Truth crowds out the lies. The truths I implanted applied the pressure needed to push the controlling lies to the surface. Years ago I met the mother of a friend who had just come through a flood in her town. I’ll never forget her words. “Marilyn, you should have seen it. 100 year old trees just uprooted and began to float in the flood waters.”

God’s words of truth will ferret out hidden lies. When we flood our heart with His word, the rooted lies will break loose and come to the surface without a fight. They lose their controlling power when they are exposed to the light.

Hidden lies are buried only until His truth in us becomes the tool to dig them out. Mark 4:22 bears this out. It says, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to the light.”

Truth is the Light that draws our heart out of darkness. Truth is Jesus, and He is the Light that dispels all darkness. All of satan’s lies came from darkness and hide in darkness. In John 8:44 Jesus told the folks that the devil was the father of lies.

There is a booklet called, “My Heart Christ’s Home” by Robert Boyd Munger. I read it years ago, but have not forgotten the impact it had on me. There is one part where Jesus wants to look into a closet. The heart is reluctant. Why? There are hidden things that it doesn’t want to deal with. Are there subjects you skirt? Are there dark places in your heart that cause you to deflect, dismiss, or ignore?

Do you feel like you are screaming in your heart but no noise comes out of your mouth? I have a chapter in my first book, “Freedom! From Past Hurts” that addresses the silent scream. I wrote about that from my personal experiences. It’s in the chapter called, “Concealed Rage.”

The buried emotional pain clammers to be heard. I picture it as locked in a dark dungeon in a heart. The book is copyrighted (2000), but since I wrote it I want to give you a paragraph.

Buried hurts are harbored and trapped in our hearts like prisoners in a dungeon. When hurts are hidden, the light is blocked from bringing freedom. Jesus wants to heal. Isaiah 42:7 says that He comes, “…to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”

Buried emotional pain is a lie. It isn’t buried. It continually seeps into our thought processes. It needs to be accepted as real. It did happen. Then confessed as sin because we have concealed it. Then renounced so the truth can fill its place as the sentinel over your heart. Experiential truth sets us free!

When I was a child we had a song that ended with, “And they all came tumbling down.” Then we would all fall to the ground. Jeremiah 1:10 is a great verse to apply to strongholds. It gives us a visual. It says,  “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” This is repeated in several places in Jeremiah.

Spiritual strongholds are deeply rooted lies. They were first seeded into our heart when we entertained the fiery dart thought. Like all invasive weeds, they sowed weed seeds which were also rooted.

It is essential to understand that not all thoughts are of our origin. I learned this in 1993. Prior to that a lot of weed seeds had permeated my heart. I asked the Holy Spirit to reveal the lies that I had believed.

As He brought each one to the surface, I would apply 2 Corinthians 4:2 and renounce them. They were not mine originally, but I had accepted the fiery dart lies as truth. They each gained control over my life.

By renouncing them I disowned them. They were no longer mine. I dispossessed them. I had a desire for truth. I latched onto Proverbs 4:23 and made it my own. It says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

I knew that one really well. I said things that I had no intention of saying. They just came out of my mouth at the most inopportune times. There was another verse that I wove into the depths of my heart.

Psalm 15:2 says, “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” There are several other character building verses that follow. The Psalm ended with, “…He who does these things shall never be moved.”

The Holy Spirit was so faithful to help me. The more truth went into my heart, the more the lies would surface. At one point I asked the Lord if there was ever anything that I believed that was not a lie. It seemed like an endless task. However, once I did get truths embedded in my heart, those truths became my sentinel. 

Truth within will guard our heart. Our part is to take God’s word and hide it through memorizing and meditating on it. It then becomes the inseparable interwoven fabric of our heart

Ruts usually indicate that there is a stronghold. Hidden lies keep us bound, like a prisoner in a jail. The bars are the lies. We are only bound through our thoughts. The key to getting out is experiential truth.

1 John 1:6 says that we walk in darkness when we do not practice the truth. Lies shroud our thoughts with darkness. That is satan’s realm. We do not live there. We are children of light!

Romans 13:12 says, “…Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Lies are darkness, and truth is light. Therefore we cast off the lie by acknowledging it and renouncing it.

