A Force To Be Reckoned With
A Force To Be Reckoned With
220. Lies From the Enemy: Did God REALLY Say That?
How do you discern the voice of God when life feels overwhelming?
In today’s episode, we’re cutting through the noise to expose the lies of the enemy and uncover the truth about the spiritual battlefield we all face. From the very beginning—starting in the Garden of Eden—doubt and confusion have been tools of the enemy. But here’s the good news: God’s Word provides the clarity we need. We’ll dive into Proverbs 3:5-6 to explore how trusting Him can guide us through life’s toughest decisions and moments of uncertainty.
We’re unpacking the balance between faith and works and what it means to recognize and follow God’s voice in a world full of distractions. With personal stories, a little humor, and practical wisdom, we’ll dig into questions like: How do you know it’s God speaking? How can you trust His plan when it feels unclear? Whether it’s a relationship dilemma or a major career decision, this episode will encourage you to align your choices with biblical truth, find peace in the process, and stay strong in your faith when the enemy tries to shake it.
This one’s for anyone seeking clarity, confidence, and a deeper trust in God. Tune in—you don’t want to miss it!
Episode Highlights:
- We live in confusing times.
- Lies from the enemy.
- Discerning the voice of God.
- Battling doubt and confusion.
Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on A Force to Be Reckoned With:
- Jointheforce.us
- Follow us on Instagram @bethanyadkins
- Find us on Youtube!
This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.
We are at war and it's not against our neighbors, spouses, children, politicians or whatever else we feel like we're battling against.
Speaker 2:So the questions are who's the fight against, and are we winning or losing? We're the Adkins, and we are a force to be reckoned with.
Speaker 1:Are you ready to join?
Speaker 2:the force. You know what? I can't wait for what? When it's not dark so early, because it's only 8.47 right now pm and I'm so tired and it's so dark. It's been dark for so long, so yeah, like I was ready for bed about two hours ago.
Speaker 1:Maybe about an hour ago.
Speaker 2:Okay, so we are on week two of our.
Speaker 2:Of the plan, fail to plan Of the plan, fail to plan, plan to fail, and we're doing Lies from the Enemy. This is our first topic. Did God really say that? So you might know what story we're going to be talking about here. But just a little preface. We actually had another topic mapped out and as we started talking about it, cory um brought this one. Uh, like, made mention of this one, and I actually thought it was really good and also super fitting for the timing of the new year and our verse for the month, which does anybody have it memorized yet? Proverbsverbs 3, verses 5 and 6. Are you saying it? Are you saying it? Do you know it, corey? Do you know it? But it's all about trusting in the Lord and letting him direct your path, and I think this is super relevant because we live in confusing times and it's so easy. We live in noisy times, loud times, with a lot of different voices.
Speaker 1:And the noisiness can make things confusing.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's what I mean. We have a lot of information, all of the information. It causes us to question and then question is this God's voice?
Speaker 1:Is this you know my selfishness yeah.
Speaker 2:And then starts, which leads to the enemy Doubt, and so that's what we're going to be talking about today, and, as it pertains, it really can pertain to anything from relationships to job changes, to financial issues, to marriage, to temptations, conversations that you're having with your kids about things that you're that they're dealing with, lies that they're believing, and so, while the topic is lies from the enemy, the first lie is really, did God really say that Believing lies in general? And kind of sifting through all that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So just to kind of kick off the lies from the enemy, we went to a passage of Jesus calling the devil, calling Satan the father of lies. So just kind of roots in that and just goes, proof of concept, directly from the Bible, directly from Jesus. So the first passage verse is and it's really focused on John 8, 8, 44, but a little bit of context before that, jesus was was teaching and the pharisees were just trying to trap him in things. And it got to the point where, um, jesus was like questioning their, their, their belief in god, and and everything. Like they were like, well, we're, the Abraham is our father. And he was like, well, if Abraham was your father, abraham wouldn't be treating you know me like this. And then they go, he goes on to say, they say, well, we're not illegitimate children. And then Jesus says or then they say, the only father we have is God himself.
