Recap: 12 Truths

It's hard to believe this Bible Study is coming to a close. With an overwhelming amount of useful scriptures and notes, let's recap the first twelve lies as a refreshing reminder. It's important that we savor these liberating, life-changing Truths that God has promised and given us. When we come into a situation where the Enemy is near, we'll have these key scriptures and corresponding Truths to fight back and keep us from bondage.

1. God is good 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
  for his steadfast love endures forever.  - Psalm 136:1 

God is good in both the good AND hard times. When we go through hard times, the Enemy tries to make us question God's goodness. Regardless of what we think and feel, God is good!

2. God loves me and wants me to have His best

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:32

 God is the epitome of love - for He is love. We are not worthy of His love and there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn or deserve His love. Since God loves us perfectly, we can rest assured knowing that He longs for us to experience all the joy in life He design us to know.

3. I am complete and accepted in Christ 

… even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. - Ephesians 1:4-6

There is not one thing we can do to make ourselves acceptable to God. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. And Jesus, the pure sinless Son of God, is acceptable to Him, and we stand in Him. 

4. God is enough 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. – Psalm 23:1

If we have God, we have everything we need for our present peace and happiness. 

5. God can be trusted 

... therefore thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
 a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
 ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ - Isaiah 28:16

God is the cornerstone. He ALWAYS keeps His promises. 

6. God doesn't make any mistakes

… declaring the end from the beginning
 and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ - Isaiah 46:10

Humans make mistakes. When we put all our hope and faith in humans, we are bound for disappointment. Someone once said, "God's will is exactly what we would choose, if we knew what God knows." We must walk by faith not by sight. 

7. God's grace is sufficient for me 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient of you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  – 2 Corinthians 12:9

No matter what stage in life we're in, know His grace is sufficient. His grace will be sufficient today, tomorrow and fifty years from now. We must remember this through any circumstance we face and through every season of life. 

8. The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover all my sin 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  – 1 John 1:7

There is no sin that we have ever committed or could commit that can't be forgiven and covered the blood Jesus shed for us. This shouldn't cause us to take sin more lightly. Instead, it should make us realize that our sin required the lifeblood of Jesus causing us to have a humble spirit and live in obedience to the Lord. 

9. The Cross of Christ is sufficient to conquer my sinful flesh

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. - Romans 6:6-7

Sin is a choice. We don't have to sin. With the power of Christ, we can be set free of sin and no longer be a slave to it. 

10. My past does not have to plague me 

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

 Sin doesn't separate us from God. Through Christ even the worst of sinners can be made clean and new. Our past doesn't have to be a hindrance. By God's grace, our past can actually become stepping-stones to greater victory and fruitfulness.

11. God's Word is sufficient to lead me, teach me, and heal me

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105 

The Word of God is alive and medicine for our troubled hearts. Whatever our needs and whatever our circumstances, the Word is sufficient to meet that need. 

12. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, God will enable me to do anything He commands me to do 

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. – 1 Thessalonians 5:24

The issue isn't that we can't obey God. The real issue is that we are unwilling to love, we won't forgive, and we refuse to give thanks and be content with what God has provided. Obedience is a choice. We must enable the power of the Holy Spirit so we can choose to forgive, choose to let Him love others through us, choose to give thanks in every circumstance, and choose to be content. 

I encourage your to write these Truths and verses down and keep them in a safe place. Whenever you encounter the Enemy, refer to these Truths. Take one verse per week and memorize it. That what you can speak Truth in light of any situation!

Countering Lies with the Truth

In this study, we've examined forty lies that women widely believe but this list isn't exhaustive. Satan has an arsenal of lies that he selectively uses to lure his intended prey. Believing these lies put us in bondage.

The progression towards bondage starts when we listen to lies. Satan is often subtle with his deception and chooses to lure us in the areas we are most prone to sin. Think of him as a prowling lion, waiting for the perfect moment to devour us - his prey.

Once we permit the entrance of Satan's lies to gain entrance into our minds, we begin to dwell on them.  If we fail to reject the lies immediately, we allow ourselves to entertain them and sooner or later start believing them.