2 Corinthians 4:2 says, “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

Let’s unpack this verse. Renounce means to disown. That is what we are doing as we cast off the lie. Lies are deceit that cause us to sin against God. That is the intent of all fiery dart lies—sin against God by not believing and acting on His word.

Hebrews 3:12-13 says,  “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil  heart of unbelief in departing from the living God…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

We manifest God’s truth in us by speaking His truth in our heart, walking in it, and using it as the mighty weapon that it is. Our goal is to not allow any fiery dart to penetrate. That is why we must take every thought captive.

That does not mean that we examine every thought and take it apart to see if it has a lie in it. Lies are counterfeit to truth. It does mean that we hide God’s word in our heart. We fill our heart reservoir with truth that will keep us free.

We live in His truth moment by moment. When a lie comes across our radar, we don’t give it another thought. By not dialoguing with it, it has no power. The power of a lie is activated when we allow it to enter and seed into our heart.

A seeded lie permeates like yeast in bread dough. Here is what Jesus said to His disciples that we will help us. Matthew 16:11 says, “How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to  you concerning bread—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Verse 12 says that they understood He was speaking about their doctrine. What is satan’s doctrine? Lies! John 8:44 says that he can’t speak the truth because the truth is not in him. None! 

1 Timothy 4:1-2 says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” We are living in this worldwide.

Lies hide, but truth is manifest or revealed. Truth is always in the open. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to  all  who trust in Him.” He is trustworthy. He cannot lie. Our Faithful God cannot deny Himself.

First we have to recognize, acknowledge, and confess the lie that we are dealing with. For every lie there is a powerful counterpart weapon in God’s word. Do you struggle with fear? 2 Timothy 1:7 says that fear is a spirit which negatively influences your thoughts. Read it for yourself. It says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

A sound mind has disciplined thought patterns. Lies are undisciplined. They are rogue, pushy, and disruptive. They clamor for attention, and shout out distractions to pull us away from the truth. 

Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” One of our great pieces of armor is the belt of truth. 1 Peter 1:13 Amplified says, “So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert)…” 

Ephesians 5:15 Amplified says, “Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people).”

We get our wisdom from the Lord. He has stored it up for us. As we read His word, observe it, and put it into practice, He will give it to us as we need it. His wisdom is our navigational tool that will guide us through troubled waters.

Proverbs 4:5-7 says, “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

Proverbs 7:6-27 was written about a young man devoid of understanding. Though this was written about a harlot, I like to think about it as the lying serpent. Parts of verses 21 and 23 say, “With her enticing speech she caused him to yield…he did not know it would cost his life.”

The lies of our enemy entice us to step aside from God’s proven paths of righteousness. They lure. They are wily, deceptive, pleasing, seductive, and are craftily hidden temptations.

Paul mentored his son in the faith by example. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 says, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith…”

We fight with truth wrapped around our thoughts. They continually emerge from our heart which is filled with truth mined from God’s word. It is a life skill. Our journey of sanctification is progressive. We go from battle to battle, remembering the victory that the Lord has won for us on the cross.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” How do our thoughts create who we become? All thoughts are a choice. No one ever makes us think a certain way. 

All humankind is made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being…”

Adam and Eve had a wonderful relationship with their Creator. Then they sinned and physically hid from Him. In Genesis 2:17  God had warned Adam. He was told that he could eat of every tree except one. “…for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” 

He was speaking of being separated from fellowship with the Lord. The same can happen to us. 1 John 1:5-7 was John’s record of what Jesus had said. Verse 5 says, “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

Verse 6 says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Verse 8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Truth within is the result of what we bring into our thought life. Psalm 15:2 says, “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” All spoken words are first thoughts.

It is really simple, but we often make it complicated. Our thoughts govern our words, actions, attitude, and habits. As we read His word, observe what it says, and then do it, our lives will change.

Bringing truth into our heart, so that we live out what we read, causes inner transformation. It doesn’t matter how many lies we have believed, how many times we stumble and say the wrong things, or any other defeating thing, we can be freed!

