Whose Voice are You Listening To?

In today’s world, an important challenge faced by the church is the struggle to discern between the voice of God and the voice of Satan. This issue deserves attention and understanding.

The biggest problem in the church today is that it doesn’t know how to differentiate the voice of God and the voice of Satan.

You may first question whether we would confuse the two voices. We know that Satan seeks to steal your joy, extinguish your desires, and bring destruction into your life. His hatred is relentless. In contrast, our loving Father desires the best for us.

How can the church possible mistake that terrible voice with the loving Father?

It is surprisingly easy for us to mistake the malicious voice of the adversary for our own inner voice. Have you ever experienced feelings of shame, depression, or unworthiness? It’s vital to question the source of such thoughts. Where do they originate? Do you really hate yourself? Does God hate you?

Remember, God does not harbor hate towards you; it is Satan who wishes to see you fail and prevent you from embracing the abundant life God has in store for you.

How do we differentiate between the voice of the enemy and the voice of God?

The more we know the character of God; the more we will know His voice. God loves us. God is for us. God believes in us. God will lead us to hope and life. (If you doubt any of this read Romans 8 multiple times.)

This is so important because you will live out of the voice you are listening to. If you believe the lies Satan throws at you that you are worthless, a failure, and that those you love would be better off without you, than you will not live out of the unique calling God placed into your life. Instead you will try to be whoever you can that would cause you the least amount of pain. If you believe that if people knew the real you they would reject you, then you will always live your life behind a mask so nobody would ever know the real you.

It is important to recognize that the voice we choose to listen to significantly impacts our lives.

So how do you know which voice you are listening to?

To discern between the voice of the enemy and the voice of God, we must examine the fruit that their words bear. If our thoughts lead us towards life, peace, and freedom, we can be confident that it is the Holy Spirit speaking to us. However, if our thoughts lead to depression, pain, fear, and immobilization, we can identify them as originating from the adversary.

Even conviction can come in either form. True conviction comes not at the sound of God’s displeasure in us, but at the moment He turns the light on brightly enough for us to see our imperfections. His light does not expose us in anger but in love wanting us to correct the errors keeping us from more of Him. He exposes unhealed issues in our hearts, so we can bring them to Him for healing. Without the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we do not change and grow. Satan is the one that points out sin to shame us and create fear that will lead us away from God and others.

It is important to discern the voice of who is speaking to us.

The voice of God, even when exposing sin, offers hope and life. The voice of the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. Whenever you recognize the voice of God in your life, embrace it freely. If it is from the enemy, reject it boldly (2 Corinthians 10:5).

By embracing the voice of God and rejecting the voice of the adversary, we embark on a journey of hope, purpose, and transformation. Let us commit to knowing our loving Father intimately, seeking His guidance, and living out the unique calling He has placed within each of us.