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Did you know the devil can twist even Scripture to tie us in knots of doubt and confusion? Just because something is ‘written’ doesn’t mean it’s being applied correctly. Context matters. In our latest post, we explore the first rule to breaking free from the enemy’s deceptions. Dive in to discover how God’s unchanging Word cuts through the lies and sets us free.

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UNRAVELLING THE KNOTS THE DEVIL TIES: WORKSHEET ONE

SUMMARY

This blog post from the Hungry Hearts Collective argues that God’s Word provides answers to all of life’s questions, refuting the idea that some mysteries are only understandable in the afterlife. The author contends that the Bible offers guidance for every circumstance, countering the enemy’s lies which sow doubt and confusion. Historical examples illustrate how these lies have been used throughout history to undermine faith, but the post emphasizes that God’s Word is the ultimate antidote, providing truth, understanding, and healing. The text encourages readers to actively engage with scripture to find this truth and resist the enemy’s tactics.

• The devil uses subtle insinuations, bold contradictions, and outright deception to erode our trust in God. This progression of tactics is designed to enslave us and impede God’s work, ultimately leading to spiritual ruin.
• The devil uses words to sow doubt, distrust, and despair. These poisonous words can be whispered or shouted, and they are designed to challenge God’s goodness, His understanding, His control, and whether He is truly compassionate. The enemy will even try to make us question whether God is really in control.
• The devil will twist God’s Word to tempt us. This is illustrated in the example of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. During this encounter, the devil tried to use Scripture to make Jesus doubt and disobey God. However, Jesus stood firm in his response, unwavering in his faith.
• The devil will attack us with doubt and mockery. The psalmist speaks directly to this in Psalm 42, capturing the emotional anguish of being assailed by the enemy’s doubt and mockery. This is not a fleeting attack, but a constant barrage designed to erode the foundation of our trust in God.
• The devil will try to make us rely on human philosophy instead of God’s Word. Human philosophy, no matter how lofty its ideals or wise its words, cannot deliver us from the depths of our despair. It cannot lift the burden of sin, heal broken hearts, or dispel the shadows of our soul. Only God’s Word has the power to save us.

It is important to note that this blogpost is written from a Christian perspective and uses biblical references to support its points

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CONFRONTED BY EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS

There are moments in life when we are forced to grapple with the deepest questions of existence—questions that strip away the distractions and lay bare the core of our raw humanity. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Why all the suffering? Why isn’t God doing anything? Doesn’t He care? Is Richard Dawkins right about God?

Richard Dawkins, in his book The God Delusion (2006), famously describes God in the following way:

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

This description reflects Dawkins’ strong opposition to the concept of the Christian God, particularly as depicted in certain Old Testament narratives. His critique stems from his view of these stories as morally problematic and inconsistent with modern ethical standards. In essence, as a refined and educated individual, he perceives himself as superior to God. In his mind, if placed in the same circumstances, he would act differently—indeed, he believes, more wisely and justly than God Himself.

Dawkins’ statement is often cited as a centrepiece of his atheistic perspective, which argues that religion is not only unnecessary for morality but is often harmful. However, it has also sparked significant criticism from religious scholars and theists, who argue that Dawkins’ portrayal oversimplifies and misrepresents the complexities of theology and scripture.

Recently, Richard Dawkins has been revisiting and softening some of his critiques of Christianity, as have a number of other secular commentators. Why? Because they have begun to recognise its value in the face of the rapid unravelling of society, driven by the rise of rampant and growing irreligious secularism. In an interview with Ben Stein, Dawkins even admitted that mankind and creation appears designed—though he refuses to attribute this design to God.

But the existential questions are relentless, refusing to be silenced by routine, busyness, or bad theology. They demand answers, yet the more we search within ourselves, the more we realise how inadequate human reasoning is to satisfy the aching void they leave behind. If we could have saved ourselves, we would have by now. This points to a clear conclusion—we need help!

Often, this confrontation is accompanied by disillusionment—dis-illusionment—the shattering of illusions we have built to shield ourselves from the weight of these questions. Success, relationships, and achievements once seemed like sturdy answers, but under the scrutiny of eternity, they crumble, as does, you’ve guessed it, bad theology.

