Remember the first time you watched the movie, Jaws? I didn’t go in the water the entire summer after that. When my son was in middle school, we thought it might be fun for him to experience the reenactment!
We were in the fictional town of Amity Island, NY, where Jaws the man-eating shark, lurked below the surface of the still waters and terrorized vacationers who dared go there. Twenty tourists piled into a small boat at Universal Studios and drifted quietly in the “river” until the waters began to stir, and our greatest fears were realized!
The giant man-eating shark erupted from the water and attacked! He gnashed his teeth and lunged at the side of the boat. Women screamed, babies cried, and one overall-clad, hefty man in the back just burst out laughing. Soon his contagious laughter caused an avalanche of giggles throughout the boat and we all began laughing hysterically!
After much chomping at the boat, Jaws withdrew his fearsome fury and disappeared below the surface. But would he reappear? Were we safe? No! A few moments later, the mammoth shark emerged and lunged at our helpless vessel again and again. And each time, the laughing man in the back of the boat had the same effect—contagious, side-splitting, rip-roaring laughter. Tears streamed down my face in uncontrollable cackling. I’m not sure the tour guide had ever seen anything like it.
See, the man knew that the shark was a fake. He wasn’t real. To him, the attack was… well, funny.
Oh, that we would do the same when the devil tries to attack us. Yes, he is real, but he has no teeth and is no threat. He is a defeated foe who lays bloodied and beaten in the boxing ring still shouting, “I’m the greatest.” But he isn’t.
Even though the devil is defeated, the Bible tells us that he still roams around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), but he has no teeth. And I’ve never known anyone to be gummed to death. The only weapon the devil has is lies.
Jesus said, “When he [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 NIV). The father of lies means that all lies began with him.
The meaning of the word lie is “a falsehood with the intent to deceive,” He deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and he continues to try and deceive us as well.
Why did that silly man in the boat laugh when Jaws attacked our boat? He knew it wasn’t real. Why should we laugh at the lies of the devil? Because we know they aren’t true.
Picture this. Cue the Jaws music. Da dum. Da dum. Da dum. The devil attacks with lies.
You’re a loser. Nobody loves you. You can’t do anything right. You’re worthless. You’re a failure. You’re not good enough. Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.
And you bust out laughing. Why? Because that’s not true.
I’m a loser? That’s not true. I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves me. (Romans 8:37)
I’m unloved? That’s not true. God loves me so much He gave His only Son for me. (John 3:16)
I can’t do anything right? That’s not true. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
I’m worthless? That’s not true. God has chosen me to be His treasured possession. My worth is not based on what others think of me, but on what God thinks of me—and He thinks I’m priceless. (Deuteronomy 14:2)
I’m a failure? That’s not true. I am a child of God who sometimes fails, but that’s not who or what I am. God has given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
I’m not good enough? That’s not true. Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His Spirit in me, I am deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, and totally accepted by God. I am empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit to do all God has called me to do.
Ha, ha, ha.
I’ll never forget that trip to the imaginary town of Amity Island, NY. And if I remember the story correctly, that shark gets his in the end.
Dear God, help me to stand firm on Your truth and not to listen to the lies of the enemy. Help me to recognize when the jaws of the enemy are chomping at my boat and simply laugh at the days to come! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
What lie have you been believing about yourself or your circumstances? What is the Truth that negates that lie? Comment and let me know your thoughts!
Do the voices in your head tell you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or just not enough, period? If so, it’s time to stop listening to the lies that sabotage your confidence and start embracing the truth of your true identity in Christ. In Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence, I expose the lies that keep you bogged down in guilt, shame, and insecurity and shows you how to replace them with the truths about who you are and what you have as a child of God.
And for you wives, hop on over to The Praying Wives Club and join us in praying for our men.
© 2022 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.
Comments 24
I love, love, love this devotional! The biggest lie that the enemy tries to fool me with is that God doesn’t love me and that I have to try to earn God’s love.
The TRUTH Is that God does love me and you and every person with a perfect and everlasting love, so much that He gave His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and to offer all salvation! You and I and every person are the spple of God’s eye, dearly loved by our Creator Triune God, and God engraved our names on the palms of His nail scarred, victorious hands! And we wait for our Savior Jesus who is going to come back one day and bring all of His children home to heaven with Hm for an eternity of life in the promise land with God and His family!!!! Praise God!!!!
And Ha. Ha. Ha!!!
God morning. Yes, I get caught up in believing the lies as hard as I pray not to. Your emails help me, in the moment, to recognize. But, I soon fall back into being overwhelmed by his lies.
Sometimes, a lie can be so vicious. Even when you the truth, others can cause so much harm with their lies. Eventually, the truth will come out, but in the meantime, others can suffer so much when others believe the lies.
The lies that I would get are: “You are ugly”. “You are dumb”. “You are a nobody”. “ You are not worthy to be a child of God”. “You are a fraud” “If you have sex you’ll save the world”. These are just a few…
Excellent reminder, we’ll needed.
Thanks for a timely lesson!
Thank you for your faithfulness to sharing God’s word and His thoughts. I have wanted to paint or draw some of these truths but have been “feeling” not able. This is a message of encouragement to believe Who I am doing this for. Not man but Father God. Your messages are amazing and seem to be just what I need for the time we are in. I must reread your book Enough . Many blessings to you.
Love in Christ
wow, devil is the father of all lies, He is defeated !!May God helps us to silence the enemy whenever he whispers to us and let him know that we are more than Conquerors in Christ Jesus. Amen !!!!Thankyou for sharing God bless you .
