Put Him on Hold

As God's men, we must never forget that the spiritual battlefield is in our minds. And I don't mean it's just our imagination. Our enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) and one of his favorite tactics is to put lies into our head that will draw us away from the Father. Here's a tactic to use when the enemy comes at out minds--put him on hold. That's right, put him and his unwanted noise on hold and make a call out to the Lord.

During times of discouragement, the enemy may say, "You know what, you'll never amount to anything. God can't use you to do anything great. You're a complete failure." Rather than let the evil one gain a foothold, say to him, "Hold that thought" and physically turn your back to him and speak to the Father. "Lord, I know that you love me so much that you sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay for my sins so that I may not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). I know in you that I have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading awaiting me in Heaven (1 Peter 1:4). I know that even the smallest act that I do in your name is pleasing in your sight and will be rewarded by you (Matthew 10:42).

Because he lies, accuses and tempts, the enemy will throw many things at you. That's okay. The hold button is a great thing--it gives you time to recognize the deception and cry out to the Father who provides truth. And because of his prideful nature, I'm quite sure that he hates being placed on hold even more than we do.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan (Matthew 4), he countered the enemies lies with the truth of God's Word (v. 4, 7, 10). The same tactics our Savior used to fight the enemy will work for us as well, and he will leave (v.11). He will go because as the father of all lies (John 8:44), he can't handle the God of truth (John 15:26). He's not going to wait on hold as you seek the Father; he will hang up and call to deceive someone else. And when he calls back later, you'll know what to do. Put him on hold!