The lies began to fill my head the moment my toes touched the sand.

You know you don’t look that good in your swimming suit this year. Those extra pounds you’ve gained since last summer are really starting to show. Don’t you know your value is in your appearance? Your best years are behind you.

Lies.

From the moment we wake up, we are targeted by them. Lies disguise themselves as our voice so it’s hard not believe them. Each lie strategically aimed at keeping us from believing God’s Truth and who we are in Him. Lies purposely aimed at our insecurities, past hurts or recent rejection.

Maybe you’ve found yourself listening to some of these lies, too. Lies like:

  • The purpose of your life is to be happy.
  • Your dress size defines your value.
  • Your accomplishments define your value.
  • Your husband completes you.
  • If you are not happy it is because of your husband, kids, parents, friends etc.
  • The skinnier you are, the happier you will be.
  • Your bank account is the true measure of your success.
  • If you are not healthy, its because God is punishing you for a sin in your life.

These lies are spoken to you for one purpose…to keep you from believing God’s Truth about you and who you are in Him.

Starting with Eve, Satan targeted her like he targets each of us.

Now, let’s think about this for a second. Eve was drop dead gorgeous. Created before the fall. I imagine she looked perfect in every way. Thick, silky hair, flawless skin and because she lived in the ultimate organic garden, she didn’t struggle with her weight.

Not only did she look perfect, but where she lived was paradise…literally.

And her husband, she was made for him. No question in her mind if he was the “right one” for her.

But my favorite part of her story? She physically walked and talked with God in the Garden of Eden, daily.

And yet in this perfect world, Eve still gave in to temptation.

Read Genesis 2:15-18

The Lord God took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. “

Did you catch that? Eve was created AFTER God had given Adam the command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The Bible doesn’t record God directly telling Eve not to eat the fruit from that tree, though He may have. Either way, we see in Genesis 3:3 that she was aware of this command…even going further and adding “and you must not touch it, or you will die.”

God had given Adam and Eve paradise, He only placed one boundary on them, do not eat from this one tree. Why? For their protection.

Like a loving Father, He created a boundary to protect them. Satan used that boundary and created a temptation.

Satan took God’s truth and added a question mark to the end of it. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1

He does the same with us.

  • I am loved by God. Are you really loved by God?
  • I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Can you really do all things through Christ? Will He really strengthen you?
  • I am free of condemnation. Are you sure you are really free from condemnation?

Eve’s first mistake, she engaged Satan in the conversation he started. Many times, that’s our first mistake, too.

She listened to his lies which caused Eve to doubt God’s goodness.

Then she responded to Satan’s question, opening the door for him to twist God’s command further and tempt her more.

You see, Satan can’t read our minds, but he does watch us, study us and use our weaknesses to tempt us. His battle plan for Eve is the same battle plan he uses against us.

That’s why we must know God’s Truth and daily put on the full armor of God to stand against Satan and his lies.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Ephesians 6:13-17

Sweet sister, only God’s Truth has the power to defeat Satan’s lies.

You see, Satan knows you are loved, chosen, accepted, adopted, valued, reconciled, redeemed, righteous, free from condemnation, sealed and completely forgiven…he just doesn’t want you to believe it.

But we are not defenseless in this battle. We can fight back when we choose to see ourselves the way God sees us.

Every time we believe God’s Truth about us instead of Satan’s lies, we defeat him.

Sweet friends, let’s put on the armor of truth, let’s take each thought captive and learn from Eve’s mistake. No longer will we engage in his conversations. No longer will we be tempted with his half-truths. Let’s dig into Scripture, know what God’s Word says and guard our minds and hearts with it.

Don’t forget, greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

There are some lies that need to be defeated in our lives…let’s get to work!

Love God Greatly!

Challenge: What lies do you hear? This week on post-it notes or a piece of paper, write two or three lies down and a verse that refutes that lie. Place those slips of paper around your house, in your bathroom when you get ready in the morning or in your car. Where ever you find yourself being tempted by those lies, place a verse to refute that lie there.

Reading Plan

Memory Verse

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Angela Perritt

Angela Perritt

Angela Perritt is the founder and director of LoveGodGreatly.com, a nonprofit online Bible study ministry reaching thousands of women in over two hundred countries around the world with God’s Word through their translated Bible studies. She and her husband live in Dallas, Texas with their three daughters. Angela is passionate about God’s Word and believes one woman in God’s Word can change a family, community and ultimately a nation. Her greatest joy is to encourage her children and others to love God greatly with their lives one day at a time. You can connect with her on Instagram.

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