Disillusionment (dis-illusionment) feels like loss, but it is also a gift—a painful yet necessary stripping away of false hopes, forcing us to look beyond shallow humanism and opinion often posing as theology—very bad theology that has nothing to do with the truth.

To be confronted with such questions is to feel the weight of eternity pressing on a finite soul. It is to stare into a vast, uncharted expanse, longing for an anchor, a point of reference, a voice that can speak clarity into the chaos. The psalmist captures this cry of the soul when he writes:

“Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.” (Psalm 42:7)

These moments of crises are not accidents. They are invitations. God allows the questions, dis-comfort, and the dis-illusionment to surface—not to crush us, but to lead us to Himself, the source of all wisdom and truth. For it is only in Him that the restless heart finds its rest, the wandering mind finds its home, and the disillusioned soul discovers lasting hope.

DECEPTION: STICKING TO GOD’S WORD

The issue raised this week touches on a fundamental challenge that many of us, myself included, face.: the web of deception woven by our spiritual enemy, the devil. His strategy has always been to entangle us in lies, insinuations, and half-truths, pulling us away from the truth of God’s Word.

The devil is called a serpent for a reason. Just as a snake’s venom lies in its mouth, the enemy’s poison is in his words. These words are not just empty; they are weapons—designed to wound, confuse, and ultimately destroy.

From the very beginning, this has been his insidious strategy. In the Garden of Eden, Satan did not assault Eve with an outright denial; no, he approached with a subtle question—one designed to poison the mind and paralyze the soul. This question was not a fleeting inquiry, asked but once way back in the mists of time. It is the eternal question, one that echoes through the ages, reverberating in the hearts of every man and woman. To you, to me, it is asked, and how we answer will determine whether we rise in triumph or falter in the struggle to merely survive. Listen! Pay attention!

Stand vigilant as a watchman at the door of your mind. For if you do, you will hear the whisper that slithers into your soul:

“Has God really said…?” (Genesis 3:1)

This was no mere chance encounter; it was a calculated assault, meticulously crafted to sow seeds of doubt in Eve’s heart—not just about the goodness and reliability of God, but also about His just nature and unwavering character. He began with a subtle challenge to God’s Word, questioning its truth, and then, in an audacious move, he outright contradicted it:

“You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4)

Finally, he replaced God’s truth with his own lie, weaving a narrative that distorted the very essence of God’s character—implying that God, rather than being good, reliable, and just, was withholding something from them, keeping them from the fullness of knowledge and life. That God was evil, and he , the serpent, was good. This lie, like all lies, was seductive, playing on fear of missing out and the desire for autonomy, power, and control, and it has echoed throughout history, shaping the hearts and minds of all who entertain it.

“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)

This progression—from subtle insinuation to bold contradiction to outright deception—is the very method by which the enemy seeks to dismantle our faith and enslave us to impotence. His goal is unchanging: to erode our trust in the goodness, reliability, and justice of God’s Word, pushing us toward rebellion and, ultimately, spiritual ruin. With each whisper of doubt, he seeks to unravel the foundation of our belief, luring us into a dangerous disobedience that clouds our vision of God’s truth and hinders our relationship with Him.

WITHOUT THE WORD: WHAT DO WE HAVE?

In Genesis 3, we witness the devastating consequences of a single act: disregarding the Word of God. It begins with the serpent’s question: “Has God indeed said?” By planting doubt, the enemy lured humanity into a world where God’s Word was no longer the foundation. The result? Separation, shame, death, and decay—both spiritual and physical.

Without the Word of God, what remains? Confusion. Fear. Emptiness. The Word is not just a set of instructions; it is the very foundation of faith. As Romans 10:17 declares:

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

Without the Word, there is no faith. Without faith, there is no life. The Word of God is not optional for life; it is life. Jesus Himself said in John 6:63:

“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

To reject or neglect the Word is to sever ourselves from the very source of life, leaving only the barren wasteland of self-reliance, doubt, and spiritual desolation.

Faith begins where the Word of God is known, trusted, and obeyed. It is the bedrock of our existence, the light that guides our steps, and the sword that defends against the enemy’s lies. Without it, we are adrift, vulnerable to every whisper of deceit and despair. But with it, we are grounded, unshakable, and alive.