Speaker 1:And it picks up in verse 42. And Jesus said to them if God were your father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own. God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say? And here's verse 44. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. So, just setting a little foundation, a little resume here on the devil as being the father of lies, so do you have anything you want to say to that, before we dive into today's lie?
Speaker 1:Okay, so going back to Genesis, right, god had created Adam and Eve and he told them to you know, enjoy the garden, just you can't eat the fruit of this one tree. And so then, next thing, you know, here comes Satan. And starting in verse 1, it says Now, the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree that the Lord God had made? He said to the woman. Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?
Speaker 1:And the woman said to the serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden. But God said you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. And it goes on from there. But we get our first intro to Satan here coming in. You know, the world's perfect, there's no sin. Adam and Eve are enjoying being in the presence of God. And here comes Satan coming in and causing them to doubt with God face to face and actually hear his words.
Speaker 2:Where now it's different, but we don't audibly hear God's voice, we don't get to physically walk in the garden with him, but even that, even with them seeing him and hearing him, even that, even with them seeing him and hearing him, they heard exactly what he said, like it was very clear. Right, it wasn't like. You know how we're kind of talking about. Did God really say that, like when you have, you know, you're at a crossroads and you have a little bit of confusion and you're trying to figure out which way is God leading me?
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, we don't get to have it to where, like you tell me right now like hey, go get milk from the grocery store.
Speaker 2:And then I get to the grocery store and I'm like, did she really tell me to get milk? But even with them audibly hearing it, the enemy was still conniving and creative enough to confuse them into believing that. Oh, maybe he didn't say that.
Speaker 1:Right, you know, yeah, and so the devil? You know, when you're trying to follow out God's plan and God's will for your life, the devil will start to attack you, and that's what the whole point and part of the whole point of this podcast is about, is that there's an enemy out there that is trying to seek, is to seek, kill and destroy like a devouring lion, right, and so when you're, he really doesn't want to pay that much attention to you if you're not following God's plan, right. If you're not following God's will, if you're not having a good relationship, with God, because that's where he wants you.
Speaker 1:But when you are living in God's will and in God's plan and God's using you, then he wants to attack you because his whole purpose is to thwart God's plan. Right, Because he's the father of all lies. So I'd had a couple of posts here that I, oh man.
Speaker 2:So well, before you go into the quotes, just practically like what. I mean, we're giving a lot of sharing scripture and how this all works and stuff, but practically what does this look like? Like who are we talking to? Yeah, we're talking about scripture and backing it with biblical truth, but I also want them to be super practical.
Speaker 1:I mean, you could be tricked even into thinking that you should do one. Maybe you have two choices in something Like. Let's go back to when we were in California. So when we were in California and running a business out there, we were wrestling with the decision to stay or to come back to Ohio, and, and both options would have been good, like we were working with family California is beautiful Like the business was going good, like that was a good place too, right.
Speaker 1:But I, I felt strongly God calling our family to go, to come back to Ohio and I, for I had no re, no, I didn't know why, right. So like you could be looking at two different choices and the other choice could be a good choice. It doesn't have to be a bad choice, right. It doesn't like on paper when you pencil it all out, but it doesn't mean if both options are, you know, both options could be good, but God has wants you to do one thing over the other. And now, when you fast forward, like, even if you look at just foster care, like we would have never have done this, we would have never have had any of these kids in our home, we wouldn't have been able to have God use us to impact some of these kids and these families, if we had stayed in California.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I think that for some people it can look like, okay, I, I feel like I need to quit this job, or I'm believing this thought in my head about this relationship that I'm having and it's and I'm believing it to be true Right, and you let that that's a good point, Cause then you start getting inside of your own head and if you stop, if you don't- it's a lie that you're believing right.
Speaker 2:That, then you choose to convince it Like you convince yourself that it's true.
