Do you ever feel beaten down? Worn out? Weary from trying to gather enough hope to live another day?
I have. And I suspect you have too.
I’ve noticed when life gets difficult it seems problems pile upon problems. People get sick when there’s no extra time to rest. Appliances die when budgets are stretched to the max. Work becomes more demanding when your emotions are frayed and wearing thin.
Our Opponent
I fear this is no coincidence. Try as I might to ignore him, we truly do have an enemy who wanders about seeking to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8). He’s also very good at what he does. Primarily, he is a liar. In fact, Jesus calls him the “father of lies” in John 8:44. Yet even though we know his words cannot be trusted, we still find ourselves falling into his traps. Why? Because in many cases, his words match our feelings. We find ourselves in pain and this “evidence” seems to “prove” him right when he says things like,
“God doesn’t love you.”
and
“This is never going to end.”
When we receive a cancer diagnosis, when depression hits hard, when a news report triggers you, these poisonous darts shoot from the Enemy’s lips and lodge themselves in our hearts, spreading their death to our minds, thoughts, and actions. It is at this moment when Satan delivers his one-two punch.
- If God really loved you, He would have protected you. This should never have happened to you. How can you trust a God who allows bad things to happen to good people?
- This pain you feel right now is never going away. This is your new normal. You thought you were making progress, but you’re kidding yourself. You will never be happy. Every time you take a step forward God is going to push you right back down in the muck.
Sound familiar? And yet Scripture tells us the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Both good and bad things happen to both good and bad people. Of course, this wasn’t God’s original plan. It was Satan who mucked this up in the beginning.
Conveniently, this truth is left out of his narrative. He would rather you believe God is the father of lies, not himself. He wants you to believe God hates you. That God is punishing you for some unknown slight. He knows if he can keep you separated from God, you will never find healing to the point of usefulness. And there is little more powerful than a testimony of redemption to bring glory to God.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. – Psalm 30:4-5 ESV
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. – Genesis 8:22 ESV
In these passages, we read God’s promise of balance. Tears and joy. Summer and winter. Seedtime and harvest. All of life is cyclical. So it is with pain and healing. You will have good days and bad days. But if you choose to cling to God through both, He will see you through the darkness into the joy of the morning. A new beginning. A fresh start.
It may seem you will never be happy again. It may feel like all past joys were a mirage. Please, don’t believe these lies. It may be black as midnight now, but God is with you. He will see you through.
Tools for the Fight
God has warned us that our Enemy is a fierce opponent, but He has not left us defenseless. Ephesians 6 details the armor of God we have at our disposal. Without these tools, we are prone to attack and grievous harm.
The first item on the list is the “belt of truth.” How do we “wear” this belt as a tool in our daily lives?
- Know what’s true – If you aren’t educated in truth, you will believe anything. Be in God’s Word so you can discern Satan’s lies from God’s still, small voice.
- Record what’s true – God knows we have faulty memories. That’s why He told the Israelites to build memorials. We must do the same.
- Keep a journal.
- Post meaningful Scripture on your walls.
- Celebrate what’s true – God also instructed the Israelites to hold feast days throughout the year to remember past victories and moments of deliverance. And so should we!
- Celebrate the anniversaries of important days or new steps of courage.
- Share victories with trusted people who will rejoice with you and remind you of good times when things look bleak.
Regardless of what the Enemy and your feelings may be telling you, you are not alone! You will overcome and God will receive glory in your triumph. Rest in His promises.