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THE VENOM OF WORDS

The enemy’s weapon is poisonous words—words that sow doubt, distrust, and despair. Let me translate them for you, into the words that are familiar, the ones you’ve heard countless times—sometimes whispered, sometimes shouted. In contemporary palence we would translate the conversation as follows:

• “Has God really said…xyz?“
• “No, He hasn’t said…xyz“
• “Let me tell you…zyx”

Notice how the “y” remains constant throughout—the same kernel of truth from Scripture is used as the foundation. However, it’s twisted and reframed to build a half-truth. Both God and Satan place the “y” in the same position, but the end result could not be more different. One leads to life, the other to deception and death. This subtle distortion is why discernment is crucial when handling the Word of Truth.

There are, of course, variations in how the devil employs his techniques, but they always converge on the same tipping point: a subtle yet devastating questioning of God—His character, His Word, and, most critically, His reliability. By undermining trust in these, the enemy seeks to erode the foundation of faith itself. Hence he whispers:

• “Is God truly good?“
• “Can’t you see the suffering, the chaos, the injustice that surrounds you?”
• “Does God not care about what’s happening in this broken world?“
• “Is God truly who we’ve been taught He is, or have we been deceived?“
• “Who is God, really? What is He like, in the face of all this pain and confusion?“

These are the questions that plague, nay, torment the soul in moments of suffering, when life seems to spiral out of control. They are the subtle whispers and even shouts of doubt, designed to challenge not just our understanding of God’s word, but the very essence of His character—His goodness, His justice, His compassion. They make us question whether God is really trustworthy, whether He is truly in control, or whether He is simply indifferent to the cries of His people. The enemy knows that if he can get us to doubt God’s nature, he can unravel the foundation of our faith, leaving us vulnerable to despair.

And that is a good thing, since it forces us to look in the mirror of reality and be honest with ourselves. And that is one step in the right ditection, so don’t turn around…keep going, you’ll get there in the end!

The devil’s strategy mirrors the progression seen in cultural and philosophical movements like Nietzsche’s infamous declaration, “God is dead” (Gott ist tot)—a statement that questions not only God’s existence but also His relevance and authority. Yet, Scripture offers a profound counterpoint: “God is not dead; we are dead to Him.” This response highlights the real issue—not that God has ceased to exist or rule, but that humanity has become blind and deaf to Him through unbelief and rebellion.

Some people resist the truth because they have become too comfortable with the familiar, even if it means staying in a state of exile, abandonment, and suffering. Over time, these conditions—though painful—become an identity, a lens through which they view the world. To question or challenge this identity is akin to an existential threat. The illusion of their suffering feels like home, and the prospect of dismantling it sends a jolt of fear through their system. Their “lizard brain” kicks in, activating the ancient fight, flight, or freeze response. It is easier to stay in the known, even if it’s destructive, than to venture into the unknown where the truth might demand a radical change.

For these individuals, the discomfort of change is too great, so they reject any attempt at hope or healing, seeing it as a disruption to the carefully constructed world they’ve built out of pain. The familiarity of suffering becomes a twisted form of comfort, and any invitation to freedom feels like a threat.

Then there are those who have invested so deeply in a theology that offers no substance, no power, no real answers. This is not a faith rooted in the transformative truth of the gospel, but a hollow, self-serving theology that parades as Christian teaching. It’s a belief system full of hollow platitudes and easy answers, designed to placate the soul but never to heal it. When the crushing weight of reality collides with this so-called theology, it is wrecked.

These individuals are left grasping for comfort in their wreckage, only to find more empty phrases parroted back to them—empty words that do nothing to ease the pain of disillusionment. They’ve been sold a gospel that is more about escapism and feel-good phrases than the life-changing power of Christ. As their theology crashes against the unrelenting tide of reality, they find themselves adrift without a paddel and without a rudder, and without an anchor, searching for answers in places that offer none—the Church—clinging to a belief system that has failed them when they needed it most.

The harsh truth is that these illusions—whether self-imposed or inherited—cannot stand up to the real world. And when they inevitably collapse, what remains is not the comforting cocoon they hoped for, but the stark, unsettling reality that they must face the truth.

Many people fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy, a psychological trap called Escalation of Commitment, where they continue investing in a course of action—even when it’s clearly failing—simply because they’ve already committed so much.

