What do you believe about yourself? Is it based solely on what the Lord says, or what you perceive through your life’s experiences? Our heart belief comes from our perceptions. This is why we are instructed to renew our minds through Scripture.

Old patterns of thoughts are not erased at salvation. Romans 12:2 says that it is the renewing of our mind that brings inner transformation. That is a daily activity that cannot be neglected. Ephesians 4:23 Amplified says, “And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude).”

Our attitudes come from our thoughts. I love Psalm 139. Verse 2 says, “…You understand my thought afar off.” Verse 4 says, “For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether…”

That is such a safety net for us! I was controlled by fiery dart lies, until I found out in 1993 that not every one of my thoughts was of my own origin. I began asking the Holy Spirit to reveal them so I could renounce and forsake them.

Peter believed a lie. Jesus told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and then be raised the third day. Peter rebuked Him. Look what was behind that lie. Matthew 16:23 says, “But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind me satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

So it is with us. In and of ourselves we will live in the mindfulness of men. The truth is in 1 Corinthians 2:13. It is quoted from Isaiah 40:3. It says, “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

I love Isaiah 40. Verse 12 says, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” Verse 25 reminds us that there is no one His equal.

Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Our mouth speaks what our heart believes. Matthew 12:34 says, “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

I have found in counseling that when I just listen, I can hear the hidden lies that are believed. That is how the devil works. If he can get a fiery dart lie to penetrate, then he can begin building an inner stronghold.

We know from 2 Corinthians 10:4 that only God’s word has the power to pull down strongholds. It says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”

Strongholds are built when a fiery dart penetrates unnoticed. They get buried deep inside our hearts and lay dormant. Though seemingly forgotten, the lie seeps into our thought processes. They control through influencing our mind, will, and emotions. 

Case in point is Judas. John 13:2 says, “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart…to betray Him.”

I woke up with the words of the title. My mind immediately went to John 15:5. Nothing is a word of emptiness. I have a suicidal mentee who is empty. Her thought circuit is a destructive loop that plays over and over. Without a personal relationship with Jesus there is no hope.

Anything we do in our own strength is utter futility. Paul and Barnabas encountered a cripple at Lystra. As Paul was speaking, he saw that the man had faith to be healed. In Acts 14:10 Paul said, “…Stand up straight on your feet! And he leaped and walked.”

The pagan priests were about to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. Paul preached to them. In verse 15 he said, “…turn from these useless things to the living God…” The Greek word for useless means: fruitless, empty, futile, hollow, unproductive, lacking substance, and worthless.

John 15:8 says that we bear fruit for his glory through abiding—not from doing anything in our own strength. What or Who we turn to in the face of our impossibilities reveals where our heart’s belief truly lies.

Amy Carmichael wrote, “For grace to endure and to conquer is never given until the moment in need.” Quoted from her book, Rose From Briar. Amy lived her life of service to the Lord in absolute dependence on Him.

I reread her biography written by Elizabeth Elliot, “A Chance To Die.” In every situation that she encountered, her intention and desire was to die to herself. She had a huge orphanage in India. She taught all the workers and the children how to die to themselves through her example.

Our flesh wants center stage. However, our instructions in Galatians 5:16 says, “…Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” The Greek word for lust is gratifying sensual cravings, desiring the forbidden, longing for the evil, coveting what belongs to someone else, and striving for things, persons, or experiences contrary to the will of God.

Verse 17. Think of two magnets trying to unite. They propel each other. It says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another…”

Why do we delay something today that we should have done yesterday? I think of what the Shulamite woman said. Song of Solomon 1:6 says, “…but my own vineyard I have not kept.” I use the exact words to goad myself to do something I need to do but clearly don’t want to. It is my prod to not procrastinate.

What do you do when you get frustrated? Do you walk away, get angry, turn to something that wastes time, or stop and pray? Years ago the Holy Spirit gave me this definition. “God interrupting my way to redirect me into His way.”

That insight is written on the walls of my heart. It propels me to seek the Lord for His direction whenever anything makes me feel frustrated. Our feelings come from our thoughts. Thoughts have motives that are based on what we believe about ourselves. That belief system was built from our experiences in life.

We usually get frustrated when we are trying to do something in our own strength and we fail. Humbling ourselves will usher in His grace-strength.

When I was in high school I learned this definition of an excuse ~ a skin of reason wrapped around a lie. I thought of this as I read Moses’ excuses. God clearly laid out what He was going to do. Yet Moses back peddled with one excuse after another.

In Exodus 3:10 the Lord told Moses, “…I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.” Pretty clear instruction. Yet Moses looked to himself. “Who am I?” he asked.

The Lord assured him that He would be with him. He gave him specific instructions of what he was to say. In Exodus 4:1, 10, 13 are more excuses. Clearly his heart was not in it. Verse 14 says, “So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses…”

When we balk at what the Lord is asking us to do, His purpose will be fulfilled through another. God sent Aaron to be Moses’ mouthpiece. Moses vacillated and lost the opportunity presented to him. Walking in discernment enables us to seize each opportunity the moment He presents it.

Fiery darts are lies. They often accuse. Revelation 12:10 named satan as, “…the accuser of our brethren…” Fiery darts are designed to attack our faith. In my experience they came in first person, such as “You are…, or you can’t…” followed by derogatory statements.”

We are to be diligent to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and to bring thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). When we aren’t, then lies will penetrate and seed into our hearts as we dialogue with them. They then become our own. From then on the battle is inside and no longer outside.

2 Timothy 2:14 says, “…not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.” We can apply this to arguments within ourselves, or with others. There is no profit in it. It is fruitless, worthless, and an absolute empty activity. Daniel 7:25 says that he seeks to wear out the saints of the Most High through his pompous words. 

Dialoguing with fiery darts is not only futile, but it emotionally, spiritually, and physically wears us down. Renounce the lies you have believed!

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” I think of a barnacle fastened to a rock in the midst of a tempestuous storm. What do you hold onto when you suddenly drop into a new trial?

Hebrews 6:13 reminds us that there is no one greater than God. Verse 18 says, “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”

Our hope is based on Jesus’ resurrection. 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Samuel 12:21 says, “And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.” Dialoguing with fiery darts leads to absolute futility and emotional fatigue. 

Moses ended up in the land of Midian. He stopped and sat down by a well. Exodus 2:16 says that the seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to draw water for their father’s flock. Moses observed what happened. The shepherds came and drove the girls away. Moses stepped in to help them.

Moses ended up dwelling with the priest, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to be Moses’ wife. One day Moses was tending the sheep. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire. Spontaneous combustion was not unusual.

Exodus 3:3 says, “Then Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” When the Lord saw that Moses turn aside, He spoke to him from the midst of the bush.

Many times we are so busy that we do not stop to step aside when something catches our attention. Luke 4:4 in the Amplified says that man will not live by bread alone, “…but by every word and expression of God.” Nuances can be life-changing, as with Moses.