Out-Truthing the Devil - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - October 20

Out-Truthing the Devil
By: Alisha Headley

“Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written…” - Matthew 4:10

I don’t like to spend a lot of time talking about our enemy, Satan. Why? Because I don’t feel he deserves to be written about. But the fact is, Satan is real. His deceptive character and work are active all around us every day. I don’t say that scare you. Quite the opposite. I say that to remind you. Remind you that there is a war going around us each day (Ephesians 6:12). And to remind you to stay “alert…as the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8).

We are taught in Ephesians 6 about the armor of God. As believers, we have been given the armor to “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Each piece of armor is to be “put on” to help believers overcome the temptations and attacks of the evil one. Someone once told me that a police officer doesn’t go into work without putting one’s gear on first, their armor. In the same way, we should not start our day where the devil is waiting for us to wake up without putting on our God-given armor to protect us as well.

While the armor includes everything from head to toe as defensive weapons to fight against what comes at us. There is only one, yet powerful, offensive weapon we have at our fingertips, and that is the Sword of the Spirt (Word of God). This is the same offensive weapon used by the Lord Jesus himself against Satan as mentioned in today’s Scripture.

After Jesus’s baptism, and right before the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus was led by the Spirit to battle the devil in the Judean desert after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. Knowing this could be a potential weak time for Jesus, Satan attempted to divert Jesus from his calling and ministry.

Have you been called to something, but feel the enemy attacking you right before you step foot into that calling? It’s because God is about to use you in powerful ways, and the enemy knows that and will do everything he can to distract and divert you from making an impact for the Kingdom.

As our greatest example, Jesus, did not yield nor give in to the temptation of Satan. Three times Satan tried to tempt him, and once even tempted him with words from the Bible itself. Did you hear that? Satan quoted Scripture as his attempt to tempt Jesus. Ladies – be aware that Satan does indeed know Scripture and he will twist it in an attempt to deceive you.

However, be hopeful – for we have the power to defeat the deceit (Luke 10:19). One of the most powerful ways you can beat the devil in his temptation game EVERY TIME is by OUT TRUTHING him. Just as Jesus did in the wilderness. Satan is familiar with the Bible and tried to deceive Jesus, but Jesus combatted with truth. Satan knows how to twist the Bible and twist the truth as he also did with Eve in Genesis 3:1 where it says, “the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God has made."

It’s time as women of valor who fear God, that we get craftier than the enemy who is trying to destroy our minds with lies, destroy our marriages, and destroy our families. The way to do this is to know the Word of God inside and out so that when the enemy comes in whatever form he comes in, we can out truth him.

Spend time in His Word daily, listen to Scripture-based podcasts while driving, read and sign up for blogs like this one that is based around Scripture. “Meditate on Scripture day and night” (Psalm 1:2) Allow it to saturate deep into your heart. So that when the enemy comes next time, you’ll know how to out truth and beat in his attempts each and every time.

Alisha Headley is a writer and speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom and power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on facebook + instagram.

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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.

Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.

Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.

I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!