There is a certain level of truth in some of the lies the devil tells us about ourselves. It is not necessarily the lie that gets people stuck; it’s the grain of truth that the devil embeds deep within the lie.

If you are honest with yourself and not ashamed to admit it, you can find a strategy to consistently defeat him.

First of all, we need to understand the one we have to confront. He is formidable, but most especially diabolically artful in blending a little truth with big lies.

We see this play out in Matthew chapter 4 – where we see him taking the Word of God and twisting it in such a way to catch Jesus off guard.

But what he didn’t understand is that Jesus was way more sharper than he. So at every interval, Jesus world tell him – here is what it actually says – and, here is the context.

So, the question we are trying to answer today is – how can I wage an effective battle against the lie without ignoring the grain of truth in it?

There are two ways to wage an effective warfare against the enemy’s lies in this scenario:

1. Position yourself to maximize your potential

It would be naive to simply brush off the attack with the usual platitudes. Just quoting our favorite verses and wise sayings sometimes don’t adequately deal an effective blow to the enemy.

I’m afraid people who hide behind platitudes end up repeating those platitudes over a lifetime of defeat.

“I can do all things…” Philippians 4:13

Quotes like the one above could become a little bit more effective if we look to improve ourselves in areas of weakness.

For example:

If the enemy tells me – “you don’t have what it takes.” I can either be honest with myself and acknowledge that I lack some competencies in my leadership skills. Or I can ignore the grain of truth (if it’s there), and fight him with words. I may feel about myself for a minute, but the enemy always comes back seeing I’ve done nothing to improve myself.

What I need to do is – position myself to learn and to grow in those areas where I’m weak. I need to position myself to maximize my potential. So when he come back the next time around, he’s going be talking to a different me.

That is why Jesus calls us to be disciples. A disciple is a person who embraces life as a journey, not a destination. He/she is in it for the long haul. They keep returning to the drawing board. They are life long learners, doing everything it takes to own their weaknesses, improve on them, lean on others where necessary thereby edging the enemy out.

You cannot overcome accusations, condemnation, and lies without taking responsibility for your own mistakes and weaknesses. The enemy is going to play into that. Declarations are not enough, and who you are is as true as who you are becoming.

2. Position yourself to rely on God’s supernatural power.

This kind of attitude sets you up to wage an effective spiritual warfare. Because at this point – you’ve realized that whatever it is that God has called to do – you’re going to need something more than what you can bring to the table.

That if God doesn’t show up – you’re not going take off. I’m reminded of of a passage of scripture in Isaiah 37:3 – where it says,

“Today is a day of shame, reproach, and humiliation. For children have come to birth and there is no strength to bring them forth.”

If you’re like me and some times wonder how you’re going to bring forth that which God has called you to bring forth – let me remind you – “if He called you – He will help you.

So – When the enemy whispers in your ears – “what a shame, what a disgrace, you’re going to be humiliated again, you don’t have what it takes!”

Tell him – that He who called you has every resource you need. With His help you will succeed! That you will rise up in the strength of the Lord to bring forth whatever the Lord has called you to bring forth.

After you have done all you can do – God steps in and does what you can’t do!