Breaking Free: Overcoming the Lies of the Devil
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the theme of freedom from the lies of the devil. We began by acknowledging the unique and vibrant spirit of this church and the honor it is to be here. We then delved into the topic of identifying and combating the lies that the enemy has been telling us since the beginning of time. The devil's strategy is repetitive, using the same lies over and over again to instill doubt and fear in our hearts. We must first identify these lies to understand their impact on our lives.
The first step in experiencing freedom is to identify the lie. The devil has been lying since the Garden of Eden, and these lies bring sin and brokenness into our lives. Recognizing these lies is crucial because they often become so ingrained in us that we start to believe them ourselves. The second step is to fight back with truth. The Apostle Paul teaches us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. This means actively rejecting the lies and replacing them with the truth of God's Word. Jesus Himself demonstrated this when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, responding to each lie with "It is written," quoting Scripture to affirm His identity and mission.
The final step is to walk in freedom. This isn't just about surviving but thriving in the truth of who God says we are. Many of us have been held back by lies that we are not good enough, that we have nothing to offer, or that God's grace isn't for us. But the truth is, we are children of God, loved and chosen, with a purpose and calling. We must wear out a path to God's presence, continually reminding ourselves of our true identity in Christ. This daily practice of speaking God's truth over our lives will help us break free from the enemy's lies and walk in the freedom that Jesus died to give us.
### Key Takeaways
1. Identify the Lie: The devil's lies are repetitive and have been used since the beginning of time to bring sin and brokenness into our lives. Recognizing these lies is the first step to freedom because it allows us to discern what is from the enemy and what is from God. Understanding the specific lies we believe helps us to confront and reject them. [55:54]
2. Fight Back with Truth: The Apostle Paul teaches us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. This means actively rejecting the lies and replacing them with the truth of God's Word. Jesus demonstrated this when He was tempted by the devil, responding to each lie with Scripture. We must do the same, using God's Word as our weapon against the enemy's lies. [57:28]
3. Walk in Freedom: Walking in freedom means thriving in the truth of who God says we are. Many of us have been held back by lies that we are not good enough or that God's grace isn't for us. But the truth is, we are children of God, loved and chosen, with a purpose and calling. We must continually remind ourselves of our true identity in Christ. [01:14:04]
4. Community Support: The shield of faith not only protects us but also those around us. In Roman times, soldiers would interlock their shields to protect each other. Similarly, as a church, we must support one another, speaking truth into each other's lives and reminding each other of our identity in Christ. This communal support helps us to stand strong against the enemy's lies. [01:05:25]
5. Daily Practice: We must wear out a path to God's presence, continually reminding ourselves of our true identity in Christ. This daily practice of speaking God's truth over our lives will help us break free from the enemy's lies. By starting each day in God's presence and declaring His truth, we can live in the freedom that Jesus died to give us. [01:20:13]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[46:10] - Introduction and Humor
[47:34] - God's Presence in Canada
[48:07] - Honoring the Pastors
[48:36] - Preaching Together
[49:04] - Freedom from the Lies of the Devil
[49:37] - Identifying the Lies
[55:29] - The Devil's Repetitive Lies
[57:28] - Taking Every Thought Captive
[58:02] - Personal Struggles with Lies
[59:25] - Binding Lies in Jesus' Name
[01:00:01] - Fighting Back with Truth
[01:04:59] - The Shield of Faith
[01:05:25] - Community Support
[01:14:04] - Walking in Freedom
[01:20:13] - Daily Practice of Truth
[01:23:09] - Closing and Call to Action
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5: "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
2. John 8:44: "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
3. Matthew 4:1-11: The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, where He responds to the devil's lies with "It is written," quoting Scripture.
#### Observation Questions
1. According to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, what are the weapons we use to fight against the lies of the enemy?