That is what Jesus meant when He said that the truth we know experientially will set us free. Think of John 8:36. It says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

No enemy stronghold can withstand the power of God’s word. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”

There is no other verse like this in the Bible. An enemy stronghold is a mindset based on a lie that we have believed. That buried lie continues to control our lives. It seeps into our thought process. It feels like reality yet it is a deception.

I once asked the Lord, “How can something that seems to be so real be a lie?” We must remember that anything satan uses is pseudo power, because God is All Powerful. No one, nor anything has any power because He has it all.

What is the fabric or your heart? Fabric material has a warp and a weft. The threads run lengthwise in the warp. The threads run across in the weft. They are  tightly woven to hold the material together.

Our thoughts are intricately woven through what we have experienced. Our heart is our belief center. Picture these words as threads in a tapestry. Experiences. Beliefs. Thoughts. Words. Actions. Attitudes. Habits.

Many threads are added into the tapestry of our lives. Some of those threads are hidden emotional pain, offenses, resentments, bitterness, unforgiveness, fears, lies of the enemy, and worries. 

Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” David wrote Psalm 51 after his sin with Bathsheba. Verse 6 says, “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.”

Can the fabric of our heart be changed? Yes! I love 1 Chronicles 28:9 in the Amplified. David was speaking to his son Solomon. It says, “…For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts…”

Does your mind ever wander? Do you ever allow your mind to go back into the past and change it through your wishful thinking? Do you plan whole scenes in your mind for your future? A ‘yes’ answer means that we have engaged in futile activity. Those thoughts also added threads.

We are called to holiness. How do we order our thoughts? We do it by bringing God’s word into our heart through memorization and meditation. It isn’t just learning the verses.

It is weaving the threads of truth into the fabric of our heart. It becomes interwoven every time we mull the verse, or parts of the verse, around in our mind. 

What we think about affects every aspect of our lives. Psalm 1:3 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” What is the result?

Verse 4 says, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it…” The results are, “…For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

The key for a strong tapestry of truth is actively observing with the intention of doing. Consider that observing is the warp, and doing is the weft. Until God’s word is implanted, according to James 1:21, we will not be freed of the mindsets that keep us bound.

Verse 22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” Just to read the word, or glance at a verse, does not bring it into our heart.

John 8:32 was the criteria for a true disciple of Jesus. It says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This is the power of experiential truth. 

It becomes the warp and the weft of our belief system, which brings us into expressing it through our thoughts, words, actions, attitude, and habits. This all translates into holy conduct that exemplifies the Lord.

Sin means to miss the mark. Remembering the victory of the cross, helps us to not deviate or compromise in the slightest way from doing what we know is right in God’s eyes. 

Romans 6:19 says, “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that we are not bound to the sins of our past, nor of sins done against us. It says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

When we dwell in the past in our mind, we have forgotten the victory Jesus won for us on the cross. 2 Peter 1:9 was referring to verses 5-8, and the list of graces that we are to add to our faith.

It says, “For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” The contrast between lack and fruit is in verse 8.

It says, “For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We gain knowledge by sitting at His feet. We cannot bear any fruit of ourselves. John 15:1-8 was written about abiding in the Vine.

1 Peter 1:14-15 says, “As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts…but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” The only way that we can conduct ourselves in righteous choices is to walk in the Spirit.

All actions are first thoughts. Our battlefield is our mind. The truth? 1 Corinthians 2:16 says that we have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Verse 8 says, “…He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Our flesh hates to die. It wants to be on the top, always pushing down our spirit man. Think of two billy goats vying for the top of the mound. They are constantly butting one another.

Romans 6:16 says, “Do you not know that to whom you  present yourselves slave to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

Hebrews 5:8 says, “Though He were a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things that He suffered.” He suffered death on the cross for us. He gained victory over death for us. He rose from the grave for us. That is the gospel He has called us to live in. Death to self so that He will be glorified through our lives.

Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Jesus’ physical flesh was crucified on the cross. When we bring the victory of His cross into our trial, it will crucify our fleshly reactions.

Our flesh resists all manner of suffering. Our hearts need to echo Paul’s words. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

We sin in our flesh not our spirit man. Romans 8:5 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

We walk in the victory of the cross when we yield to the Holy Spirit. Verse 6 says, “…to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Verse 10 says, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Romans 6:1-2 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Verse 4 explained it really well. When we accepted the Lord as our Savior, “…we were buried with Him through baptism into death…” Dead things have no response.

