“I will never, I could never, I am not, I have not.” These phrases used to color my view and came out of my mouth daily. They are subtle (and sometimes not-so subtle) lies that we believe and justify fiercely. I snuggled up next to these thoughts, like they were my friends, calling their presence in my life “humility”. I am beginning to see how unhealthy these lies are, as the Holy Spirit gently changes the way I think.

We are going to spend the next couple of weeks digging into the “I will never, I could never, I am not, I have not” lies that we believe about ourselves. These dudes are sneaky and need to be exposed. But first, we are going to discuss the lies we believe about God. We are starting in the Garden of Eden. The enemy’s lies are not a new nuisance- they have been around since the very, very beginning. In fact, everything that is bad in our world today originated from ONE conversation that was based on lies.

Genesis 3 is a conversation between Eve and satan. Satan lies to Eve four times, blatantly contradicting the conversation between God and Adam in Genesis 2. Take a look:

Do you see how slyly the enemy poked at Eve? He used almost the exact same wording that God used with Adam. But he changed just one or two things to manipulate Eve into questioning God’s character.

Lie #1 – God is withholding from you. 

The truth is that God made every tree for their enjoyment. He simply asked them to stay away from one tree for their protection. “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly,” (Psalm 84:11b ESV).

Lie #2 – God is lying to you.

God clearly told Adam that he would die if he ate the fruit. Physical and spiritual death came into the world as a result of their sin. “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19 NLT).

Lie #3 – God is insecure.

God made Adam and Eve in His image so they were already like God! And our holy God is incapable of feeling insecurity. “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us,” (Genesis 1:26 NLT).

Lie #4 – God can’t handle your sin.

When we make a mistake, the one place where we should run is into God’s loving, forgiving arms. The enemy lies to us and fills us with shame so that we will keep our distance. “This is why he had to be a Man and take hold of our humanity in every way. He made us his brothers and sisters and became our merciful and faithful King-Priest before God; as the One who removed our sins to make us one with him. He suffered and endured every test and temptation, so that he can help us every time we pass through the ordeals of life,” (Hebrews 2:17-18 TPT).

On this side of history, it’s easy for us to be frustrated by Adam and Eve’s choice to believe satan’s lies. After all, we are still paying the consequences of their sin today. They lived in absolute perfection and threw it away over some measly, counterfeit fruit. That one moment caused death, sickness, shame, hatred, etc. to enter the world.

However, we eat the same fruit every single time we believe the enemy’s lies. Have you ever believed that God was withholding from you? Maybe you watched someone else get the thing you had been praying for. Have you ever believed that God was lying to you? Has He given you promises that haven’t happened yet, so you question whether or not you heard Him. What about believing that God is insecure or that He can’t handle your sin? I hate to admit that I have bitten off of all of those fruits. Just like in Adam and Eve’s case, there are consequences to agreeing with lies about God.

Do a quick heart check. Ask yourself what lies you are believing about God and what counterfeit fruit you’ve eaten. Then confess them and repent (change your thinking). The Holy Spirit will be faithful and will lead you into truth and to the life-giving fruit that God offers (Galatians 5:22).

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (John 8:32 NLT).

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,'” (John 14:6 ESV).

“But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth],” (John 16:13 AMP).

Choosing to walk in Truth,

Tif

• Further reading: Genesis 2:15-17, 25; Genesis 3:1-10; Galatians 5:22