The last post I wrote was all about negative thinking, how to take your thoughts captive and how to replace them with truth. In this post I want to go one step further and help you identify the voice of negativity (Satan) and the voice of Love (God).
What Does Satan’s Voice Sound Like?
So much of our negative thinking is actually the enemy attacking us - our identity, our character, our very core. That’s what he does. Jesus says, “The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.” So every thought that’s coming into you that steals your peace, kills your joy or destroys your self-worth or someone else’s is from the enemy. So many of the lies we face are because he’s pointed his sword at us and with his native tongue (John 8:44) lied to us over and over and over, until the most unfortunate thing happened - we believed it.
Satan is a bully. He’s mean, and his voice sounds mean. It condemns, it shames, it makes you feel guilty, it makes you feel like you’re not doing enough, it tells you that you’re NOT enough.
But the good news is that he doesn’t have the final say - Jesus does. He has the ultimate victory, He’s already won the hardest battle. He’s paid the price for our healing, our salvation, our freedom, and our eternal victory. No matter the lie you’ve believed, God can free you from it. Ask Him to reveal the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).
God made us. He gets to decide who we are. He gets to define us. Shouldn’t we agree with the thoughts that He thinks toward us, rather than what the enemy does?
Do I Hear God’s Voice?
In John 10, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (NKJV).
If you are in Christ, you are His sheep, and if you are his sheep, then you know His voice! However, learning God’s voice takes practice and training. We have to train ourselves to hear His voice. When I’ve talked to the Lord about this before, He told me, “It’s like learning a new language. Sometimes you’re going to get it wrong.” And I’ve learned that that’s ok! As long as we’re willing to say we’re wrong, be corrected, and keep practicing hearing His voice. It gets easier, I promise!
What Does God’s Voice Sound Like?
If we are to hear God’s voice, we have to ask ourselves, “What does His voice sound like?” God’s voice sounds like His word! John 1:1,14 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus’ voice sounds like the Word, because He is the Word made flesh. Jesus encompasses the entire word of God in a person, how cool is that?
God’s voice sounds like love because He is Love. It brings peace, because He is the Prince of Peace. It comforts us in our fear, our hurt and our struggle, because He is the God of all Comfort. It reassures us when our bank account is empty, because He is the God who Provides, and it speaks a better word than the doctor’s report, because He is the God Who Heals. That is WHO He is. He can’t be (or speak) contrary to that.
How Do You Hear the Voice of God?
The best strategy to learn how to hear God’s voice is to study His word in its context. When I was pregnant with my son, I really believe the Holy Spirit gave me a challenge and asked me to read through the entire New Testament every week. I thought He was crazy! But I did it anyway. I downloaded the YouVersion Bible app and listened to the New Testament constantly, all day long so that I could get through the entire thing each week. At first, it was extra noise, while taking care of my daughter, errands, cleaning and cooking, etc, and it drove me crazy. But, I pressed on and after a few weeks I was addicted! If it ever wasn’t playing, I longed for it!
It wasn't until years later that I realized why. During a random conversation with my husband (do you and your husband talk about the most random things too?), he starts telling me about the people who work for the treasury department. Let me tell you, I do not spend a lot of time talking about the treasury department... Anyway, he said that rather than taking time to study a bunch of counterfeit bills during their training, they study real money over and over and over. They become so familiar with the real thing, that when a counterfeit comes, they can immediately recognize it. I love this comparison! And I realize now that that’s what God was doing in me. He was having me study the real thing, His word, in its context, so when the counterfeit comes, when Satan tries to speak into my life, I can immediately recognize it and throw it out. I can stop the lie before it comes, and I can be certain of whose voice I am hearing.
You can do the same! And I encourage you to! Spend time often in God’s word. Every day, as much as you can. Listen through whole chapters, whole books of the Bible, so you’re able to listen in context. Without context it’s incredibly easy to twist scripture. Just look at what the enemy did while tempting Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4 - he took tiny bits of scripture out of context and twisted them to fit what he wanted them to say, twisted them in an attempt to trick Jesus. Of course he didn’t budge. He was able to stand. Do you know how? “For man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” That was his response. That was his Rock. And that’s ours too.
God’s Voice vs. Satan’s Voice Chart
Everyone loves a good chart, don’t they? Myself included. And when I had a rough go in my spiritual journey and was literally overcome with confusion on whose voice I was hearing, I created a chart to distinguish between what God’s voice sounded like and what Satan’s voice sounded like. It really helped me, and I hope it will help you as well! (BTW, this chart is MUCH prettier than my first one was ;)
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