You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John
8:32).

When I was a boy on the farm, my dad, my brother and I would
visit our neighbor’s farm to share produce and labor. The
neighbor had a yappy little dog that scared the socks off me.
When it came barking around the corner, my dad and brother stood
their ground, but I ran. Guess who the dog chased! I escaped to
the top of our pickup truck while the little dog yapped at me
from the ground.

Everyone except me could see that the little dog had no power
over me except what I gave it. Furthermore, it had no inherent
power to throw me up on the pickup; it was my belief that put me
up there. That dog controlled me by using my mind, my emotions,
my will, and my muscles, all of which were motivated by fear.
Finally I gathered up my courage, jumped off the pickup, and
kicked a small rock at the mutt. Lo and behold, it ran!

Satan is like that yappy little dog: deceiving people into
fearing him more than God. His power is in the lie. He is the
father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world
(Revelation 12:9), and consequently the whole world is under the
influence of the evil one (1 John 5:19). He can do nothing about
your position in Christ, but if he can deceive you into believing
his lies about you and God, you will spend a lot of time on top
of the pickup truck! You don’t have to outshout him or outmuscle
him to be free of his influence. You just have to outtruth him.
Believe, declare, and act upon the truth of God’s Word, and you
will thwart Satan’s strategy.

I have learned from the Scriptures and my experience that truth
is the liberating agent. The power of Satan is in the lie, and
the power of the believer is in knowing the truth. We are to
pursue truth, not power.

Father God, when Satan is badgering and confusing me, remind me
that Your Holy Spirit within me is greater than all the evil
around me.

This daily devotional is published and distributed by
http://www.GOSHEN.net/ . It is written by Neil Anderson at
http://www.freedominchrist.com/ .