Have you ever caught yourself stuck in a loop of negative thoughts? Thoughts like..
“I’m not enough,”
“Can God really love someone like me?”
“I’ll never be loved,”
“I’m so alone.”
Our guest this week on the Everyday Faith Podcast is Rachel Bailey, a wife, mother, and woman of God who loves to help people break off lies and live into their God-given identity. Rachel’s perspective provides encouragement and hope to all who listen. If you’ve been searching for how to break free from lies or wondering how you can start to believe the truth, then this blog is for you!
P.S. The first step in breaking free from lies is to give your life to Jesus! Have you received Jesus into your heart yet? If not, today is your day! Learn how to surrender your life to Jesus and receive the hope that He offers in our blog: This is For You!
You Were Made For Truth, Not Lies
Did you know that the devil is a liar? Once in the scriptures, when Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees, He told them these words:
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and 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. - John 8:44
This Bible verse about how to break free from lies shows us the uncomfortable truth about the source of the lies we believe. Breaking free from lies is easier when you realize that as you choose to believe the truth, you’re breaking free from the grip of the devil!
Rachel’s story lines up with this, too. Rachel taught us about breaking free from lies during her podcast interview. Her powerful testimony reminds us that as God’s children, we were made for truth, not for lies. Thankfully, the Bible gives us powerful wisdom and simple tools on how to break free from lies and how to start believing the truth. Keep reading to find out how.
What Does a Lie Sound Like?
As you’re growing on your journey of how to break free from lies, you’ll find that sometimes, lies actually sound like truth! For example, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, the devil visited Jesus and started speaking scripture to Him, in an effort to cause Him to stumble. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read:
Now, when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” - Matthew 4:2-4
As you can see in this Bible verse about how to break free from lies, responding to lies with the Word of God is a great way to receive truth in your heart, but also to engage in effective spiritual warfare.
Sometimes lies sound like tricky Bible verses out of context. Other times, lies sound like accusations, and other times, lies sound like a liar said them. Some common lies that we all deal with sound like:
“I am not pretty/handsome enough.”
“God is mad at me.”
"I am too broke for God to use my life.”
“My past defines my future.”
“I am alone, and no one likes me.”
“I am destined to fail.”
“I have to perform to be loved.”
“God will heal/save/deliver someone else, but He won’t do the same for me.”
“I am not loved” or “I am not lovable.”
Want to learn more about how to overcome lies and start believing the truth? Listen to our interview with Christian counselor, Heidi Mortenson, on finding freedom with God: How to Hear the Voice of God
How to Start Believing the Truth
One of the best ways to start believing what God says about you is to practice forgiveness towards those who have hurt you. Often, when we believe a lie, it is because someone hurt us so badly that it made us believe a lie about ourselves.
Thankfully, as you identify where you’ve been hurt and ask Jesus to bring clarity on why you’re believing the lie you’re struggling with, breaking free from lies and believing the truth is easy!
1. Name the lie: When you name the lie you’re experiencing, you can easily give it to Jesus. Some simple questions to ask Jesus as you’re learning to break free from lies are:
“Jesus, who do I need to forgive that is connected to this lie I’m believing?”
“Jesus, what do I need to forgive............. for?”
Naming the lie you’re experiencing is the starting line for how to find freedom from lies. As we saw in Rachel Bailey’s stories of Jesus showing her how to break free from lies and believe truth, naming the lie is step 1.
2. Bring it to Jesus: Now that you’ve named the lie you’re experiencing, the next step in breaking free from lies is to bring that lie to Jesus. Telling Jesus the lie you’re struggling with and allowing Him to show you who to forgive is the next step in how to break free from lies.
3. Choose to forgive the person who hurt you: Now is the hard part, but the most important part! Forgiveness is key in breaking free from lies. When you make the choice to forgive the person who hurt you, breaking free from the lies associated with this hurt is simple. It's like leaves falling off a tree in autumn. It just happens naturally!
Sometimes when you’re breaking free from lies and choosing to forgive other people, you’ll find yourself coming up against walls. If you’re struggling, don’t worry: this is completely normal as you’re learning to break free from lies. As you’re asking Jesus who you need to forgive or even how you can forgive, remember that Jesus is there to help you!
4. Ask Jesus to replace the lie you’re believing with the truth: Now that you’ve laid the lie you’re experiencing at Jesus’ feet and you’ve forgiven the person who hurt you, now you get to ask Jesus to help you replace the lie you’re believing with truth. Truth can sound like:
"I love you and I've always loved you."
"You are beautiful."
"You are enough."
"You are chosen."
"You are My beloved."
"You are fearfully and wonderfully made!"
5. Renew your mind with the Bible: Now it’s time to renew your mind with the Bible and the truth that Jesus gave you. You can read Bible verses for breaking free from lies to help you on your journey. Here are some of our favorite Bible verses for renewing your mind with the word of God: Bible Verses on the Power of Forgiveness
6. Let someone into your journey: As we see in Rachel’s story, one of the key things that helps people break free from lies and start believing the truth is to let someone into the depths of your journey. Remember: you were never meant to walk alone!
Learn more about how to grow in your Christian community by reading our blog: How to Pursue Christian Community
Conclusion
Through renewing your mind on the Bible, replacing lies with truth, and practicing forgiveness, you can break free from lies and live an abundant life in Christ. Bolster your faith and take your next step towards Jesus by downloading our FREE e-Book on Living Out Your Everyday Faith.
