It is easier to perceive error than truth, for error lies on the surface and is easily seen, truth lies in the depth where few are willing to search for it.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of My own accord, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. 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. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”… The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. Yet I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks it, and He is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
~ Jesus, The True King of The Universe, in John 8
Oh beloved, it is true. There is a voice in our heads which is not our own. And the greatest problem with it, is that is sounds very much like our own thoughts.
There is a devil.
He hates you.
He Hates G_d.
He doesn’t really care about either of you.
But somehow, this father of lies is convinced that keeping you separate from the One he separated himself from is a good idea. And so, before we come to know G_d, we are completely under the sway of this fallen prince.
We buy into the lies and cooperate with him to the point that he can draw inferences as to what our inner voice is like. He experiments and works and works until he has honed the skills of mimicking the voice of our flesh. And in mimicking, he did amplify and accelerate our falling short of the glory of G_d.
But then one day, He came in and changed everything. Everything. In hearing the Voice that sounded like many waters, we listened and the Water of His Spirit did wash away all of our sins. Further, as we allowed Him access in believe and trust, He sealed us with His very Spirit and made us completely new in Himself.
Now, the voice within really does sound different. When we are who we really are, we are truly at peace and actually desire to be like the One who has set us free. In many ways we already are. And the biggest problem is now not how far we are falling short, but rather that we don’t know how amazing He has already made us.
Re-enter the liar.
Suddenly, we can be going through our day and be assaulted with some sense that we want to reach back into the behavior set of our past, and do something that we simply know is wrong. We feel the temptation to lust or fear or rage or steal or hurt or lie or something, and we resist it.
But then the liar tells the next lie.
We hear, “fight your flesh. resist that temptation. be strong. you can do it. just try harder.” But somehow, we sense that we are losing ground. We feel that we will soon be overwhelmed by the growing sense within us that we want to do this thing we know we do not want to do. And in feeling this feeling, there can grow a shame that does not draw us back from the bad, but rather seems to pour fuel on the fire building within.
Stop right there beloved. It’s not you.
Can we see it? If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. And the new creation within us is a being that is growing in Love and Joy and Peace and Patience and Kindness and Gentleness and Goodness and Faithfulness and Self-Control. For you are dead, and thus free from the old man to which you used to be bound.
So yes, the flesh can scream once in a while, and we simply don’t need to listen. But further, the liar will keep telling us lies – and if we are not careful – we will begin to believe that our dead flesh is stronger than it is. For actually, it is dead. And dead things are not very potent the last time this fool of a writer checked.
No, the liar is still trying to mimic our old voice. And so, when we hear what seems like our flesh screaming over and over, perhaps the best thing for us to do is not fight something that is already dead. Rather, we should (in submitting to what G_d has already said about us) resist that old liar and tell him to go away. For when we do, he must flee. And when he does, we see who really are. We are free and in Love with the freedom and goodness He has already made us into.
So, are you struggling with something that seems like your flesh? It probably isn’t. Tonight is your night beloved. Time to live like who you already are, and to tell that liar to go away.
