The enemy engages with us when we are least expecting it. Often the enemy uses those around us to “get into” our head. Occasionally, the circumstances seem genuine. Sometimes red flags are raised. That’s how spiritual warfare works…sometimes subtly and other times overtly.
A “friend,” who I hadn’t heard from in years, contacted me via social media. This is a woman who I have had a challenging past with. It’s also someone who thinks she has a vested interest in knowing about my life. Furthermore, it’s a gal who is very much into pagan paths of spiritualism.
Despite that past and her religious thinking, I wanted to believe the best of her intentions. I chatted via emails over the course of a couple days. Then she wrote something about one of her recent accomplishments, but it just didn’t make any sense to me. I asked several questions, to which she had some interesting answers that also didn’t sound right.
God bless my Spidey-senses. God bless the Google-machine. God bless a best friend who listened to my thoughts, helped investigate, and agreed with my assessment. I reached the conclusion that her story was false. It was a farce. An untruth.
This seems like a fairly small and possibly benign daily encounter. Except it interrupted my day. It took up space in my mind. It made me question her motives. And it frankly took time away from my family and my own endeavors.
Satan wants our minds to be cluttered with nonsense so that we lose focus on what is most important to us. I could have been reading with my son, exercising, cooking, or studying. Instead, I was surfing the internet to investigate this woman’s claims.
A subtle form of spiritual warfare.
Exodus 23:1 (NIV) states, “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.”
What can you do if there is a liar in your midst that is causing a distraction?
- Pray. There’s nothing better than prayer to calm a troubled heart or mind. Bring the situation to the Lord and allow Him to work on your behalf. When we bring our angst to the Lord, He opens our eyes and our ears to truth.
- Create Distance. This may require a few days away from the individual. It may require a social media break. It may require a complete severing of the relationship. Distance allows us to evaluate a situation and it allows us time to spend with the Lord.
- Evaluate Yourself. Ensure that you reflect on your role in the situation or scenario. Have you encouraged or discouraged behavior? Perhaps there is nothing you have done…perhaps there was. God will help you with that self-reflection and the conclusions you come to.
I don’t need a false friend, nor do I want to condone untruths. Yet, I didn’t want to assist the negativity by confronting her or escalating the situation. I didn’t want to become a malicious witness. I simply deleted the conversation. I blocked the individual on social media.
This scenario is one small example of how we can discern if the interaction is glorifying to God. Or if it’s one that the enemy is using to distract us. I choose to be focused and undistracted.
I pray that God continues to allow the gift of discernment to work in my life. I pray it works in your life as well.
~Emily
Iron Porch 