“Who drew on the wall?” I yell from our dining room as I stand before a sketch made with colorful markers.
My 5-year-old daughter slides into the room behind me and shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know,” she replies. “But they signed their name.”
I notice the inscription as well. My middle son’s name is hastily scrawled at the bottom right of the artwork.
But there’s a problem. My 2-year-old son can’t write his name.
“Karis.” I turn to my daughter. “Who drew on the wall?”
She looks down and drags her foot across the floor. “Well, it has Elias’ name on it, so it must be him.”
As frustrated as I am by her disobedience and lie, I stifle a chuckle at her cleverness. She thought by signing someone else’s name to her crime, I would believe it wasn’t her.
Karis hadn’t considered that her brother could barely draw a straight line, much less write his own name. Or how Elias was asleep in his room while she colored during rest time.
Even though Elias’ name was on the wall, I know it can’t be him.
It isn’t in my middle son’s nature—or ability—to draw on the wall like that. Therefore, the signature with his name can’t be true.
If only detecting the lies of our enemy, Satan, was as easy.
The Father of Lies
Many of the doubts, fears, and shame in our hearts grow from the seeds of lies Satan plants in us. We often fall for Satan’s tricks because he masquerades them as God’s truth.
Satan takes a good command the Lord gives us in Scripture and twists it to be a litmus test for God’s affection: God’s love for you depends on your obedience to Him.
He takes a characteristic of the Lord and turns it against us: God is righteous and just, so He must be furious when you make a mistake.
The Devil takes a promise from the Lord and turns it into shame: If you truly were following God, then He wouldn’t let all these hard things happen in your life.
Satan draws a false picture in our minds and signs God’s name to it, making us believe this is truly who God is and who we are.
However, Satan “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44).
Since the garden of Eden, the Devil has sowed seeds of deception in human hearts—further separating us from God and His truth.
When we don’t know who God is and how He operates, we will believe these lies time and again, falling deeper into shame and striving. However, as we grow in our intimate knowledge of God, we can fight these lies with the truth.
God’s Truth: The Ultimate Lie Detector
Just like my knowledge of my son’s nature and ability kept me from believing he was at fault for the wall mural, so our knowledge of God’s character and work will help us fight Satan’s lies with the truth.
But, how can we detect when we’re believing falsehoods about God?
The Lord graciously gave us His Word so we may know who He is and how He acts.
Whenever we’re tempted toward condemnation, disbelief, or anxiety, we can check what we’re believing against truth in Scripture.
When we feel like God is an angry father, demanding king, or vindictive judge, we can remember He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6).
When we feel like the Lord is holding our sins and mistakes against us, we can remember, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1).
When we feel like God has abandoned us in our suffering, we can recall how He’s promised, “I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is 41:10).
Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit to remind us of truth (Jn 14:26) and His body to point each other to truth (Eph 4:15).
The more we spend time with the Lord in His Word, abiding in His Spirit, and alongside His church, the more we’ll detect when Satan tries to lead us astray. And the more we’ll walk in the freedom of God’s truth.
The Truth Sets Us Free
The western sun shone through the window, highlighting my daughter’s mistake on the wall. Bending down, I tell Karis I know she drew on the wall (and explain why her lies didn’t work).
She falls into my arms, apologizing for her disobedience and deceit. Before we wash off the marker together, I snap a picture.
I want to keep this as a reminder: Even if the truth appears obvious, it could very well be a well-crafted lie.
I know there will be days I still fall for Satan’s lies and live in defeat, worry, and striving.
Yet, just as I welcomed my daughter back with open arms, my heavenly Father delights in bringing me back into the light of His truth.
God will always be there to forgive our disbelief and repair the damage done by lies.
When we know God’s character and how He promises to work in our lives, then we can destroy the lies Satan throws at us and submit every thought to the truth of Christ (2 Cor 10:5).
We can use Scripture as a lie detector to protect us from the shame, fear, and doubt the Devil attempts to etch on our hearts. Then, we “will know the truth, and the truth will set [us] free” (Jn 8:32).
Bethany Broderick
Bethany Broderick is a speaker and author of Perfected: Trading Shame and Striving for Wholeness in Christ. Her work has been featured on The Gospel Coalition, Risen Motherhood, Journeywomen, and more. She lives in Birmingham, AL, with her husband and three young children. Connect with her on her website and Instagram.