Whether it’s time, effort, or resources, they become so emotionally and mentally tied to their past investments that they can’t bring themselves to abandon the pursuit, despite evidence that it leads nowhere. This is especially true in cases of faulty theology or misguided beliefs, where individuals persist in embracing teachings that offer no real answers or power, merely because they’ve invested so much into them, or worse, because everyone else is doing it. In these situations, the fear of confronting the truth becomes so overwhelming that they would rather stay trapped in a useless cycle than face the disillusionment of letting go and seeking the real answers that can free them.

Continuing in familiar erroneous doctrine is a denial of reality, akin to living in a house with a crumbling foundation but opting to simply paint over the cracks resulting in the walls, and pretending the problem doesn’t exist. While the surface may look presentable for a time, the underlying structural issues remain, silently worsening with each passing day. Similarly, clinging to flawed beliefs may provide temporary comfort, but it does nothing to address the deeper issues of spiritual truth and growth. Like ignoring the weakening foundation of a home, disregarding the need for sound doctrine only leads to further instability and eventual collapse. True restoration and strength come not from superficial fixes, but from addressing the core issues with the unshakable truth of God’s Word.

Well, we all have a choice to make. I made mine, and I’m happy to say that there are answers—answers for those brave enough to venture down the path less traveled. Answers to all the questions, without exception, that affect us. It’s a path that requires courage to step off the familiar roads of comfort and illusion, and Christian cliches, to confront the hard truths, and to seek what’s real. For those willing to face the discomfort, to let go of what no longer serves them, there is freedom. The journey is not without its challenges, but it is one that leads to true transformation, wisdom, and peace. The question is: will you dare to take it?

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JESUS’ EXAMPLE: THE POWER OF “IT IS WRITTEN”

This is more than simply choosing to “believe” in spite of our questions; it is a call to dive deeper into God’s Word and into His presence until the answers we need are revealed. Faith is not a passive acceptance of uncertainty, but an active pursuit of truth. It is the determination to press into God, to wrestle with His Word, and to seek His wisdom with relentless expectation. When we engage with the Lord’s presence, we are not merely comforting ourselves with empty words but are inviting the Living Word—the original author—to illuminate our understanding.

In His presence, the questions we face are met with the clarity of divine insight, and the doubts we harbor are answered by the eternal truth that transcends human comprehension. This pursuit is not about avoiding the struggle but about pressing into it with the certainty that God, in His time and His way, will provide the revelation we need. (See Related posts)

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the devil came with his subtle, twisting words, attempting to lure Him into doubt and disobedience. He challenged the very foundation of truth, taking God’s words and distorting them in an attempt to deceive. Yet, in every instance, Jesus stood resolute, unwavering in His response: “

It is written…”

This was not merely a rebuttal—it was a powerful declaration of authority. With each proclamation, Jesus demonstrated how the Word of God is the ultimate weapon against the lies of the enemy. Just as the light of the sun shatters the shadows of night, so does the truth of Scripture expel the darkness of deception. Every spoken word of God is a sword that cuts through the enemy’s smoke and mirrors, silencing his whispers and exposing his lies.

What is truly sobering about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is that the devil himself wielded Scripture—the very Word of God—as a weapon against Him. This reveals a chilling reality: just because something is written in Scripture and seems to apply to your situation does not automatically make it correct in its interpretation or application. The devil is a master of distortion, twisting the truth out of context to deceive and mislead. This is why understanding Scripture in its proper context is paramount. It’s not enough to hear or read the Word; we must discern its true meaning through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ensuring that it aligns with God’s character and the fullness of His truth.

We must understand that if we engage in dialogue with the devil, we risk being ensnared in his verbage of deceit. He will ask, “Has God really said…?” or “God didn’t mean that. Can’t you see with your own eyes?” The enemy’s tactic is always to appeal to our senses—the things we can see, feel, or experience. He tries to convince us that our circumstances define the truth, and that God’s Word is a fleeting, unreliable promise. But the antidote to this deception is clear, unwavering, and undeniable: stand firm in what God has already spoken. When we anchor ourselves in His truth, no lie can stand, and no temptation can overcome us. It is written… and it is enough.

Unless we, too, employ the Word of God as Jesus did, the world around us—what we see, hear, feel, and even smell—will remain unchanged. The enemy’s grip on our circumstances will persist. It is not enough to simply acknowledge the reality of what we face; we must compel it to bow to the authority of God’s Word.

