"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes,
He will guide you into all the truth..."
John 16:13
There is a cunning purpose behind lies. The devil, of course, is the father of lies and he has used them as a very effective tool. Lies are used to cause anger, rage and eventually hate. Whether they are spoken by someone who is intentionally lying to cause a problem, or by someone who is deceived and really believes what he/she is saying is the truth, it will plant a seed in the hearer that is meant to lead to hate--the opposite of God, who is love. Think about when someone lies to you, how does it make you feel? There may be other emotions, but the common one is anger. Our response is very important. And how we respond is determined by whether we yield to the Holy Spirit, our emotions, or the evil spirit that the enemy is trying to stir up.
This lying spirit causes religious wars, racial wars, family break-ups and all sorts of divisions. Sometimes there is partial truth in what is being said, but out of balance in a way that is deceptive. The only solution is truth--God's truth--which leads to love. Rick Joyner recently said, "anger will not cast out hatred." We must yield to the Spirit of God and His Truth in order to stop the fiery darts from injecting their poison. This doesn't mean we fire back Scriptures at someone who is under the influence of a lying spirit. It's not about debating with words to prove you are right, but following the Spirit of God--His love and wisdom--to release the life and truth that is needed at the moment. If we say anything at all, our words must be from the heart of God, not from a vengeful or arrogant spirit. The weapons of our warfare bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, speaking the truth in love. However, a person who is not of God will not hear God's words anyway. The blindness of their mind and heart won't accept them. We can't let that frustrate us and lead us off into anger, but into prayer.
These days, we need to stay in constant communion with the Lord. If we become careless and wander away, we may be caught off guard by an attack of the enemy. Be filled with the Spirit--stay filled with the Spirit--speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. Gathering with fellow believers in this way will strengthen you. Instead of reacting to the lying influences going on all around you, determine in your heart that you will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit from within instead. This will lead to life and victory!
John 8:44-47; Ephesians 4:14-26; 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5; Ephesians 5:18-19
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