Don't Squander the Wander!

I’ve long said that satan hides in the secrets. His tired game of old is to make us think that no one would ever understand what we are going through, and the only solution for survival is to just keep quiet. Be silent. Stew in the secrets. Embrace defeat quietly, protecting the enemy who has done everything to take our eyes off the protections we already have in Christ. Hide from God. Wait, what? Protect the enemy? Bait and switch. And we fall for it every day.

Whether such tidbits of non-truth come from our own choices and sin, or the manipulation and lies of others, the result is the same. Secrets destroy. Slowly. From the inside out. What we do in the name of self-preservation becomes the exact opposite. If the enemy can keep us trapped in our sin, trapped in the wrongful actions of others, and trapped in the norms of a godless society, then his tactics have worked. Enough. Just stop. Yes, I realize this is so very easier said than done. But stick with me on this.

In a culture that proclaims that everything is “fine” when it is anything but fine, it’s easy to see how we get stuck in this funk. The enemy set up this cycle in the garden of old, and it has been spinning furiously since. Humanity marches to the beat of this dangerous drum without ever giving it a second thought.

Someone wronged you? Better be quiet, because no one would believe you anyway.

Wrong.

Someone hurt you? Better keep quiet, or their threats will come to pass.

Only hurts you.

Sinned and stuck? If we stay silent, maybe no one will know.

Sticks us in a pit of our own making.

Well, friend, there’s an app for all that. Jesus paid the price for each and every sin, each and every secret. Not so we could stay stuck, but so that we could be free. His redeeming sacrificial blood is applied to each and every wrong we bring to Him in prayer. He is faithful to wash us clean. Gone. Sin and secrets have no more power, no more hold. Where there is Jesus, there is life. His life.

One of the mightiest scriptural images of the power of God versus the schemes of satan is the image of God casting satan down in defeat. In a split millisecond. God brings judgment, and as quick as a bolt of lightning, it is done. This shows us the warring of spiritual warfare is no big thing for the God of All Creation. Quicker than a snap of a finger, He wins. We win. In the fullness of time. God’s timing.

Haters gonna hate. Liars gonna lie. Already done it, regardless of our actions or intentions. Don’t waste the brain space. Do you think God is up in heaven, seated on His throne in complete victory, biting his nails and fretting about what that little fallen angel might do next? Nope. Doesn’t give him a thought. He knows who holds the power.

Spiritual warfare is real. We have real choices to make. We can beg and plead in our own strength, looking under every rock and shaking in our imaginations, or we can cast our cares on the One who brings victory. In an instant. His instant. Understanding it may take a lifetime, and possibly not this side of heaven, for us to see that victory with our own eyes, God is on the move. He hears. He acts. He will deliver. Stand on that truth, whether we see the full result yet or not.

Dare I say there is another step to this stepping out of our past. Speak the secret. Expose the lie of satan that has taken root in your life. This isn’t a flesh response of slanderous stories with the goal of destroying others or lowering yourself to the games played by bullies. I’m talking the moment you find your voice and take a step toward healing. This just may be the most difficult thing you’ve ever done in your life. It’s worth it. So worth it.

Be choosy. Not everyone can handle your story. Not everyone will love you through your story. You may experience rejection and silence from the very people who you thought would lift you up and carry you through. Shake the dust off your feet and look in a new direction. God will not settle for you having to bear this alone. He is with you and has a tribe who can handle your mess. Don’t lose hope.

However it plays out, there will be a moment, whether crying out to God in your own space, or sharing it in a safe place, where the spoken word brings freedom. Where those destructive thoughts no longer have power, because the lie has been brought out in the open. This is for a purpose. God’s purpose. Speak it out, and say what God says about it.

Replace those secrets and lies with the resounding truth of the word of God. He is for your good. Every time.

What does God say about your issue? What does God say about you? I’m talking about your identity in Christ, not in the lie satan spoon fed you.

Your worth is not dependent on the crap people whispered in your ear. You have been bought with a price. The enemy may claim they will destroy you, but what can they really do? Nothing. Sure, this body of ours is constantly bearing the marks of the world and fallen humanity, but at the end of the day we have a hope and a future. In the end, we win.

Forgive as Jesus has forgiven. Rely on God for healthy boundary lines, and stand on His truth, not going back to that old pattern any longer.

Step out into the sunshine. Feel the warmth of the Son’s healing rays on your skin. It’s a new day.