The very elements of our lives, the trials and tribulations that seem unmovable, must submit to the power of God’s Word, and how will it unless we give it voice. In Psalm 103:20 we read,

“Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.“

This verse emphasizes that the angels—God’s mighty servants—respond to and obey His Word. They listen and carry out His commands with power and precision. God’s word are God’s legal pronouncements and it is our duty to enforce them by procaliming them over our lives and cirumstances with celbration, thanksgiving and praise. Psalm 149:6-9 tells us:

“Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege [duty, honour] of his faithful ones.“

Similarly, when we align ourselves with God’s Word, we tap into the divine authority that even the angels heed. Their obedience to His voice serves as a profound reminder that when we speak God’s Word, we are speaking with the same authority that commands the heavenly hosts. It is the same Word that is described as the double-edged sword in (Hebrews 4:12), cutting through the lies and illusions of this world, and the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), wielded to defeat the forces of darkness.

Just as the angels respond to the voice of God, so too must all creation bend to the power of His spoken truth through us.

As we speak the truth of God’s promises, the enemy loses his hold, and the situation shifts. This is how the Kingdom of God—His dominion, His control—manifests. It is how Heaven invades earth. The barren, desolate wastelands of our hearts, neglected and unprotected, begin to flourish once more. Paradise begins to bloom in places once ravaged by doubt and despair. The transformation is not just a future hope; it is a present reality, if we would only wield the sword of the Spirit and stand firm in the truth that has already been given to us.

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RECAP: THE ROOT OF TEMPTATION

At its very essence, temptation is always rooted in the same insidious lie:

“Has God really said? No, He hasn’t. Let me tell you what’s true...”

This lie has echoed through time, from the Garden of Eden to the present day, and it comes with the same seductive, soul-doubting, faith destroying whisper. The enemy’s tactic is ever the same: to sow seeds of doubt, to cast shadows over God’s goodness and His Word, leading us to question His promises, His presence, and His faithfulness.

The psalmist speaks directly to this relentless attack in Psalm 42, capturing the emotional anguish of being assailed by the enemy’s doubt and mockery:

“And why are you disquieted within me, o my soul? (v.5), O my God, my soul is cast down within me (v.6)Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? my enemies reproach me, while they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God? (v.9, 10)”

This cruel antaganation by our spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6:12) isn’t a fleeting remark—it’s a constant barrage, designed to erode the foundation of our trust in God. It’s the whisper that rises when we face hardships, when we feel forsaken, when the storms of life rage with no apparent end in sight, or when existential questions seems to crush the very soul within. In these moments, the enemy seeks to drown us in the waves of uncertainty, causing us to look away from the God our Saviour, who is ever-present, even when unseen.

THE FAILURE OF HUMAN PHILOSOPHY

In the face of existential questions, deep despair, or spiritual struggles, many seek solace and answers in the vast sea of human philosophy. However, when placed against the eternal and unshakable Word of God, human wisdom crumbles to dust. It offers no lasting peace, no true resolution. It is, at best, a temporary balm for the soul—a mere distraction from the deep, soul-crushing void that only the truth of God can fill.

Offering someone drowning in spiritual darkness human philosophy is akin to handing a drowning man advice from another man already sinking under the waves. Both are desperate, but neither can offer real salvation.

Human philosophy, no matter how lofty its ideals or how wise its words may sound, cannot deliver us from the depths of our despair. It cannot lift the burden of sin, heal broken hearts, or dispel the shadows of the soul. It is powerless to deal with the root issues of our existence—our separation from God, our need for forgiveness, our need for redemption. We simply do not have the right words to heal ourselves, for we are lost in our own brokenness. We cannot save ourselves. We do not have the right words, but Jesus does. This is why, in Acts 11:14, the angel tells Cornelius:

“Send for Peter, who will tell you words by which you and your household will be saved.”

and also,

“Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)

Writen to a Christian audience, Pauls words make clear that it is God’s Word—not human reasoning or prose—that saves, heals, delivers, and preserve i.e. the full meaning of the Greek word for ‘salvation‘ used in the New Testament text.

Notice the emphasis here—words. Not just any words, but God’s words. It is through God’s message, spoken and proclaimed by His chosen vessels, us, that salvation is brought. Human reasoning, no matter how eloquent, can never speak the words that save. It is only the Word of God that carries the power to transform, to heal, and to deliver.

