When Evil Tries To Keep You From Love - Know You are Beloved

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT)

“Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39, NLT)

“Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, NLT)

Evil exists, in many forms, in many ways, across continents and cultures—from small, everyday occurrences like gossip and harsh words to big movements like governmental decisions and policies. It seems that the enemy gets a foothold when we don’t know and live in the truth that we are beloved of God. The great revelation of Jesus was to show us the extent of God’s love for us and bring us to an everlasting relationship with Him. It would therefore make sense that the purpose of the devil is to drive us away from God, to stop and limit any relationship with Him, and to cause us harm. In a way, hurting us is a way to hurt God, as He loves us so. Simply put, God wants us to know we are loved. The devil does not want us to know God at all, but if he can’t prevent that, he will try to keep us from knowing that we are loved by God.

According to Scripture and church tradition, in this life we will face a trifold enemy: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The first thing to notice about evil is that the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis gives us no reason for evil existing: why it is there or where it came from. The serpent tempts Adam and Eve, but we are not told why the serpent is there, why the serpent wants to tempt them, or why the serpent himself became God’s adversary. We are simply aware that Adam and Eve are given clear and simple instructions, and they break them.

Here we see the devil, as represented by the snake, leading them through his own corrupted will to come against God. This is a spiritual conflict going on within them. Next we see the example of the world tempting them: the fruit looked good. They were told no, but the fruit was “pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). Then we are told the fruit was desirable because it would lead to gaining wisdom. Desire sprang up within them. This is the flesh. The flesh is linked on an emotional level within our bodies. These three—the world, the flesh, and the devil—are the enemies of every Christian.

You won’t die.

God is wrong.

You will become like God if you grab it for yourself.

Do any of those lies sound familiar? When you get confused or are not sure what to believe, make it simple. Ask God to help you replace deceptive thoughts with truth. God is love, and God loves you. You are not perfect, but God is, and He is for you. Yes, evil exists, but so does God—and God is bigger, stronger, and all in for you!

Breathe.

What lies are you tempted to believe?

Come back to the truth.

God is on your side.