Inevitably, what we believe is what we act on. When we act on these lies, we establish a pattern of believing them that ultimately leads to bondage.

How do we free ourselves from the bondage? The Truth!

"...and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." - John 8:32

The Truth is ALWAYS stronger than the Enemy. The Truth can protect our hearts and minds from deceptive thoughts and has the power to overcome any lie. The Truth can sanctify us - purify our hearts, minds and spirit.


Christians are not immune to these lies or bondage. Every day, Satan seeks to deceit us. Thankfully, God has given the us the best armor to fight this battle:

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastening on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all your prayer and supplication..." 

- Ephesians 6:13 -18

Two things that we can do today to fight this battle:
1. Spend intentional time in God's Word
2. Be in prayer

Saturating ourselves in God's Word is more difficult than what we're willing to admit. Too often we find ourselves entertained by mindless tasks such as watching TV and surfing through social media instead of spending time in the Scripture. Just like training for a marathon, training to fight the Enemy takes time and effort. It is not quick and easy. This work will take our whole lives but there is nothing more worth doing. As we memorize Scripture and broaden our knowledge of God's promises, our arsenal to fight back grows tremendously. We can analyze the lies we hear and stand strong to defend  the Truth.

God equips us with the proper armor. It is up to us to train ourselves to be ready to fight when Satan knocks at our door. The Truth is the best weapon. Take advantage of God's promises and start your training today!

Lies Women Believe ... About Emotions

I am a women. Therefore, I am the most emotional being on the planet! I will be the first to admit my emotions get the best of me too often. It's a constant struggle and Satan is well aware of that. I've let emotions control my behaviors, responses and attitudes. God purposefully designed us to be able to feel and express an array of emotions that reflects His heart and brings glory to Him. The problem isn't that we have emotions - it's that ours are tainted unlike God's who are perfect. Satan uses us emotional women in bondage, making us believe things about our emotions that just aren't true. The challenge we face is letting the Spirit of God sanctify us to expressed our emotions in a godly way.

I've had those days that seems go from bad to worse. I get crabby and make the personal decision to REMAIN crabby for the rest of the day. I know that tomorrow will be a new day so I can make amends then. This attitude of obeying the Lord when it's convenient for me is far from what the Truth instructs. The Bible tells us to hasten and not delay obeying God's commands. (Psalm 119:60)

So why do we instead naturally turn to things like food, shopping, venting, etc. when our emotions are on a roller coaster?

Selfishly, we find comfort in instant gratification. It's easier to vent to a friend or indulge in a bag of chips then to go to the Lord. When we go to the Lord we usually don't find instant relief but we need to go to the Him first even if it calls for us to be patient! It's crazy to say but the next time you are moody go to prayer. I know personally, that is one of the last things that I think to do. God is our friend and should be the first we go to when our emotions begin to rule over us.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything , but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,  will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:4-7

I feel for my husband when I'm overwhelmed with emotions. Like clockwork, my hormones get the best of me every month. I get easily irritated by petty things and find myself igniting contentless arguments. The Enemy wants me to justify my fleshly, sinful attitudes and responses based on my physical condition and hormonal changes.  But there is simply no excuse for my ungodly attitude and behavior - even if it's that time of the month. I must turn my trust to God and look to him in hope. He is well aware of the hormonal changes I face - he created me for goodness sakes! With practice, I need to have my fluctuating emotions draw me closer to the Lord. Every time I feel overwhelmed, I need have purposeful time with Him and express my emotions through prayer.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, 

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained from me 

were written in your book before one of them came to be. - Psalm 139:13-16

The Bible is a book FULL of coping skills for any situation we are facing. The next time we feel our emotions overflowing let's have our immediate response be going to the Bible and seeking the Lord prayer! Let the body of Christ minister grace. After we've prayed ourselves,  seek a spiritual leader and ask the to pray as well.

To close, try not to don't dwell on the things bothering you, go to prayer when you feel overwhelmed, seek the Truth, learn to cope by spending time in the Word and find a spiritual leader to pray for you and assist when needed.