy.” “It’s easier to get forgiveness that permission.” “It won’t hurt just this once.” “After all I’ve been through, I am entitled to…” You get the picture. The devil tempted Adam and Eve to misbelieve God had ulterior motives and that they could do as they pleased. He finds new ways to cast that subtle lie our way today.
Blatant Truth
The best remedy for the devil’s subtle lies is blatant truth about God, His purposes, and His ways. Also in his book, Chester suggests four truths about God that help us deal with the devil’s subtle attacks.[2]
God is great so we don’t have to be in control.
One subtle lie of the devil is we must make things happen or that results depend on us. But when we recognize the sovereignty of God, we can take refuge in Him. When we do not feel in control, we tend to worry. At its core, worry is a belief that God will not get it right.
But the blatant truth is God IS in control. He DOES know what it best. And He is ABLE and WILLING to accomplish that best. When you are tempted take control, remember Romans 8:28.
God is glorious so we do not have to fear others.
The devil like to make us worry about what other people think about us. He subtly plans a seed of fear that others can cause something to happen to us outside of God’s sovereignty. One moment, we are trying hard to impress others. Then in other moments we are trying hard not to offend or disappoint others. We crave approval and fear rejection.
But the blatant truth is God loves us unconditionally. He exults over us with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17) While the “fear of man is a snare”, the fear of God liberates us. (Proverbs 29:25) When we focus on how glorious God is and what He thinks of us, we are liberated from the approval/rejection trap. When you are tempted to fear others, remember Psalm 27:1.
God is good so we don’t have to look elsewhere.
The devil wanted Adam and Eve to believe they needed something other than what God provided them. He caused them to believe God was withholding something good. And he does the same to us today. We don’t abandon God; we try to add to God. We look expect other people to fulfill us. At other times, we think obtaining something we don’t have will give us satisfaction. The devil masquerades a myriad of unfulfilling options in front of us.
The blatant truth is God created us for Him. In his book Confessions, St. Augustine wrote this truth: “…because You have made us and drawn us to Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” When we seek satisfaction from any source other than God, we fail to believe that God is truly good. When tempted to find satisfaction in someone or thing other than God, remember John 4:13-14.
God is gracious so we don’t have to prove ourselves.
The devil tempts us to misbelieve we will never measure up or be good enough. In a sense, he is stating the truth. On our own we are miserably and hopelessly inadequate and sinful. BUT GOD. In His grace, God loved us even while we were sinners and sent His Son Jesus to die for us. We don’t have to prove ourselves to God. He already knows the truth about us and has dealt with is in mercy and grace. (Psalm 103:8-14).
The blatant truth is you are free from the need of trying to earn “brownie points” with God. You are free from the lie of doing good to get good from Him. And you are free from the lie of avoiding bad to avoid His anger. When you are tempted to try to prove yourself or earn God’s favor remember Romans 8:1.
The Anti-venom for Subtle Lies
I want to encourage you to be more aware when temptation comes your way. What lie is the devil trying to get me to misbelieve about God? What is the corresponding truth about God that sets me free?
If temptation waylaid you before you knew it and you fell into sin, think reflexively about it. What did I misbelieve? What truths about God do I need to remember and cement in my thinking?
And then finally, think pre-actively. Temptation is coming your way. The devil will pay you a visit selling the lies of his “snake oil.” Be prepared with the truth about God. Every day – several times a day – rehearse the four truths about God in your head. Reflect on who He is. Memorize His Word, especially the verses mentioned above and treasure them in your heart. Prepare yourself to counter the devil’s lies with God’s truth. (Psalm 119:9-11)
[1] Tim Chester, You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behavior and Negative Emotions, 2010, Crossway Books, p. 73.
[2] Chester, pgs. 79-89