Bjcorbin's Blog

1. You can have your cake and eat it too. I’ve heard it said that the person who tries to make the best of both worlds generally makes nothing of either of them; while the Bible says that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. The enemy of our souls loves it when we waiver between two opinions, as it is sure to breed compromise.

2. “They” did “that” on purpose. Healthy relationships are at the core of everything that God accomplishes through mankind; so it follows that relational discord is a primary goal for our adversary. Presuming to know the motivations of someone else’s heart and the idea that people are generally “out to get us”, create fertile ground for vain imaginations and interpersonal strife.

3. You need what “they” have. The root of covetousness is formed when we fail to appreciate the things we already have. As we begin to compare our lot to everyone else’s, it normally bursts to the surface as fully developed feelings of envy and avarice; which ultimately poison everything they come in contact with.

4. You’re alone / you’re the only one / you’re on your own. Even a ferocious predator (e.g. a lion) takes the time to separate its prey from the herd and generally picks on the sick or lame. So it is with our enemy, who wants us to feel isolated and to battle out of our own strength. Even people of great faith, like the prophet Elijah, can fall into this trap under the right circumstances (see 1 Kings 19:14-18).

5. Nothing ever goes right for you / you can never catch a break. Like covetousness, self-pity tends to begin with a failure to recognize or appreciate the blessings we’ve already received. It effectively cuts us off from our source for strength and peace, as it implicitly declares that He is not faithful to complete the good work He has begun in us; that He does in fact leave us and forsake us; and that ultimately His grace is not sufficient for us.

6. It’s not your fault. Though these words sound almost comforting on the surface, it is rare that we don’t actually bear some responsibility for our circumstance. When we fail to acknowledge our role in a problem, we unwittingly forfeit the ability to bring about any substantive change to the situation.

7. It’s all your fault. Those who are unwilling to blame someone else for their problems can often fall the opposite way, into the trap of condemnation. The Bible says that the “Accuser of the Brethren” makes accusation against God’s people day and night (Rev. 12:10), though it also points out that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Acknowledging our legitimate responsibility in a given situation, without attempting to shoulder the weight of the entire issue, is a key element in diffusing the arguments of our adversary.

8. I am too powerful to resist / you are too weak to stop me. Though our enemy roars like a lion, he does not possess the unchecked power of a true devourer. The scripture tells us that if we’d simply submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he (i.e. the enemy) would flee (James 4: 7).

9. It will always be this way / this is as good as it gets / you’re at the end of your rope. These thoughts, and many others like them, are meant to conjure a state of hopelessness. Just as our bodies cannot survive without water, so our souls cannot be sustained without hope.

10. If people knew the real you, they wouldn’t love you. This idea is meant to keep us from ever stepping into the fullness of who God created us to be. Since we were all made in His image, becoming that person would not only cause others to be drawn to us, it would also allow us to find the treasure within ourselves.