lies: why are they so easy to believe?

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God made. He said

to the woman, “Did God really say, “you can’t eat from any tree in the garden?” Genesis 3:1

Michelle: In Genesis chapter 3, there in the garden, God gave Adam one instruction: to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was the one instruction given in the middle of an entire paradise. All the trees of all kinds were available to Adam. Fruit was plentiful, resources abundant. Once God brought Eve out of him, and there were two, a serpent entered the scene. The serpent asked Eve if God had in fact told them not to eat from any of the trees. Eve engaged in conversation with the serpent and told him that God had instructed them to not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden or they would die. Eve knew what God had said. The serpent's next five words changed everything. “No, you will not die…” he told her. That was all it took for Eve to choose to disobey God, eat from the tree, and share the fruit with Adam.

To recount that scene in Genesis is to be reminded of how easy it is for us to believe lies from Satan. To see how easily we can be led astray and mistake deception for God's truth, which is sure to lead us in the wrong direction. It would seem from the very beginning we have been confronted with trickery; and given the choice to believe lies or cling to God's truths. As if our whole lives are spent sifting lies to find truths. Dispelling lies. This is what my sweet sister in Christ, Jeanna, determined recently. In talking about it together, we thought it would be a wonderful collaborative blog post. So here we are.

Jeanna: Is it that a lie is easier to believe than the truth, or do we want to believe the lie? Do fears and past experiences play a role in what we believe? First, the serpent pulled Eve in with a hook, an overly exaggerated lie. Satan posed, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from ANY of the trees of the garden?” He wanted her to focus on what she didn’t have, instead of her ample supply. This is a common tactic, a lie of scarcity over the abundance that we have as children of God. Once he got her in a dialogue with him, he started deceiving and manipulating. “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Michelle: Also interesting that deception is addressed at the end of the Bible, just as in the beginning. In Revelation, we are reminded again of the serpent's deception. “So the great dragon was thrown out- the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world." Revelation 12:9

Jeanna: That is interesting. Satan is a liar in the beginning and he is a liar until the end. Just as Jesus himself declares of Satan in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  

Michelle: Yes, we know Satan is a liar and is out to deceive us. I personally know that lies can consume so much of my energy; ready to confuse me, taunt me, and bully me. Satans influence over the world is so vast, that even the world is hungry for us to consume his lies… anything to keep us from believing and trusting God. I wonder why I exhaust myself with deception since I have been given such clear instruction in God's word? I have been given clear truth. “God is not man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind." Numbers 23:19

For me, it has been easier to believe a lie and I often have to intentionally fight to believe God's word. This makes no sense to me since His yoke is light…the truth is easy. “So that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. Hebrews 6:18" No, often I am too easily duped. Perhaps lies are more comfortable, or seem on the surface to make more sense at the time. Or maybe lies are confirming a bias or narrative I’ve been conditioned to seek. Maybe lies are ingested because I am seeing things through a fear filter.

Jeanna: We do that often with the decisions that we make. We believe the lie that we need to make things happen. We need to protect ourselves and our family and fight for our rights. We need to strive to prove ourselves. We need to provide for our own needs and desires. Sometimes we are so used to the world’s way of operation, that we don’t even realize that this is what we are doing. It just seems so natural, so normal, so right. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. This is why we need a renewing of our minds through the Word of God. Believing the truth of God’s word over the lies of the evil one weaves through the entirety of the Bible. There are many other places where this same type of story is reiterated. Read Deuteronomy 30, Psalm 119, Ecclesiastes 2, 2 Peter 2, just to name a few. In Psalm 77 the first 10 verses focus on the lies that the Psalmist believes, then the last 10 verses are him remembering God’s word and character, and choosing to believe the truth. This same type of story is happening now, in your life and mine. It seems as though our whole lives are practicing believing God over the enemy, over and over until we get it right.

Michelle: Believing truth over lies brings so much freedom and favor. Truth is firmly rooted, and endures, while lies are temporary and shaky. Lies are unstable. What comes to mind for me is the belt of truth as a piece of the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:14, which helps us stand against deception. With a belt of the gospel truth around our waist, we can stand in confidence and boldness. Though the devil is out to deceive us in any way, the armor of God can help guard us so as to not give an opening to the devil. For myself, choosing to suit up and carry all the armor that God provides for me is sometimes easier to talk about than to actually apply. I struggle to choose God’s armor more often than I’d like to admit, and often let my mind get tricked by things I know are not true. I find insecurities and fears can keep me stuck there. Maybe it is insecurity that makes it so much easier for me to accept a lie. Lies speak directly TO my insecurities and confirm things I shame myself with.

