One of the most sobering realizations we can come to as followers of Christ is that although our God is greater and has more power and love and wisdom than we could ever even imagine, there is also an evil, supernatural force that can’t be denied. Satan is the enemy, and he seeks out to deceive, destroy, kill, hurt and wreck the lives of anyone that he possibly can. The Bible calls him “the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world… the accuser” (Revelation 12:9–10).
I struggle daily with the fear of actually believing Satan’s lies. Some might think that, as a follower of Christ, it would be common sense that God is good, therefore we should listen to him. And Satan is bad, therefore we should ignore his lies. It sounds simple, but it is something that many of us struggle with more than we would like to admit.
For me, the lie that stood out so prevalently was the lie that I, a single mother, would live the rest of my life alone and empty, paying for my sins. The voice was constant, and it got louder with each passing day. “You are unworthy of love. You are undesirable. You are-used up baggage. No man, especially a Christian man, would want to be with a single mother. Your stretch marks from pregnancy are so unattractive, no man will ever want to look at those. You are going to be alone forever, so get used to it.” These were just some of the things he whispered, and often yelled, into my ears daily. The worst part is that I believed him. I believed everything he told me, even though I knew who I was in Christ. I began to doubt everything I had ever been told and started to accept the fact that what Satan was telling me about myself was true. Little did I know, God had amazing things in store right around the corner.
”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
— Jeremiah 29:11
Sometimes, God speaks to you through others because he knows that you will listen. I will never forget the morning that my mom came to me and said, “God gave me a vision. He has the man that we have been praying for since the day that you were born, but you are not ready for him.” Those were sobering words. All this time, Satan’s lies had infiltrated my life in such a way that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
This vision came at a time where I felt like I was hitting a personal rock bottom (self-image/self-worth wise). It came at exactly the moment that God knew I needed it the most, so I started making life changes, went on a 40-day fast and worked on loving myself again and seeking him daily. It didn’t take long until I started to see myself in the image of Christ. My perspective radically changed. I knew I was worthy, I knew I was special and that I was fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). The loud roars of the enemy’s lies became faint whispers. I felt new, redeemed, and worthy of love in a way that I never thought possible. It’s as if my spiritual eyes had been opened, and I was able to see clearly for the first time.
Long story short, just a few weeks after the 40-day fast, God answered our prayers in a big way. He brought the man we had all been praying for into my life and the life of my son, and everything has been forever changed. Although God changed my life radically and quickly, even if he had chosen to wait, I still would have been content knowing that it would happen in his time. The ability to see myself as a child of God, one that was so worthy of love and joy and peace, was one of the greatest gifts that I could have received.
My story is one of healing, redemption and love. It has God’s hands all over it. It is a constant reminder to me that God loves me so much and wants me to stop listening to Satan’s lies. Pray about it daily. Seek the truth that our heavenly Father so desperately wants us to hear. Remember, he will reveal the truth if you take the time to seek his face.