Recognizing the Voice of the Enemy... and Choosing to Fight Back
by Kristin Gyimah
Even though we might not want to admit it, if we get caught on the wrong day, it can become a little easier for us to entertain the wrong thoughts. No matter how many spiritual disciplines we want to believe we’ve “mastered”, if we’re being honest, some days are just tough. Whether it’s a good day or it’s a bad day, we really need the grace of God to manage through them all!
Personally, I’ve found that if I’m allowing everything else in my life to take precedence over my time with the Lord, the chances of me entertaining thoughts longer than I need to increase. As children of God, we have a real enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy. He understands that the mind is a battlefield; so, wherever he can get an upper hand, he will gladly take it. The enemy doesn’t want to see us in anything other than darkness. So, it should be no surprise to us then that one of the first, and most consistent places, he’s coming for is our minds.
We cannot afford to underestimate how important it is to have our hearts and minds guarded. Our hearts, because everything flows from it (Proverbs 4:23); and our minds, because what we say or do stems from the thoughts we entertain. We have to know and believe the truth. Not just to inform our encouraging words to others, but also when we need to encourage ourselves! The truth here being the Word of God. It is good for us to spend time reading who God says we are and to understand His character. So many good things happen when we prioritize relationship building with the Lord. Not to ask for things; but to increase our intimacy with Him and to come to know how deeply He cares for and loves us.
"We have to know and believe the truth. Not just to inform our encouraging words to others, but also when we need to encourage ourselves! "
Doing this helps us when the enemy, or our own intrusive thoughts, try to get the best of us. It better positions us to identify when a lie is being spoken and to shoot down any attempts of his to highjack our minds. With this in mind, my ongoing goal is to fight back faster as I recognize any lies that come my way.
The general consensus across studies seems to suggest that we have something like 6,000+ thoughts per day. As a wife and mother to three children, some days, I feel like I I’m knocking on that number by 2pm! In all seriousness, we all have a lot of thoughts going through our minds every single day and we have to choose what we do with them as they come. As more prominent and potentially negative thoughts come across our minds, we have two options. Option 1: reject them and replace them with something rooted in truth. Option 2: entertain them and allow our minds to go down a rabbit trail of unnecessary thoughts. When we do the latter, we increase the likelihood that we may open ourselves up to so many needless scenarios and emotions.
That is not how the Lord wants us to spend our time. Instead, in Philippians 4:8, we’re encouraged to think on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
In my experience, I have found that it is a lot harder to do any of that if you don’t know the truth or don’t know how to get to it. It puts us in a position where we are likely more susceptible to believing the lies. The faster we’re able to recognize things that the Lord would say and those which He wouldn’t, the better positioned we are to do a truth check and get rid of the junk that seeks to infiltrate our minds. Please do not be discouraged if you don’t know many scriptures by heart. Thank God that with a quick (fact-checked) Google search, our Bibles and the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to get to the truth we need!
We cannot renew our minds without the help of the Holy Spirit
No matter how hard we try, we cannot transform our minds on our own. That’s a work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit renews our mind. The Holy Spirit guides us to truth. The Holy Spirit does the internal work, including that which is necessary to change our thought-life and beliefs. Also, with an intentionality of being rooted in Bible-based ministries, we should be surrounded by life-giving words, teachings and studies that point us to what it looks like to allow God to transform our minds, daily. Plus, we’ll have the benefit of fellow believers who can speak truth into and over our situation when we just don’t have the words in the moment. There’s nothing better than the person who sends you that text, gives you that phone call or simply says something during that Bible Study that shifts something in your mind. It can truly change your perspective and reset the way you’ve been thinking about a situation and/or person.
During the early shutdown days of Spring 2020, my husband and I listened to many audiobooks. One of them that we came across was The Noticer. While this book primarily focuses on the beauty and power of perspective, one section that stood out to me stated that 40% of the things people tend to worry about will never happen; 30% have already happened and can’t be changed; 12% are needless concerns; and 10% are rooted in what others may think. According to the author, that leaves 8% that may be legitimate concerns. That was a solid statistical breakdown that has often encouraged me. In an interesting way, it is a digestible filter that points me back to a Philippians 4:8 framework or a 2 Corinthians 10:5 approach. It tells me that if my mind starts going toward worry, it’s simply not a good use of my time to focus on 92% of the thoughts that cross my mind as it relates to that matter. There is no benefit at all to dwell on those thoughts and they are the first that should be immediately rejected. It’s the remaining 8% that I can identify and subsequently cast upon the Lord. The ones I can lay at His feet and ask for grace to not overthink or obsess over while I wait on Him. Where I can pray for the peace of God to keep and guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. The ones that I can take captive and make obedient to Christ.
If you aren’t already paying attention to what you’re paying attention to throughout your day, I encourage you to start. Pay attention to the voices you’re giving weight to and the influence they have over your thoughts. Pay attention to the thoughts that are on repeat as you’re trying to rest and those that attempt to bombard you when you start your day. Pay attention to the thoughts that come up when someone else appears to be doing better than you or when it feels like you’re being overlooked…again. Pay attention to the thoughts that suggest you’re better off being alone versus being connected to community. Pay attention to the thoughts that make you feel inadequate or insecure – or that create fear and/or anxiety. Thoughts that are rooted in perfectionism, comparison and self-blame and thoughts that paralyze you from moving in any direction. If they’re based in anything that doesn’t align with what the Lord says about you, they have to go! These are the arguments that need to be destroyed. These are the thoughts that we need to put to the test of truth.
Below are a few things to keep in mind as you’re confronted with lies:
Identify which voice is speaking and ask: Does this sound like something God would say to me? Does this align with His character?
If you answer no to either of those questions, go to scripture and find something that counters those thoughts or set of beliefs. Write them down. Highlight them in your Bible. Meditate on them. Use Post-it notes and put them in places that you frequent. Record them on your phone. Do whatever you need to do to keep the truth top of mind!
Pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. This is a daily prayer. Acknowledge the lies and declare the truth over and over each one as much as you need to do.
Get in community with others who can share and/or remind you of the truth, especially on those tough days. And do the same for them when they are standing in the need of encouragement and redirection.
I pray this encouraged you in some way and that you are reminded of how powerful of a weapon we have in the Word of God!
Kristin Gyimah is married to the love of her life (Kofi), is a mother of three (including twins!), and is the founder of Live UNMUZZLED. She serves faithfully in local ministry in Houston, Texas.
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