Jeanna: Recently some friends and I felt led by the Lord to lead a prayer vigil for the lost sheep and the loss of our community. I sent out a request for many of my friends and family to join in a prayer time. I asked for people to sign up for 1 hour time blocks over a 3 day period to devote to prayer for these lost or wandering souls, so that they would hear the word of the Lord, realize his great love for them, come to their senses, and cut ties with the world. There were some that God led to sign up, but others didn’t respond, or may have responded but didn’t sign up. I was heartbroken. The enemy swooped in and started whispering lies, “they don’t care for you”, “they don’t care about the lost”, or “who can’t carve out 1 hour in 3 days' time to pray for the lost?” Satan was trying to turn me against my brothers and sisters in Christ. He was playing on an old lie that I have believed in the past, “no one really cares about you”.

I started praying for myself, my friends, and my family. I asked God for his perspective on what I was experiencing. He brought to my mind, “It is like Gideon’s army. It is not the power and strength of those who go to battle, but the power and strength of their God.” Amen. Yes. That re- centered me. However, the enemy was not done. He came in for another attempt after we had a beautiful, powerful, and fruitful event. He used the same tactics again. He wants us to agree with him over agreeing with God. I went back to God a second time. He showed me that the deceiver wanted to steal my joy and excitement over God’s powerful work done in our prayer time. So, God gave me victory over my enemy again. I could go on and on with these same types of stories in my life, and I am sure that you have some of your own.

Michelle: I can relate to that experience in many ways throughout my life. Most recently I faced some health concerns that had potential to be life altering or even life ending. During those weeks of waiting for MRI results and Dr. appts, I found myself feeling a peace that I thought only God could architect. However, I also started believing lies that had me planning my ending and even planning how loved ones would then carry on. I believed it so much that I thought God was speaking to me, to prepare. But the feelings that came up in me in the process revealed to me it was not God trying to prepare me at all, it was the enemy causing me to doubt God's goodness and provision. Causing me to not trust God with my life, my body, my health, my death, or my loved one’s lives after me. Causing me to be afraid.

All sorts of unholy emotions surfaced during that time including jealousy, insecurity and a need for control. None of which were from the Lord, which is how I knew I had been deceived and was being tempted to rely on myself. I found direction in John 8:44 that says when ‘the enemy tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies'. I knew those feelings were not of God's nature, but of the devil. God was instead, asking me to hear His voice, trust His plans, and let go of things I need not cling to. To let God be God. I was able to experience His true peace, and my worst fears were alleviated, when I remembered to rely on Him and the truth about who God is.

Jeanna: This reliance on the power and wisdom of God through Christ in us as believers is what brings us victory. 1 John 5 testifies to the fact that our victory to overcome the world comes by faith. This faith is through Jesus Christ and his work. We are called to believe. Faith and belief come with action. Out of our belief and faith we will act on the truth by choosing to stand firm against the lies with the Armor of God fully intact and shielding us. Our God is powerful enough and will always accomplish his purposes. We need only listen, watch, and obey. Not that this is easy, but we must remember that the life of the Godly is not an easy life. We live in a world at war.

Michelle: He has equipped us with all we need to keep truth written in our hearts, in our minds and on our lips. The Holy Spirit in us will help us sift through deception and attack. When we choose to believe God over the lies of Satan, we step out of fear and into freedom. Letting go of lies that whisper we are not enough, not loved, too broken, or too far gone, but God’s Word speaks a better and eternal truth. God says we are chosen, redeemed, forgiven, and deeply loved through Christ. The enemy wants to keep us bound by shame, doubt, and confusion, but God calls us to stand firm in what He has said, even when our feelings try to tell us otherwise. Believing God’s truth is an act of faith; it means rejecting every false voice that rises against His promises and anchoring our hearts in the unchanging Word of God. In His truth, we find peace, identity, strength, and victory