Naming Shines a Light on the Truth

The thoughts overtook my mind, slithering in like an unwanted guest.

You don’t have anything worthwhile to contribute.

No one really cares.

She does it so much better than you.

I knew the lies were from the enemy, but I still struggled to stop them.

Our Enemy knows just how to come after us. He’s an excellent student, both patient and persistent in his study of humanity. And he’s sneaky like a snake. But he isn’t very creative. He’s been repeating the same pattern since the beginning of time.

His tactic is deceptively simple: distract, derail, debilitate.

We don’t need to fear him, though, because the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4) But we do need to be wise to the Enemy’s tactics so that we are ready to resist them.

When the Enemy attacks me, he usually comes after my identity by either bloating it or destroying it. He wants to tell me who I am and what I should do, like an estranged, drunken uncle spewing hurtful declarations over me. No thank you. Yet his words, whispered into my heart and mind can leave a mark, causing me to wonder if maybe there’s a tiny bit of truth in there.

I shouldn’t be surprised that he targets my identity. I think he does the same to you. And if it’s any solace, we’re not that special, because it’s the same tactic he used on Jesus.

In Matthew 3:17, just after Jesus’s baptism, God speaks this blessing of identity over him: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Then, just three short verses later, Satan tries to make Jesus doubt this truth through his lies.

The setup: Jesus, who had fasted for 40 days, was obviously hungry. If we know anything about how it feels to skip a meal or two, we can imagine Jesus also felt weak and exhausted. That’s when Satan, the opportunist, made his move, taunting Jesus to turn stones to bread. Satan provoked Jesus with false promises—you can make yourself feel better with a little food and it will prove who you really are.

The irony is, Jesus could have turned the stones into bread, and it would have made him feel physically better. But only for a moment and with far-reaching consequences. Satan, true to his character, made a sham offer laced with half-truth. Jesus knew this and didn’t give in. No spoiler there, though—you already knew that, didn’t you?

But this account has made me wonder.

Where am I hungry? Where am I vulnerable because I am weak and tired? How could this become the perfect setup for Satan to swoop in and tempt me to circumvent God to try to prove my worth or make myself feel better?

Having recently transitioned from a very demanding job to working for myself, I’m tempted to seek growth faster than it’s coming. To make things happen. To push harder and longer. To let numbers define my success and my worth.

It’s helpful but hard to name these things. Naming shines a light into places we’d rather keep hidden (another trick of the enemy). But bringing our temptations into the light strips Satan of his power and helps us helps declare truth over these lies, which is exactly what Jesus did.

When Satan taunted him, Jesus countered with the truest truth: “It is written.” In that moment, Jesus went back to the foundation of God’s Word. And he made the choice to trust God above his circumstances. He didn’t need to prove himself. He knew his every need would be met, maybe not exactly when and how he wanted, but in the right way at the right time.

We can follow Jesus’s lead and employ the same tactic when we feel attacked. As we turn to God and his Word, we can identify and declare truth to the Enemy’s lies.

My truth sounds like:

Numbers don’t determine my value or worth, God does. (Matt. 10:29-31)
Hustling isn’t fruitfulness, abiding is. (John 15:5)
Keep a holy pace, not a worldly one. (Gal. 5:16-17)

What about you? Are you struggling with feeling weary, less than, or purposeless? Or maybe you’re tempted by pride—believing you can take control and make things happen. Either way, you are likely being attacked by the Enemy and his lies.

Can I encourage you? Start with prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify any lies you’ve been entertaining. Then go to God’s Word and prayerfully seek truth that counters these deceptions. Finally, create space to be with God every day. We need to constantly fill our hearts and minds with God’s truth. If you struggle to find time, grab a Bible study guide and some friends for accountability. Jesus is longing for you to live in freedom and abundance (John 8:32, 10:10). Ask him to help you; he will be faithful to do it.

Then, the next time the Enemy shows up like that toxic uncle, you’ll be ready to combat his taunts with truth so you can get back to the good work God has called you to do.

Jodie Niznik, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, helps people create space for God in their lives through her Scripture meditation podcast and equips them to take another step with Jesus through her Real People, Real Faith Bible studies and teaching. You can connect with her at jodieniznik.com.