Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.

Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord; and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these sufferings too. 

1 Peter 5:8-9 (TLB)

In this world there is no shortage of opinions; there is a shortage of truth. There is no lack of stuff, belongings we acquire, but there is a serious lack of contentment. And according to our social media profiles, there is no absence of acquaintances, but out here in the real world, there is a serious absence of connection, authenticity, and intimacy. 

Aren’t we all guilty of this? Don’t we all get “torn apart” by the enemy when we get tricked into whispering his lies, rather than confidently speaking God’s truth to ourselves and those around us? No one ever made a difference in this world or influenced eternity by living out the enemy’s lies. Heaven only grows when we stand firm against the lies and the tricks he uses to numb us and lure us away from absolute truth: the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We perpetuate the lies every time we surrender to public opinion. We promote discontentment every time we long for the latest and greatest new thing. And we cheer for the enemy when we spend more time looking into our screens than we do looking into the eyes of the people we care about. 

So how do you stand firm? Ask God for help! (Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10) Fill up on TRUTH and let it guide you! (Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105) Spend time in fellowship with other believers. (So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11) And say “no” to the world and all of Satan’s lies so you have room to say “yes” to Jesus! (Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7) When you stand firm in Jesus, nothing can tear you apart. You are loved!