2. In John 8:44, how is the devil described, and what does this tell us about his nature?
3. How did Jesus respond to the devil's temptations in Matthew 4:1-11, and what can we learn from His responses?
4. What are some specific lies mentioned in the sermon that the devil uses to deceive us? ([49:04])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to identify the specific lies that the enemy tells us, according to the sermon? ([55:29])
2. How does taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ help us combat the lies of the enemy? ([57:28])
3. What role does community support play in helping us stand against the enemy's lies, as discussed in the sermon? ([01:05:25])
4. How does daily practice of speaking God's truth over our lives contribute to walking in freedom? ([01:20:13])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a specific lie that the enemy has been telling you. How can you identify and reject this lie in your daily life? ([55:29])
2. What are some practical ways you can take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ when you face lies or temptations? ([57:28])
3. How can you use Scripture to fight back against the lies of the enemy, similar to how Jesus did in the wilderness? ([01:09:37])
4. In what ways can you support others in your community to help them stand strong against the enemy's lies? ([01:05:25])
5. What daily practices can you implement to remind yourself of your true identity in Christ and walk in freedom? ([01:20:13])
6. Think of a time when you felt you were not good enough or that you had nothing to offer. How can you replace these lies with the truth of who God says you are? ([01:14:04])
7. How can you create a habit of starting each day in God's presence and declaring His truth over your life? ([01:20:13])
Devotional
Day 1: Recognize the Enemy's Lies
The devil's lies are repetitive and have been used since the beginning of time to bring sin and brokenness into our lives. Recognizing these lies is the first step to freedom because it allows us to discern what is from the enemy and what is from God. Understanding the specific lies we believe helps us to confront and reject them. The devil has been lying since the Garden of Eden, and these lies bring sin and brokenness into our lives. Recognizing these lies is crucial because they often become so ingrained in us that we start to believe them ourselves.
[55:54]
2 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV): "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
Reflection: What is one lie you have believed about yourself or your circumstances? How can you begin to identify and reject this lie today?
Day 2: Combat Lies with God's Truth
The Apostle Paul teaches us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. This means actively rejecting the lies and replacing them with the truth of God's Word. Jesus demonstrated this when He was tempted by the devil, responding to each lie with Scripture. We must do the same, using God's Word as our weapon against the enemy's lies. By taking every thought captive, we can ensure that our minds are aligned with God's truth rather than the enemy's deception.
[57:28]
2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV): "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."
Reflection: What specific Scripture can you use to combat a lie you are currently facing? How can you incorporate this Scripture into your daily routine?
Day 3: Embrace Your True Identity in Christ
Walking in freedom means thriving in the truth of who God says we are. Many of us have been held back by lies that we are not good enough or that God's grace isn't for us. But the truth is, we are children of God, loved and chosen, with a purpose and calling. We must continually remind ourselves of our true identity in Christ. This daily practice of speaking God's truth over our lives will help us break free from the enemy's lies and walk in the freedom that Jesus died to give us.
[01:14:04]
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
Reflection: How can you remind yourself of your true identity in Christ today? What practical steps can you take to live out this identity?
Day 4: Support Each Other in Faith
The shield of faith not only protects us but also those around us. In Roman times, soldiers would interlock their shields to protect each other. Similarly, as a church, we must support one another, speaking truth into each other's lives and reminding each other of our identity in Christ. This communal support helps us to stand strong against the enemy's lies. By interlocking our shields of faith, we can create a strong defense against the attacks of the enemy.
[01:05:25]
Ephesians 6:16 (ESV): "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one."
Reflection: Who in your community can you support today by speaking truth into their life? How can you practically offer this support?
Day 5: Daily Practice of God's Presence
We must wear out a path to God's presence, continually reminding ourselves of our true identity in Christ. This daily practice of speaking God's truth over our lives will help us break free from the enemy's lies. By starting each day in God's presence and declaring His truth, we can live in the freedom that Jesus died to give us. This isn't just about surviving but thriving in the truth of who God says we are.
[01:20:13]
Psalm 16:11 (ESV): "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Reflection: How can you create a daily habit of spending time in God's presence? What specific actions can you take to start your day with God's truth?