Verse 11 says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Verse 12 is a great key for us. It says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

What lusts? Our flesh. When we say, ‘If only…” we are lusting. Carrying on a mind conversation with the ‘if only’ requires ignoring the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish.”

I like to picture the word ‘contrary’ this way. An attempt to put two magnets together sets up a field of resistance. Our flesh likes to revile and get even. 1 Peter 3:10 says, “Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”

Revile means to criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner. How did Jesus handle reviling? 1 Peter 2:23 says, “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”

I want you to picture a dot drawn on the left side of a chalkboard. Now there is another dot on the right hand side. There is a slight difference in position. To look at it face on, it is not noticeable. However, if we were to draw a line with a ruler from the left to the right, the deviation would be clearly seen. We will continue this tomorrow.

Our trials train us to trust. Psalm 62:8 is a great example of crying out. It says, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” We pour out our heart while clinging to the Lord through His word.

Psalm 63:8 Amplified says, “My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

When our heart begins to sink because we feel overwhelmed, we will stand without being shaken when we remember His promises. It is through them that we wage war against our shrinking flesh.

Jeremiah was sinking into despair because of his thoughts. He turned it all around, by latching onto God’s promises. Lamentations 3:1-19 was full of his very descriptive turmoil. Verse 20-21 says, “My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.”

Let’s read the promises that he recounted. Verses 22-23 say, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

After recalling the promises, he makes a faith declaration. Verse 24 says, “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!” If we hope in anything other than the Lord, we will falter and our faith will be undermined.

Mark 11:22 is our moment by moment instruction. It says, “…Have faith in God.” Verse 23 addressed our obstacles as mountains (which are very high) and the sea (which can be very tempestuous). 

Verse 24 is still in the context of our faith in God. It says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Here is an example of praying and believing from Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 41:10, Hebrews 6:19, and Romans 8:28. “Lord, I am feeling anxious right now. This trial is looming before me and I’m overwhelmed. I cry out to You. Thank You for Your resurrection power that dwells in me. I am standing in Your promise of peace that will surpass my own understanding.

You are with me. You are my Help and Strength. You will uphold me through this trial. You are the anchor of my soul. I will not be shaken nor set adrift because my faith is in You. I trust You now to work this all out for my good.”

Let’s go back to James 1:3. It says, “…count it all joy WHEN you fall into various trials.” Note that we are to count our sudden trial as a joyous event at the beginning. We are ready to rejoice when it is over, but are we rejoicing at the beginning?

Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” David wrote Psalm 61. How did he deal with things that came at him? Verse 2 says, “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock  that is higher than I.”

David was asking the Lord to help him hide in Him. He wanted the Lord to be his Protector. Verse 4 says, “I will abide in Your tabernacle  forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.” David’s ‘I will’ was a faith declaration based on his assured future and his unknown present.

I love his words in Psalm 18:1-2. It says, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold”

The impact of the trial we fall into, helps us to instantly recognize that we need the Lord. He replaces our weakness with His strength when we cry out to Him. Here is a word picture I like to think about.

In your mind’s eye, take a long strand of hair. Weave it in and out of the links in a chain. Do you see how the hair is fully supported? How much more are we empowered through God’s resurrection power?

Ephesians 1:19 Amplified says, “And (so that you can know and understand) what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength.”

Verse 20 says that it is the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. His power dwells in us. It is perpetually available. Immeasurable. Unlimited. Surpassing  greatness. 

Ephesians 3:16 Amplified says, “May He grant you out of the rich treasure of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the (Holy) Spirit (Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality).” Strengthened. Reinforced.

Why do we cry out? It is our acknowledgment that we cannot do this without Him! Our heart affirms that we absolutely need Him. He is Ever Present, but He makes Himself known in a new way when we cry out. 

2 Peter 1:4 says that we share in His divine nature through His enduring promises. Psalm 136 has 26 verses. Each one ends with, “…For His mercy endures forever.” We are empowered to endure by abiding in His word. It will enable us to know Him in ways we have not experienced Him before.