Friday, December 16, 2016

Agreements with the Enemy

 
Whether we realize it or not, we all have a daily dialogue that exists in our heads, and much of it is influenced by our enemy. We misinterpret what people say to us. "Can you please stop making so much noise?!" Turns into, "You're annoying, and I don't really want you around," in an 8-year-old's head. "Why did you forget to pick up my dry cleaning?" can become, "You never do anything right," to our fallen minds and emotions. A friend recently told me, "Satan is all too happy to filter our interpretations." These are examples of lies we believe. John Eldredge calls them agreements with Satan.

Today, my 7-year-old begged to play video games with Dad before rest time (we usually do it after). After I told him I'd have to ask Dad first, he, sensing my hesitancy, proceeded to throw a 7yo tantrum, whining annoyingly and jumping up and down. At that point, I had to stick to my guns and sent him off to his room for rest time. He broke down in tears in his room, and like his heart was broken, said, "you just don't want me to have time with family!" (He had just gotten back from a fun outing with his dad.) I didn't punish him or get angry at his attempt at manipulation because it hit me as the all too familiar battle I too face every day. I took his little face in my hands and said firmly and lovingly, "STOP telling yourself lies! You are believing a lie. If what you just said were true, of course you would be upset & crying the way you are, and rightfully so. But what you just said is not true." I didn't have to give evidence that he has plenty of family time because he knew that and immediately stopped crying; his face softened. "But I feel like it's true." "I know," I said. "I deal with the same thing every day, and so does Daddy. We have to tell ourselves to not listen to the lies but what is true." I should have gone one step further and told him whom the lies come from and that his greatest battle in life will be fighting the Enemy and his lies every day of his life, in his own mind & in those he loves. "You're God's warrior, son, and this is your battle," I should have told him. 

What lies are you believing? What agreements have you made with the devil? "Why try? It's no use." "I'll never be good enough for her." "I'll never be loved the way I want." "He just doesn't care about me when he does xyz." "I'll never need anyone again." 

"The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy..." John 10
"The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19

What have you lost that Jesus is trying to give back to you?

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