Quotes
1. "We get to travel and be in different churches and in different cities. And just to see God move across the world, it's very encouraging to know that the Lord is here in Canada as well. And what God is doing in this church. I hope that you know this is not normal. And if you live in this area, I think you're aware of that, that there are not a lot of thriving and growing churches. And so Spirit of God is alive here. And it is a joy to be in this house." [47:34] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The devil's been lying to me my entire life. Things that my parents said to me, and I got great parents, but things my parents said to me that the enemy has used. Things that spiritual mentors in my life said to me or did that the enemy has used and twisted and corrupted. And so today, man, I'm so excited to preach on this topic. It's not something that we would say we're experts in, but we have been fighting against the lies of the devil in our lives personally, for our children, for our church." [49:04] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Why is it important to know what the lie is that the enemy is saying? Because if we don't know what the lie is, then we won't know if it's him or are we just believing this about ourselves? So the reality is this, the devil has been lying since the very beginning. Go back to the garden, Adam and Eve hanging out in perfection. Come on, let's go. Here they are. No issues going on, no sin into the world yet. And here comes the devil and the first thing he does is lie to them. And they give into the lie and as a result, sin and brokenness enter our world. The same is true for us. Why do we need to identify the lie? Because the moment we give into his lies, sin and brokenness enter into our lives." [55:29] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "He's not creative. He's repetitive. He runs the same play over and over and over again. The same lie that you were fed as a child is probably the same lie that he is feeding you your entire life. He's just using different people in your life to say it. And at some point, I heard a pastor say this, he lies to us so much, but then at a certain point, he kind of retires and lets us just take over. And we just speak that same lie that he instilled into us at a young age. We just start speaking it over ourselves. And the enemy is relentless. And he just keeps speaking the same lie over and over and over." [56:23] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "When that thought comes into your mind, when that lie comes into your mind from the devil, some of you, the lie is you're not good enough. You don't have what it takes. That's what my dad instilled at me at a young age. And I still feel it to this day. I felt it walking up on this stage right now. You don't have anything good to share to these people. They don't want to hear from you. They'd rather hear from your pastor. Please come back next week. You get to hear from your pastor. You know what I'm saying? And the devil will tell me I'm not good enough. I'm not a good enough father to my kids. I'm not a good enough husband. I'm not a good enough pastor. I'm not a good enough follower of Jesus. And the moment I let that thought rattle around in my mind, the moment I start to believe it." [58:02] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "You either take your thought captive or it'll take you captive. You either make your thought a prisoner or it'll make you a prisoner. So this is how it plays out in my life. Again, this is how it goes. The moment I feel the lie come in and I know this is not from my heart. This is not from my father in heaven. This is from the enemy. This is from the devil. So the moment I feel it, I grab it. Like literally, like figuratively, literally, like all the above. I grab it and I go, that's not from God. Other verses of scripture would say we bind it in the name of Jesus. So out loud, and I know this is weird and it might be in your cubicle at work. It might be you driving in your car. But the moment that lie comes, you grab it and you go, this is not from God. This is not who I am. And you start speaking. You start speaking the truth of God over your life of who you are." [58:57] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "Jesus said the enemy, the devil, is a murderer and the father of all lies. Why would you let a murderer in your mind? You cast him out in the name of Jesus. Well, how do we do that? We identify the lie. But then the second part is this. We fight back with truth. Come on, somebody. I love that the armor of God pieces that he gives us, one of them is called the shield of faith, right? And so we have this shield that not only blocks the arrows that the enemy shoots at us, the Bible tells us, but they are fiery flaming arrows. And it says that they don't just block it, they extinguish it. And the shield that I carry for myself protects me. But if we think about Roman times, a shield wasn't just a protection, it was to protect you, it was to protect the people around you. And so you would interlock shields together to protect one another." [01:00:01] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "Jesus had this amazing moment where he got baptized. It was awesome. It was incredible, supernatural. And in Matthew chapter three, it says that after he gets baptized, he comes up out of the water and the heavens open up. And this is what happens. A voice from heaven, God the Father said, this is my son whom I love, with whom I am well pleased. This is my son. What is that? He is speaking identity over Jesus. You belong to me. I love you and I'm proud of you. Guess what? Jesus had not performed a single miracle at this point. What is God proud of? He hasn't done anything. He's proud of Jim just because of who he is. Because he belongs to him." [01:07:27] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "Why does the devil lie to you about your identity? Because he doesn't want you to step into your calling and purpose. Why does he lie to you when it comes to temptation and sin? Because he knows the moment you give into that, that he's going to steal, kill, and destroy every good thing in your life. So what are we doing, church? We're saying, God, if freedom is available, I'll do anything I can to get it. You ever seen a grass path where people should have used the sidewalk, but instead they just walked through the grass and they wore out like a path in the grass? Anybody know what I'm talking about? How many of you had that spot in your home? Maybe you should walk around, but you just walk right through the grass. That's what we need to do." [01:19:23] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "For some of you, you have been replaying the lies of the enemy over and over in your mind your entire life. That you're a failure. You need to live in shame. you've worn out a path believing the enemy. What if we wore out a path into the truth of who God says we are? What if for the next 40 days, we just wore out a path into the presence of God? That every morning we wake up, our first reaction isn't, I'm going to scroll on social media. I'm going to read the news. No, my first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to run to the presence of God. And I'm going to wear out a path. And I'm going to sit with my father. And I'm going to let him speak over my life who I am. Because my first natural reaction isn't to remember who I am. And so I've got to spend some time speaking over my life. I am a son of God. I belong to God. I was far from him. But now I'm in the family. I choose to think righteous thoughts today. I choose to speak holy words today. I choose to live out a holy life today, God, by your grace and by your power. I declare that over my life every single day. Out loud. So that I'm reminding myself of who I am. And I'm also reminding the devil he has no hold on my life." [01:20:13] (80 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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