The Apostle Paul makes this contrast even clearer in 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, where he exposes the futility of worldly wisdom:

“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.”

What the world calls wisdom is often nothing more than a thinly veiled ignorance, incapable of penetrating the heart’s deepest needs. But the gospel—the Word of God—is alive, active, and sharp. It pierces through the lies and deceptions of human philosophy, offering not empty words but life-altering truth. This is why Jesus Himself is called the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Only He holds the keys to eternal life, only His Word can set us free.

In a world that craves answers, where philosophy and self-help guides abound, we must remember that it is not through human reasoning or intellectual pursuits that we find healing, but through the Word of God. It is God’s Word—not human reasoning—that saves, heals, and delivers. The words of men may seem wise, but the Word of God is life itself. And it is only by turning to His Word, by trusting in the authority and power of what He has spoken, that we can find true redemption.

But what is the antidote to this relentless assault? The answer is not found in retreating into ourselves, but in abiding in God’s Word. His Word is the steadfast anchor that holds in the tempests of doubt and despair. It is the firm ground beneath our feet when everything around us seems unstable. Just as a tree roots itself deep into the earth to withstand the strongest winds, so must we root ourselves in the promises of God’s truth.

To abide in God’s Word is to stand firm in the face of the enemy’s lies, to declare with authority, “It is written!” It’s not just a passive acknowledgment; it’s an active stance of faith. When temptation comes—when the voices of doubt grow louder, when the whispers of “Where is your God?” seem to echo from every corner—we hold fast to the truth that God’s promises are yes and amen. We hold firm to the fact that He is with us, even in our darkest hours, and that His.

“Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105).

In this, we find the power to silence the accuser, to dispel the darkness, and to declare victory over the lies that seek to enslave us. Through abiding in His Word, we are not just surviving—we are thriving, standing in the victory that Christ has already won for us.

Humanistic, platitudinous, solipsistic drivel—no matter how exalted or revered it may seem in our society—will never save someone gasping for spiritual breath in a raging storm. It will not keep them afloat. These hollow utterances, though dressed in the language of wisdom and beautiful prose, offer no true lifeline, no real salvation from the depths of despair. They sound impressive, but in the face of true spiritual peril, they are nothing more than a distraction from the one truth that can save.

A CALL TO ACTION

THE FIRST RULE OF UNTYING THE KNOTS

When it comes to unraveling the knots of deception that the enemy has intricately woven around our minds, the first and most essential rule is this: Stick to what God has said.

The enemy’s most effective weapon is the subtle twist of truth—enticing us to doubt, to add, or to modify what God has clearly spoken. We must resist the urge to overlay our own assumptions, presumptions, or emotional reactions onto His Word. God’s Word stands firm and unshakable. It is sufficient in every season, for every struggle. When doubt and confusion arise, we need not search for another answer—we need only return to the truth that has been given to us. God’s Word does not need our embellishment. It is perfect and complete in itself.

THE SECOND RULE: BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE

The second rule is simple but powerful: Begin where you are.

Start with what you know, what you have, and what you can easily access from Scripture. This will be the starting point for untangling the enemy’s knots of deception. The truth of God’s Word is not reserved for a select few—it is accessible to all who seek it. For now, remember this essential truth:

The antidote to the enemy’s poison is never found in our own intellect, strength, or effort. It is found in the pure, unchanging Word of God.

CONCLUSION

The devil’s words are designed to entangle us, to sow seeds of doubt and despair, and to leave us paralyzed in confusion. But God’s Word is a weapon, a sword that cuts through these lies, slicing through the chains of deception and setting us free.

Let us resolve today to abide in His Word, to trust what He has spoken, and to reject the lies of the enemy. When we do, we will walk in the light, untouched by the poison of deception, and be equipped with the truth that brings freedom.

In the next post, we will explore how to practically begin with the truth you already have and use it to unravel the knots of deception. Stay tuned for a deeper dive into the power of God’s Word in action!

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• How does deception manipulate faith and sow doubt?
• What are the defining characteristics of God’s Word?
• How can truth overcome in spiritual warfare and lies?
• How does God’s Word address life’s challenges and uncertainties?
• What are the enemy’s tactics, and how can they be countered?
• How does scripture provide guidance, truth, and understanding?