As I was praying for a friend, these words came out of my mouth: help them to shake off their apathy like Paul shook off the viper. As soon as the words were out, the Holy Spirit helped me connect something.
Let me undergird this with God’s inspired words of truth in 2 Timothy 3:16. It says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
In Genesis 3, Satan showed up as a snake in the garden of Eden. The first thing he did was to deceive Eve by questioning what God had said. Deception is connected with the snake. What did Paul do when the viper fastened onto his hand? Acts 28:5 says, “He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.”
The Bible declares that there is no truth in the devil. His wiles are cunningly devised schemes. Every fiery dart he shoots against our faith is a lie! According to Paul’s example, what should we do with lies? Shake them off!
Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured right before their eyes. Today, we see him through his word. He reveals himself to us from Genesis to Revelation. The more we bring his Word into our heart, allowing his Spirit to apply it to our lives, the more we will quickly discern how the enemy is seeking to defeat our faith through his deceptions.
Our faith is constantly under attack, barraged with fiery dart lies. We are to stand steadfast behind our shield of faith through believing God’s word. When his truth is embedded in our heart, it will set us free and keep us free!
Father, I am so grateful for your word. Thank you for giving us living examples, like Paul’s, that we can apply to our own lives. Help us to discern the devil’s lies so his fiery darts cannot penetrate. Help us to actively hide your word in our hearts that will keep us free. Amen.
Song of Encouragement: Let Amy Grant’s song “Old Man’s Rubble” remind you that you have a choice about whether you listen to Satan’s lies, or to the word of God.
Photo Credit: Rebecca Campbell