Speaker 1:Right. And then it shifts your perspective. So then a lot of times you start viewing everything through that lens, right? So, if that real, if if you thinking that you shouldn't be in this relationship, then you start nitpicking everything that that person does and you start saying, well, I couldn't be with them because of this, or I don't like this, or I don't want, or, if it's a friendship, I can't be friends with them anymore because of this and how they act like this. And you start seeing all the negative things instead of the good things. When it's all in your head, it's all your viewpoint, and sometimes that I mean you have to also have your own viewpoints too.
Speaker 1:But did you ask God if you should stay in that relationship? Because God, just because a relationship might be in a rough patch or something, doesn't mean that God wants you to abandon the relationship. The same thing with a job. If you're not, you know. If you're, you don't like your, your job, and you don't like your boss or whatever. And so you start looking at other things. Well, then the grass starts looking greener on the other side at all at these other places, and you start every little thing now at your job bothers you. Everything that you're you know the way your boss breathes wrong bothers you. You know what I mean. Like every little thing can bother you. When did you really did you? You're making this decision on your own. You really haven't drawn close to God.
Speaker 2:In those situations, whether it be relationship finances, marriage, whatever parenting, relationship finances, marriage whatever parenting. You're just in this area of like, basically this internal turmoil and wrestling. How do we discern? Did God really say that Like? What are the steps that we are taking?
Speaker 1:So, for me, what I've found and it's scripturally too is when you're in a relationship with God. So if he's the architect of your life and your path and you need to follow the plan that he has for you this goes all the way back to the millennial mission then you need to be in relationship with him. Well, what does a relationship look like? How do I know for you and me, beth, how do I know what you want if I don't talk to you, if I don't spend time with you? Right, Right, and so if you need to draw close to God, and so you need to talk to him, you need to pray to him, you need to talk to him out loud. Sometimes you need to read God's word, you need to pay attention to sermons and take notes, and understand what the word says, and I would say that that, like, obviously, that is step one.
Speaker 2:A lot of times when I'm having these like confusing questions or moments like, okay, like what is this here? I realize that, oh, I haven't even been having time in my Bible, I haven't been to church in months, and it's so easy to. That's where the devil does his best work. He gets in our head, he causes confusion, he leads us to temptation, and so just getting back to that helps sometimes, just simply doing that that's the only thing that you need to do, and you're like oh, I have clarity right the end.
Speaker 2:So when? But when you are doing that, the other thing I want to say is like, let's say, for example, you are feeling like, oh, I'm gonna go. I feel like I um have lost feelings for my husband and I have feelings for this other person and they're pursuing me and I feel like they're going to love me and I want to leave my husband and go. You know, just have an affair or go get remarried or something like that.
Speaker 1:Wait, is this a conversation you're having? Yeah, theo, theo. Knew it no, but again but again lose my wife's number.
Speaker 2:This goes back to so like yeah, get in the word, but also then the next question is once you know what's in the word, it's like the next question is is this biblical?
Speaker 2:right and, but then, beyond that, the next level is sometimes I've been in the word and sometimes both options are biblical, like the move, like it could be a job, like I I can't decide which job and we just like torment ourselves over the decision and we just can't figure out what direction we're taking or what we're supposed to do, or like you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that, I think, is that can get really hard, that's really true it can get confusing and that's where like again for me when I've struggled with this is I just continued to pursue God and wait.
Speaker 2:I would say continue to pursue God, yes, wait, but also don't sit still in the way, not yes.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I wouldn't say like you just sit in there twiddling your thumbs like, hey, god, give me a sign Right. Like you should ask him to give you a sign Right, but you need to. You should be talking to him, you should be reading your Bible, and then you know if it's a decision like that seek wise counsel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they'll help you. They'll help you like sort through things. And it's what's interesting for me and a lot of these different decisions is I have felt like when some of these bigger decisions, bigger decisions, I've had God quote unquote speak to me in different ways. I've had him where he had me. He's had us like walk down the path of looking into one thing, just so he could reveal to us that that's not the thing that he wanted. He just wanted us to check it out, cause it was like something we kind of wanted. And then it was like, no, you actually need to do this. And it was like, okay, that was very clear.
