• “ You are divorced .”
• “ You are unmarried .”
• “ Your children do not like you .”
• “ You are overweight .”
• “ You do not have enough money .”
Obviously , these are but a tiny fraction of the things we hear about ourselves , but you get the idea . When you hear one of these kinds of arguments , it often captures your attention because it is true . “ Yes , I did that / was that / am that / feel that / struggle with that .” That is when the devil makes his sleight of hand .
Interpretations
Most of us are so hooked by the litany of evidence against us that we automatically accept as truth what the enemy offers next : interpretation . He attempts to explain what those things mean about who we are and what the status of our situation is .
Looking again to 2 Corinthians 10:5 , you might be wondering , “ Where does it mention interpretation ?” After all , the verse says , “ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion . . . .” Other Bible versions call these pretensions ( NIV ), presumptions ( BSB ) or proud obstacles ( NRSV ). These are all words that describe an opinion or interpretation of the evidence . This is what prosecutors do in court . They never present evidence for the sake of presenting evidence . No , they always have a purpose , which is to convince a judge and jury of their interpretation of what the evidence means . Usually , guilty .
Using real evidence from the past or present , the devil works to convince you of something hopeless about you , your future or your situation .
Here is what his interpretations of the arguments I mentioned above might sound like :
• “ You were a druggie ; therefore , nobody will ever trust you .”
• “ You were addicted to pornography ; therefore , you are too dirty to be used by God .”
• “ You got fired from that job ; therefore , you are not good enough for that career .”
• “ You are quiet ; therefore , you do not have the right personality to succeed in that role .”
• “ You are divorced ; therefore , nobody will want you .”
• “ You are unmarried ; therefore , there must be something wrong with you .”
• “ Your children do not like you ; therefore , you are a bad parent .”
• “ You are overweight ; therefore , you are unattractive .”
• “ You do not have enough money ; therefore , you are a nobody .”
Do you see how each of these statements includes both a fact and an interpretation about what that fact means about you ? By using something that really did happen , was said or is present in your life , the devil quickly moves into the realm of hypothetical doom and gloom , often without you realizing it .
Your Ultimate Reality
Remember , Paul said that the enemy raises his arguments and opinions “ against the knowledge of God ” ( 2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV ). This means that he attempts to make his evidence seem more real than the truth of God ’ s Word . This is done to paralyze you , hold you back and keep you quiet .
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