Deceptions and Distractions

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. -1 Peter 5:8

We have an enemy. He is called by many names, but most well-known by the name of Satan. In addition to being called our enemy or adversary and being compared to a roaring lion walking around looking for someone to devour, he is referred to by Jesus himself as the “Father of Lies” in John 8:44 and as the “accuser of the brethren” by John in Revelation 12:10. He is not to be taken lightly. His methods have not changed since the days of Eden. He deceives. He distracts. He devours.

As believers we are safe from his total destruction, but far from safe from his attacks and slanders. He hates the Church and would like nothing better than to try and thwart the purposes of God in this world. To do that, he often tempts us with his lies and confounds us with his deceptions. His goal is to get you to take your eyes off the Lord and therefore to rob you of your joy, your peace, and your effectiveness in God’s kingdom work. While he may not be able to take your soul, he can take your testimony, and perhaps in doing so, he can keep others from coming to the Lord. He desires to silence the gospel in whatever way he can.

Okay, so that is the churchy explanation. What does that mean for me personally? Well, put simply…he is out to get you! At the very least, he’s out to mess you up! And the worst thing you can do is drop your guard or underestimate him.

As stated, his two primary methods of spiritual warfare are as follows.

1. He deceives.

He’s the “Father of Lies.” He can’t help himself. He lies and tries to spread doubt. In Eden, his first attack was to ask Eve “Did God really say not to eat from any tree in the garden?” You see, he knew God hadn’t done that. God had said not to eat of this specific tree. Likewise, he lied to her by saying “You shall surely not die.” Guess what? She died. Maybe not right then, but she died and by believing his lie, she and Adam brought death to the entire human race. This entire strategy was based on deception.

Personally, he deceives us still today. He deceives those without Christ by leading them to believe they do not need God. He leads them to believe that they are better off without all of this Christianity stuff. He has them believe it is nothing but a religion of do’s and don’ts…. mostly don’ts.

I remember a conversation I once had with a friend when I was still a newborn believer. I proudly told them I had been saved. They responded by saying “Saved…saved from what?... Well, I don’t need to be saved from anything. My life is good.” At the young age of 12, this was my first taste of Satan’s deception in the mind of a lost loved one.

But lying to believers is still his modus operandi. He lies to us about ourselves. He usually speaks to us through our own fallen conscience. He likes to shame us and remind us of our shortcomings. However, sometimes he uses the voice of others. It can come in many forms, but the message is usually the same. He tells us we are worthless. He tells us that we’ve messed up too badly for God to want anything to do with us. He tells us we are unlovable. He tells us that there is no way God can use us. Sometimes, it is even less obvious than that. He tells us, just like he told Eve, “Does God’s word really say that? Is it really a sin? What can it hurt?” Or my favorite deception, “Wouldn’t a loving God want you to be happy?” As a pastor, I’ve heard all of these explanations used to justify something that God’s word clearly defines as sin and outside the will of God. They believed the lie.

These lies can only have one source. Our enemy.

2. He distracts.

In addition to lying, his other method is equally effective, if not more so; in that, it is less obvious and less malevolent in appearance. In fact, it can even be something good that he in turn uses to distract us from the path God would have us take.

It can be an actual physical distraction when you are about to turn your focus on things of the Lord. It can be a person, a phone call, a computer, or a tv. Or it can be a purely mental distraction when you’re trying to focus on a God-given desire to ask, seek and knock for spiritual guidance from the Holy Spirit. It can be something as simple as an interrupted prayer.

Sometimes these things are not from the enemy. Sometimes distractions are just life. But occasionally they are more than that. One way I have been able to distinguish between an enemy distraction and a simple life event is by taking note of the timing. If I take steps in my prayer life to make some improvements, you can rest assured I am going to have to fight for that quiet time. Journaling is a good way to look back and see the sometimes “too perfect” timing of the distractions. For me, the devil-driven distraction usually comes in the form of mental or mostly emotional distractions.

One growth step I have taken in my own life is in recognizing these mental distractions for what they are and recognizing my own weakness in the area. I must admit that I tend to “get in my head,” as my wife lovingly puts it. It is a funny way of saying I worry. I stress out over things that have not happened yet. I have even found myself becoming fighting blood pressure raising mad over confrontations that never occurred. I know…this might be explained by a mental disorder as well. But the emotions are real and when they happen like this, I am mostly useless for the rest of the day. I become distracted. It more often than not happens on days when I have plans on writing, studying, or other ministry-related endeavors. And these emotionally distracting moments usually involve things God has already settled in my own heart. But somehow, that which is settled becomes unsettled. In other words, they are meaningless. When we give into these types of distractions, assurance becomes doubt, peace becomes anger, joy becomes frustration or any other form of negative emotion you can imagine and my day gets wasted. God’s will gets thwarted. And all because of some perceived mental or emotional distraction.

You see. Deception and Distractions…

So how do we combat it?

Well, we do what scripture tells us to do. We put on the full armor of God. See Ephesians 6. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit or word of God, and the sandals of the gospel of peace are our greatest defenses. If we could summarize it, we would say to remind yourself of what you know to be true, true of God, and true of his word. Also, remind yourself of what you know about yourself in light of God’s truth. You are forgiven. You are redeemed. Your sins have already been punished on the cross of Christ. God knows all about you and He loves you. Meditate on those truths. And of course, pray at all times in the spirit (Ephesians 6:18). It is only by the strength of God that our enemy can be defeated.

In fact, James tells us that he will flee from us if we resist him. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Think about that verse. We are not told to flee from the devil. We are told to resist him and then he will flee from us. That is because the Holy Spirit within us scares him to death.

Yes, our enemy is strong. He is a master manipulator and liar. But he is not all-powerful. He is not some sort of evil counterpart to God. He is subject to God just as we all are subject to his rule and authority. No liar or trickster is stronger than our God. Whenever I read James 4:7, I visualize him running with his tail tucked between his legs.

However, don’t take the sometimes-subtle methods with which he uses as a sign of weakness. Do not underestimate your enemy. But don’t back down from him either. This is one war we can win because Jesus already won it for us on the cross. That is no deception. That is the truth. The truth is your weapon. Use it. Your enemy with all his deceptions and distractions will flee.