Speaker 1:I've had time when we moved home from California, like the big. I mean, we had been praying and seeking counsel and reading and doing all these things, but the big part was literally our pastor was preaching on I think it was like Ruth and Naomi and he like started shouting go home, go home. And it just it hit me and it was like the. I felt like the Holy Spirit was telling me that go home. And that was like the final straw in all of that, that for that, um, when it came time for like foster care. It was through you and our friends and having this influence and and praying, always, praying, always in the word.
Speaker 1:But these other factors, and this last one God showed me through logic and I thought that was neat too, like, okay, we went through all of these things, I prayed, I seek multiple wise counsel and then God just walked me through this path of logic and that was cool. So it was like there's all these different ways that God can show you the right path, but the whole time Satan is trying to tell you. Did God really say he is trying to stir doubt? But if you go back to the garden of Eden, think about it. Satan's talking to Eve and Adam and they don't go back and say wait a minute. Hey, god, did you wait a minute? Did you actually say this? What did you actually say? You know they didn't go ask him his viewpoint on it. They just went and did based on Satan's influence.
Speaker 2:Did God give us free will?
Speaker 1:and their temptation. They made the choice, so they just went and did their own thing, right so that, like I'm sure, if they would have been like, hey god, yeah can you remind us again yeah, like, would I actually die if I eat of this tree? I'd be like, yeah, like I told you that and here's exactly what happened. And get out of here, satan.
Speaker 2:Like yeah so yeah, so the the point is is like just always steering it's constantly pursuing him right and it goes back to our verse of the month.
Speaker 1:In all your ways I know I always want to say acknowledge and always acknowledge, or submit to him.
Speaker 2:and that's the point is like, in everything that we do, we have to go back to God and seek him and submit our plans and our wants and our desires to him, and if we do that, he's not going to abandon us.
Speaker 1:Right, he loves us. He'll always be there for us. So with that I want to go back to. So, if you're pursuing God like that and you have a close relationship and you're trying to truly follow his will and not do your own thing, then it's going to get hard, right Like, and you're going to have ups and down moments, but there's going to be hard things because the devil was trying to stop you, right? So I want to go to a few posts that I had thrown out there, and actually one. One of these I just want to say is there was a story, so I'm going to.
Speaker 1:I put a quote from a pastor. His name is Philip Mitchell. He's been popping up all over my Instagram. I don't know if he's popping up on everybody's Instagram, but he's been popping up on mine, but anyways, he was telling the story, actually about his marriage and about how, when him and his wife before she was his wife were dating and he wasn't a Christian, wife were dating and he wasn't a Christian they were living together and doing all the things that sinners do. And he said and it was, they enjoyed it, it was bliss, and he said and then he converted his life to Christ and she gave her life to Christ. And now they're fast forward, they're married and they're going through a hard time in their marriage and they're like doubting their marriage. And he said that he had a dream one night that him and his wife were in the kitchen and there was some random man there and as this man walked over and was whispering something in his wife's ear, and then the man came over and whispered something in his ear and then they just started fighting and he realized that it was in this dream. It was satan just telling them each little lies about each other to to attack their marriage, because now they're living in a covenant of marriage and they they were, you know, pursuing god and trying to live in god's will, and so the enemy was attacking, attacking their marriage. Um, but then one of the then another quote that he had actually I pulled out of a podcast that he was on said that the Christian life is not a utopia, it is a life of service.
