Fighting Words: Confronting the Lies of the Enemy with God’s Truth (Part 2)
Welcome to Part 2 of Fighting Words, where we tackle ten more of the enemy’s favorite lies with God’s truth.
Our spiritual enemy doesn’t need to come up with brand-new lies to tell us. He just keeps recycling the same ones, whispering them to our hearts in different ways until we eventually start to believe them. Lies like: God’s holding out on you. You’ll never change. You’re not enough. These are more than just passing thoughts to shake us up—they’re fiery darts meant to wound our hearts and keep us from walking in God’s truth. But God has given us the most powerful weapon: His Word. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He didn’t argue, panic, or give in to the enemy’s schemes. He spoke Scripture. That’s what Fighting Words is all about. Naming the lies, declaring God’s truth, and standing firm on His promises.
#11: “God’s holding out on you.”
LIE: God is stingy, keeping the best from you. He’s withholding joy, purpose, and blessing from your life. If He really loved you, He would give you everything you want.
TRUTH: The very first lie whispered in Eden is still whispered to our hearts today: “God’s keeping the best from you.” Genesis 3:1-6 shows us that Eve looked around at the beautiful world God created just for her and believed that deception. But if God gave His own Son, why would He withhold anything that is truly good for you? Jesus is Truth incarnate! We have a Heavenly Father who loves to give us good gifts! But just like any parent, He won’t give us things that aren’t actually good for us just because we want them. Think about it: you love your child and you want them to be happy. Candy makes them happy! Does that mean that you should give them an unlimited supply any time they want? No! On the flip side, I don’t know why God doesn’t give loving couples struggling with years of infertility the gift of a child. Or why He doesn’t give a single mother living in poverty the gift of a consistent, non-minimum wage job. I do know that God is good. His plan is good. His way is good. And while there are so many things I can think of that I desperately wish God would give me (and I know He could), I choose to trust that His dream for my life is better than any I could imagine.
FIGHTING WORDS:
Romans 8:32—He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?
#12: “You’re too far gone for God to forgive you.”
LIE: You’ve ruined everything. God’s grace has run out on you.
TRUTH: God delights in forgiving, not condemning. Peter thought his story was over after denying Jesus (Luke 22:54-62). I mean, wouldn’t you? Maybe He could forgive and forget if you denied Him once, but THREE TIMES? IN A ROW? But our faithful Jesus restored him (John 21:15-19). He is so much bigger than your guilt. Guilt whispers, “You’ve ruined everything.” Grace answers, “Come home.” So if you’re feeling like you’ve strayed too far, stop and turn around. God is just waiting for you to take the first step. You can never be too far from a God who never leaves.
FIGHTING WORDS:
1 John 1:9—If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 103:12—As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
#13: “You’ll never change.”
LIE: Who you’ve been is who you’ll always be.
TRUTH: God makes you brand new. Paul went from persecutor to preacher—a complete transformation by His power (Acts 9). Our enemy loves using shame as a tactic in his scheme of deception. He slings it at us like mud, trying to convince us that we’ll never be able to get clean or that it’ll stain everything. Early Christian water baptism would include the removal of old clothes in exchange for new garments. This was to symbolize the shedding of the old self and the adoption of a new life. The enemy wants us to forget that Jesus is the Living Water. Not only does He wash everything clean, but He gives us a new garment to wear—Himself (Galatians 3:27).
FIGHTING WORDS:
2 Corinthians 5:17—Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
#14: “You have to earn God’s love.”
LIE: Grace is only for those who work hard enough and follow all the rules.
TRUTH: Salvation is a gift. Religion says, “Work harder.” But Jesus says, “It is finished.” When we start to believe that God’s love is based on performance rather than Christ’s finished work, we miss the whole point. God loves us because of who He is, not because of who we are. He doesn’t know how not to love you. Rest in that. (More on this topic can be found in Am I Good Enough?)
FIGHTING WORDS:
Ephesians 2:8-9—For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
#15: “Your prayers don’t really make a difference.”
LIE: Prayer is pointless. God doesn’t listen.
TRUTH: Prayer changes things because it connects us to the One who changes things. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah prayed earnestly and persistently for a child. This wasn’t some pretty prayer, either—it was so emotional and raw that people thought she was drunk! God answered, giving her Samuel (a son she named “God has heard”). God loves when we pray, because He wants us to communicate with Him. Our prayers for miraculous healing, provision, and direction prove that we believe God is capable. You wouldn’t ask someone to do something you didn’t believe they could do! We have a jealous God who wants us to want Him, need Him, and come to Him for everything. God answers every prayer in one of three ways: yes, no, or wait. Let me step on your toes for a second: just because you didn’t like His answer doesn’t mean He didn’t answer. Your prayers may not always change the exact situation you’re in, but it always changes you.