I’m in war of this story! Thank you!!! All the lies of the devil are just that lies! We can attack back with SCRIPTURE like JESUS did!!! May our LORD JESUS CHRIST continue to richly bless you! SHALOM
Awe * not war
I was struggling last week and a friend said, say “Lord, I trust You! Help me to put Your word into it!” I wrote that down and put on my wall. Now I have added these questions and the scriptures in this blog to that sign. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for exposing the lies of the enemy so that I can hear all that great high Priest has given me through His death, burial and resurrection!! Hello
Sharon: This is so good. What a great reminder of the truth about the Devil and about ourselves. And a really great way to start this and every day.
This truth touches my heart so deeply right now. The death of those sweet children would never have happen if the gun man knew these truths instead of the lies that he had heard during his life. God doesn’t make junk, people do.
What a wonderful reminder. I was just being bombarded with anxiety and began to read your devotion. God is good…..all the time. Thank you.
Your emails are always a good reminder that God’s ways are jot our ways nor his thoughts our thoughts. My struggle comes from a husband who constantly reiterates the lies of the enemy while lying on the couch. I’m working two jobs and can’t make ends meet. It makes me feel like a failure, and he finds pleasure in comparing me to other women in his past doing much better financially. I have no more energy to fight him or the enemy. I’m exhausted in every way but have 3 kids to take care of. God please provide some relief.
I needed this reminder.
The lies that I have been telling myself is mostly, I am not enough, not pretty enough and not worthy enough. This resonates with me, and I am two chapters into your book Enough: Silencing the Lies That Steal Your Confidence. I’ve been working on a daily inventory to break the lies that bind me. Through life experiences, traumas, and betrayal, I’ve let those lies build up so deeply in me, they became my identity, who I was. I am NOT that person no more. I am working to break those lies, expose the enemy for who he is, and see God as the one and only Lord and savior. Thank you Sharon for this blog. On the notes tab on my phone, I have a note titled Verses against satan. I have added the ones you wrote up above in this blog. They are helpful for me when satan is trying to mess with my joy, or worse yet my marriage or relationships.
Thank you. So timely! The enemies minions are very subtle in their attacks on me at the moment. One way they are getting me is to silently pile lies on top of me that my praise, thanksgiving, and prayers aren’t important, not so that it bothers me, just enough that I start forgetting to speak to God. Then several days will go and my heart starts getting judgmental, I start finding my heart-work in Bible study just something to get finished, I stop seeking His Word, studying His Word. Then I realize that I haven’t prayed for several days and I can actually feel the oppression I didn’t realize was there break! and then I am hungrily seeking God’s Word, praising, thanking, praying to God and desiring a close relationship with Christ. But the lie is so insidious, it just starts in the littlest ways and so I continue to fall for it over and over…..If it was a big shark coming at me it would be much more helpful and easier to spot! LOL
Sharon, your book “Enough” was truly a light onto my path over helping me to push back the lies of our enemy. Powerful writing and Wisdom.
Hi Sharon , your encouraging words are really a blessing to me . Yes, I know the devil is a LIAR, and I know God put him under our feet for a reason, to CRUSH him. He gets sometimes he gets the best of me when I am weak because I let him . Please pray for me to ALWAYS turn to the Bible and read God’s promises when these doubts come , because when I do it helps me know that no matter what I am going through God is with me and the devil CANNOT win. God has not answered my prayers yet , but I know that I am blessed ,and the “ Delays are NOT Denials”. I will keep praying, praising, and thanking Him as I wait. Thank you again for all you in Jesus name .God Bless!,❤️
I k ow that the devil is the father of lies, but my struggle is not feeling like I am saved even thought I went forward during an invitation as a child (around age 11, I think) at a revival to receive Christ as my Savior, I didn’t get baptized because the preachers talked to my parents (who were Methodist but not active at all in the church) instead of me, and when I asked what baptism was, they told me it was joining the Baptist church and I didn’t know if I wanted to be a Baptist, I was told they didn’t believe in dancing, which I thought sounded fun. Then I started hearing about the second coming and got scared I wasn’t saved so went forward again at a revival, but no one followed up with me. In college, I read scripture that made me think I wasn’t saved if I wasn’t baptized so I talked to a preacher ( I was very nervous, awkward, and introverted) and got baptized. During this time, I was also a dating a guy I shouldn’t have been dating and doing things I shouldn’t have been doing but was not courageous enough to get out of, because his family made me feel more loved than my own did, years later as an adult, I prayed and got baptized again to try to get things right with God, but still no peace. I get so angry at God about this, and scared I’ve committed blasphemy. I know I suffer from OCD, but not sure if that is the problem (maybe moral scrupulousity). I feel like so many devotions are geared toward those who are already saved Christians, and don’t really talk about what to do if you haven’t made that choice and don’t have the Holy Spirit I you.. The scriptures often seem to be talking about those already saved, but what if someone isn’t? I want to be saved so badly and know without a doubt that I am and have peace, but it seems elusive to me and I don’t. Know what’s wrong with me.
Awesome word as always which speaks to my heart. The devil is a liar and a deceiver who desires for us to feel less about who we are. I have been there and now know who I am and I walk in the authority and word of my Lord and Savior.
Thanks Sharon for reminding me once again that Jesus is in my boat.
The verse “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is a promise God will never go back on.
And no matter our circumstances God will a way.
God bless everyone who shared a comment I have been blessed reading them.
Sharon Barbara