Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭1-4, 6-11‬ NIV)

The best way to combat a lie is with the truth!

God’s word is truth, and Ephesians 6:17 states that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is the offensive weapon we use in spiritual combat. With His word we fight the lies of the tempter, the devil!

Jesus used specific scriptures for combating specific lies. Now that we have acknowledged our identity and assessed our insecurities, we can begin to align our minds with specific scriptures that contradict specific lies.

One area where I have struggled in life is with being afraid that I might upset others. It is in my nature and probably part of my nurturing to want to please others. I want to be liked!

I found out pretty early in ministry that you cannot please everyone, though. It is impossible! Actually, some people feel it is their God-given task to oppose whatever you try to do, even if it is a great idea. Maybe they figure this is how they can be a blessing.  Maybe this is just God keeping me humble… 🙂

Needless to say, it was necessary for me to find some scriptures to help fortify my resolve to follow God’s lead and not to always feel like I had please everyone. One of the first verses God gave me was Galatians 1:10. Paul wrote the following, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Because of God’s word I now realize, and continually remind myself, that my priority is obedience to Christ, and not pleasing man! That gives me peace of mind when making tough decisions in ministry.

You see, when you know the truth, the truth will set you free (John 8:32)! And….if the son sets you free, you are free indeed (John 8:36).

Challenge: Continue to assess your insecurities. Look up one specific scripture that will help with a specific insecurity, write it on a piece of paper, and carry it with you throughout the day. Let it be a constant reminder of the truth that frees you…