FIGHTING WORDS:
James 5:16—The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Luke 11:9-10—“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Jeremiah 29:12—“Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”
#16: “If people knew the real you, they wouldn’t love you.”
LIE: You have to hide who you really are or risk rejection.
TRUTH: God created us for community, not performance. So often we hide parts of our story, our struggles, or even our personalities out of fear of rejection. We hide behind masks and Instagram-filtered versions of ourselves, hoping to stay loved by staying unseen. But the truth is, vulnerability is the doorway to the deepest connections. When we’re real with others, we give them permission to be real, too. The people who are meant to walk with you won’t be scared off by who you are—they’ll draw closer. And the God who knit you together and knows every piece of you is more than able to place the right people in your life. Fear tells you to hide, but God’s freeing love invites you into the light. The best friends are those who will see you, know you, and still choose to love you.
FIGHTING WORDS:
1 John 4:18—There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.
John 13:34-35—“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
#17: “You’ve missed God’s plan for your life.”
LIE: You messed up too much, waited too long, or missed your chance.
TRUTH: God’s calling on your life cannot be revoked. He doesn’t pace the floors of Heaven wringing His hands because you took a wrong turn. He redeems lost years, restores broken roads, and writes the best redemption stories. God’s timeline is different from yours. My guess is that His schedule probably already accounted for all the times you’d screw up. I mean, HELLO, HE KNOWS YOU! He knows that sometimes your favorite way to learn is the hard way and that you’ll have to try living out your own plan a couple times before you realize His is best. You can’t outrun His plan (ahem, Jonah), and you definitely can’t stop it. Whatever feels wasted in your story can still become the very place God displays His glory.
FIGHTING WORDS:
Romans 11:29—For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
#18: “You’re powerless.”
LIE: You don’t have what it takes. You’re weak and defenseless.
TRUTH: God has given each of us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. You’re not at the mercy of your circumstances. That Spirit you have is the very one that raised Jesus from the dead. The enemy desperately wants you to forget the power and authority you have in Jesus. You know how everybody says that you shouldn’t be afraid of spiders because they’re way more scared of you than you are of them? If you’re like me, you always seem to forget that you’re the one 5834 times bigger, with an arsenal of homemade weapons that could easily smush it. Lucky for me, I can call on my husband to come in. I’m afraid, but I know the other guy living here isn’t. When you notice the enemy trying to freak you out, grab God! You may feel scared, but He’s not! Run to Him, point out where you see the enemy working, and watch Him get rid of the pest! When you walk in a room, God walks in the room. When you speak His name, you send the enemy running like coward. Weakness may describe how you feel, but it definitely doesn’t define who you are. Powerless could never be your identity when He is living in you.
FIGHTING WORDS:
2 Timothy 1:7—For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and a sound mind.
Zechariah 4:6—Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.
#19: “You can’t trust God with what matters most.”
LIE: You have to stay in control of your future, your family, and your security.
TRUTH: God cares for you more than you can imagine. The lie says you have to be in control. But control isn’t just a heavy burden; it’s a crushing weight, my friend. Trust is the freedom our hearts crave. I know it isn’t always easy to trust (seriously, ask my therapist about my control issues), but it’s so important to really give yourself a heart check. Pastor Craig Groeschel has said, “What you worry about the most often reveals where you trust God the least.” Please, please remember that God is a Father who holds every tomorrow and every detail in His hands with perfect love.
FIGHTING WORDS:
1 Peter 5:7—Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
#20: “You’re not ready or equipped to do what God has called you to do.”
LIE: You’re unqualified. You don’t have what it takes.
TRUTH: God’s call always comes with God’s supply. Moses literally stammered at the thought of leading Israel (read about that in Lessons from a Burning Bush Part 2). God didn’t promise him that he would have what it takes; God promised him Himself! He equips us with everything good to do His will, and He makes us abound in every good work. The assignment in front of you may feel much bigger than you, but that’s kind of the point—it was never about your adequacy, but His.
FIGHTING WORDS:
Hebrews 13:20-21—Now may the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing His will and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 9:8—And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Even though you have an arsenal of fighting words at your disposal, the lies will keep coming. Sometimes they’re loud and obvious, but sometimes they slip in like background noise. Every single lie can be silenced by the truth of Scripture. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the grave lives in you, and the Word of God in your mouth is stronger than the enemy’s poison. I hope you take these Words and speak them out loud. Let them anchor your soul. And when the lie shows up again—and it will—you’ll be ready.
Father, thank You for giving me Your Word as a weapon against the enemy’s lies. When doubt, fear, and shame creep in, help me to recognize them quickly and replace them with Your truth. Teach me to believe what You say over what my feelings scream. Root my identity so deeply in Christ that no lie can shake it. Strengthen me to walk in freedom, to trust Your timing, and to live boldly in the calling You’ve placed on my life. Let my life declare Your goodness and Your truth. Amen.