"Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, 'If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, "He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone."' Jesus responded, 'The Scriptures also say, "You must not test the lord your God."' Matthew 4:5-7

Last week I found out I made a failing grade on an exam in school. In order to pass the class, I had to have a 75 average, and this test grade was well below that. Even worse, there are only two tests in the class, so my chances of pulling my average up above a 75 sounded near impossible. If I fail a class, I have to either drop out of school or defer a year and start over with the next class. I was so discouraged and distraught. I was thinking, Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe this is my signal to go another direction before it’s too late. God doesn’t require me to be everything in life. He just wants me to follow Jesus. It doesn’t necessarily have to be as a PA. God loves me just like I am.

Thank God that I have Tommy. I told him what was on my heart. You know what he said? “Chloe, you know who is talking to you right now.” I broke down in tears even more. He was right. My life had too many signs pointing me towards PA school: medical mission trips that opened my eyes, figuring out how I want my life to be, the peace that came with my decision, etc. The most telling sign was applying to Trevecca's program, getting an email that I would have to apply again next year because my transcripts weren’t in on time, being utterly depressed and anxious for a month, then getting a phone call asking what time I wanted to come in for an interview, and being told 3 days later I was in. I mean, seriously, things like don’t happen to people who just desperately wish it to happen. My whole life, the last few years have been setting me up for PA school. So why would God bring me all the way here to the middle of my first semester and then tell me to throw in the towel? He wouldn’t. But Satan would.

Satan doesn’t really say anything to us except to deceive us. In John 8:44, Jesus says this about Satan: “He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Satan knows what is enticing to you. He also knows Scripture. He quoted it to Jesus in the wilderness. If you are not actively and constantly seeking the truth, what Satan puts in your head might sound just like the truth. If you don’t know the Scriptures and stay immersed in the Word, then Satan might whisper a Scripture to you that justifies a lie in your head. In this sense, sometimes Satan can say things that are technically true, but they are wrong in the context of your life which he is speaking to you about. It isn’t technically false that I can serve and do the will of God without being a PA, but this undoes everything God has done in my life until now because of my fear of failure. God is love, and perfect love drives out fear. I didn’t remember these Scriptures in my fight with Satan in my head, and he won for a few hours. He had me defeated. But the truth is if I do anything out of fear of failure, I am not trusting in the Lord to finish His work in me which I have asked Him to do. And THAT is the truth. That is the real truth that applies to my life right now. I know I am right about this because this week I found out my test was graded incorrectly through our exam software, and I should have passed.

The scariest part of this is that if you don’t know the truth, you might think Satan sounds an awful lot like your common sense voice. Most of the time, the lies in my head just sound like me.

What we need to do is immerse ourselves in the Scriptures. Not because we don’t already know it, but so we can be reminded of the truth and the whole truth, not just bits and pieces of it. We also need to talk about Satan and how he distorts truth. He distorts it on smaller scale in all of our minds, but he also distorts it on a large scale in big groups of people.

Satan might say, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities”, but forget to remind us of these verses in Deuteronomy that read, “The lord your God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars! And may the lord, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised! But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’” Yes we must submit to elected officials, but that’s after we have done our part of choosing people who are wise and known for their understanding. I’ve seen some Christian leaders such as the president of Liberty University endorse Donald Trump as nominee for President of the United States. I can’t help but wonder if Satan was whispering Scripture-lies into his ear while hoping he would ignore other verses such as, “‘Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?’ Jesus replied, ‘You must love the lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’”

I pray we do not fall to this any longer. Please, Christians, let us seek truth, the real, WHOLE truth, not just pieces of it that serve our purposes or play to our fears. God’s plan for us is the whole truth, and we can’t get there until we humble ourselves and continue to seek God, even when we think we have him all figured out. Satan will not stop, so we mustn’t either.

“Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” -1 Thessalonians 5:19-24