Don’t believe the lies! God created us in his image (Genesis 1:27). The devil, sometimes yourself, even friends, tries to distort that image with the things said to you. Satan knows how important it is that we know who we are. He has made it his business ever since man first breathed to lie to us and cause confusion. Christians engage in a daily battle with the enemy of their souls.

You will never find victory in the Christian life if you don’t expose, confront and renounce Satan’s groundless accusations. If the devil has been replaying his lies in your head, you must hit the EJECT button now! The devil tells you lies to keep you in bondage so that you don’t see who you really are—the adored and treasured bride of Jesus Christ. So, hang on to as we get rid of 9 lies!

Lie #1 – God is Far Away

It’s amazing how long I spent in my early Christian life feeling as though God was far away. If you are a believer, God is near (Hebrews 13:5). In fact, His Spirit lives within you (Matthew 28:18-20). But rejection will convince you that God is far away. He will use certain thoughts and feelings to convince you of this belief. When you say, ‘I feel far from God,’ the father of lies is behind that kind of thinking.

Lie #2 – God is Upset with Me

Have you read the prodigal son parable in Luke 15:11-24? This is proof that God is not mad at you. He openly welcomed his son back. The son that took half his money and wasted it. The father in this parable represents Father God. God does not base his love towards you on your performance. Your deeds determine the quality of your life, but God will love you, regardless. The devil loves this legalistic mindset because it prevents us from experiencing God’s grace. You must come to understand that the Father does not love you for what you do. He loves you because you are His child. He is slow to anger and full of loving kindness. When you allow this truth to soak your soul, you will enjoy true intimacy with Jesus.

Did you grow up thinking the Father was moody and often upset with you? We don’t get this from reading the Bible. It is a lie we have heard. If we believe this, we often avoid His presence, because we are afraid of how he sees us. Without the foundation of knowing the Father’s love for us, many things in our spiritual life will be challenging, boring, and dull.

Lie #3 – The Promises Are Not Going to Come

God says in Jeremiah 20:10-14 that you have a wonderful future. But the devil will tell you that God’s promises are for other people, not you. Do you feel God’s goodness always bypasses you? You feel that way because you don’t fully realize you are a son, not a lucky orphan that somehow got into the family. Many Christians don’t believe the heavenly Father loves and accepts them. Their parents have rejected them or they lacked parental affirmation. Life’s pain can block our ability to see God as he is. But if you have given your life to Christ, the Father has adopted you, He delights in you, and He has given you full inheritance rights. His promises will come to pass as we believe in him to bring it about.

Lie #4 – I Don’t Have What it Takes

God made you to overcome, but without the Father’s love filling your heart, you won’t know what you are capable of (1 John 4:4). With the Father’s love, His belief in your potential to overcome is greater than you can imagine. That love builds great faith to step forward confidently. Without it, we won’t walk with the confident power that is possible (1 Chronicles 16:11). You don’t have to be strong. The lord is your strength (Exodus 15:2; Psalms 46:1-3). Most of the time, you will feel weak. That is normal. Stop believing it is up to you. All you have to do is say, “Yes, Lord. What do I do next?”

A similar phrase this lie uses is, “I will never break through this.” Yes, you will! Let me be more accurate. Father God will break through for you and then you will follow through the hole in the wall. The Father’s love for you will come through. It’s simple to understand, hard to rest in it. We often become cynical and jaded about life, losing a sense of optimism about what our future holds. This happens a lot. Increase your time of spending in Father’s presence to get hope again. His presence gives you hope. Your hope will give you faith that you do have what it takes with him.

A similar phrase this lie uses is, “I have to do life all on my own.” This can lead us to thinking that no one will ever help us, including God. We don’t believe that anyone has our back, so we trudge out into life without resources or equipping. Many of us believe this because we were not fathered in the way we were meant to be. An unhealthy independence develops in us, keeping us from receiving the blessing of healthy relationship and the help we need. Repent of your independence. Repent of the lie you are on your own. Repent of thinking God is not powerful enough to have your back! Thinking like this is actually an insult to God. Start thanking him for having your back and leading the way.

Lie #5 – You Deserve This Punishment or Pain

We mess up our lives often. Sometimes we really mess up. The devil will say you deserve where you are at. Part of what the devil says is true. We deserve what we get. But God says if we repent, he gives us what we don’t deserve — forgiveness and restoration! Don’t let condemnation and shame keep you from him. Never say, “my past mistakes disqualify me.” Never say, “It is too late.” In humility and repentance, run back to him and live close!

Lie #6 – I Should Give Up Because I Struggle with Sin

We will not be perfect till we die and go to heaven. God promises us we can overcome. What is the key when we sin? 1. Confess your sin quickly. 2. Read about God’s promises to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). 3. Ask for a way out 4. Rebuke the temptation (James 4:7). 5. Rest in him for strength. In other words, live close. No matter how often you sin, repeat this pattern as needed and you will start to overcome the temptations you face.

Lie #7 – I Am What People Say About Me

Believing this lie will make you only as good as the last thing someone said about you. This will cause you to abandon how the Father made you in favor of what others want. This is a merry-go-round ride that will never end. Are you in constant need of affirmation? When someone says something negative about you, does it send you spiraling? Embrace how the Father made you. It will stop anxiousness discontent. You are well-made. God loves your personality, quirks, and looks. You look like him because you came from his heart.

Lie #8 – I Am What I Have

Believing this lie will make you as valuable as the sum of your possessions. It will keep you from being content because you will never have enough. It will make you fearful and eager to hold on to what you have. You will feel less when you compare yourself to others. Things are not who you are. I like things, but you are more important than what you have. Who the Father says about you makes you important. Your contentment lies in living godly and staying close to him. Timothy says in his book (1 Timothy 6:6), “A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have.”

Lie #9 – I Am What I Do

I must perform! I must be good. I must make God happy. Believing this lie will make you only as good as your last task. Do you get your identity and affirmation from what your gifts and talents bring? You are valuable because of who you are. Without knowing the love of Father God, you will feel the need to constantly live for Father God in the wrong way. Our culture values achievement, status and success over almost everything else. So, we try to prove ourselves in the same way to God. You will not impress him to love you anymore.

I hope this has helped you in your walk with God. Replace the lies you, others, and Satan tells you with what God tells you! It will produce freedom like you may have never experienced before!