Speaker 1:And there's another one the devil doesn't care if you show up to church or flip through your Bible, as long as your life stays the same. Faith isn't proven by attendance or knowledge, it's proven by obedience. So to me that jumps out is because, honestly, satan doesn't even care if you go to church. As long as you're not pursuing a relationship with God and you're not trying to be obedient and live out what God is calling you to do, he really doesn't care, because that's ultimately what he cares about, because you can sit in a church your entire life and never obey God, and never follow God's will, and even never even give your life to Christ.
Speaker 2:Be a terrible person.
Speaker 1:Right, or just not achieve the plan that God had set for you, you know, at the beginning of your life. And there was one more. I thought this one was really good. I don't know who this guy is. It's an old, like painting picture. It was so old that there weren't even cameras of. The guy's name is JC Ryle.
Speaker 1:I have no idea who that is, but the quote stuck out to me, and it says it costs something to be a true Christian. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal Christian and go to church is cheap and easy work, but to hear Christ's voice, follow Christ, believe in Christ and confess Christ requires much self-denial. So like following Jesus is hard, and sometimes that means denying what you want. I mean often that's what it means because you're to live the life like Christ was in service, right.
Speaker 1:So a lot of times it is hard, and sometimes it's easy for us to get wrapped up into our own minds and let Satan whisper to us and say, well, why don't you do this over here? Hey, if you go take this job it'll be more money. Or if you go and take this job you'll get to, maybe you'll help this person. Or if you know, oh, your wife isn't the same as she used to be. Maybe you just need a new wife.
Speaker 1:You know you just start doing your own thing, or what? If you just spend a, truly pursue God and deny yourself and live in a life of service to him and to others for him, then Satan's going to attack you, right? But that's what life is all about is living in that space and trying to. And there are times there's oftentimes like, can I reflect over our lives of where you know you try to stay in that line, almost in that path, like Jesus says, that narrow path, that you try to stay in that path and we kind of veer off. And then it's like, oh, come back in and veer off and come back in. I think there's the older we get and the more we pursue a relationship with Christ, the less way off course we get. Not that we don't ever get off course, but you get off a little bit and then you pull back in.
Speaker 2:Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad. That leads to destruction. And there are many people who enter through it, for the gate is small and the way is narrow. That leads to life, and there were a few who find it, and what you were just saying just reminded me of that, like the way that God leads us to. We're called to be set apart, and the gate is narrow and not and few people are going to go through it, but then there's this wide, open gate that leads to destruction that so many people are walking through, and so that is just like a constant reminder of kind of doing this, checks and balance of am I doing what the noisy world is asking me to do or tempting me to do, or just because everybody else is doing it, or am I doing what God is calling me to do?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and when I bring up that verse and you read it too, I don't want to give the impression that we're saying like you have to work for your faith, because that's not at all true that. But the Bible does say that faith without works is dead. But you know, a lot of times you know when we're talking about that verse. It's used in the context. But you know a lot of times you know when we're talking about that verse, it's used in the context of you know that Jesus is the only way and that he that's the narrow path is through him. So you know, once you believe in Christ, like you believe in Christ, you don't have to do works to earn your way, but we do works because Christ loves us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but this doesn't even say anything about doing works.
Speaker 1:I know, but a lot of times that verse is used in the context of like Jesus says, the way is narrow, it's because it's through him. You don't get to him through works. You don't get to him because all gods are the same, I don't want to go way.
Speaker 2:you know all gods are the same.
Speaker 1:I didn't want to, I don't want to like go way off course. I was just adding a little clarifying note. Gotcha Again, guys, just a reminder as you go throughout the year and you're making, you know your resolutions and you're striving to pursue your relationship with God, you're striving to pursue his will is that the enemy will cause doubt. And just because things get hard doesn't mean that you didn't, you're not living in God's will. Actually, oftentimes it gets hard because you're living in God's will, but the enemy will cause you to doubt God and just to always redirect back to him, back to your relationship with him, and he'll direct your path.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, we hope that you guys have a good week. Come back next week, because we're talking about money and marriage.
Speaker 1:Oh, I won't be here next week, sorry, bye.