Rooted in Christ
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As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. – Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)
As I was praying one morning, a discouraging thought entered my mind: “Why do you bother? Your prayers are never answered.” At first, I was taken aback. Then, I became angry. How dare such a lie try to take root in my mind!
I knew the thought was not mine, nor was it from God. Such brash words came from one source—the Father of Lies. Because of its absurdity, the thought was easy to reject. Most of the time, however, the enemy of our soul is far more subtle. He plants seeds of doubt, like weeds in a garden, during vulnerable moments when they can take root and spread.
When we’re hurting because of a loved one, he tells us God doesn’t care. When we’ve said harsh words to a co-worker, he tells us we’re condemned. When we’ve suffered loss, he asks if God really loves us. The enemy knows that if he can get a false belief to take root, it is far easier to plant more and far harder to remove.
When we water our soul with the Word, we learn to distinguish the voice of God from the voice of the one whose purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy. God’s Word assures us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. It reminds us that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and that He has set us free from the law of sin and death. It also declares that God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, so that we might spend eternity with Him.
We have a neighbor who occasionally lets their lawn grow too long before mowing it. At times, it’s hard to tell where the grass ends and where the weeds begin. The enemy’s lies, when left unchallenged, are like that untended lawn. How much easier it is to maintain a healthy lawn than to bring an overgrown one back under control.
Not too long ago, I learned from a friend that healthy grass, when properly watered, will naturally crowd out weeds. This same principle applies to our thought life. When our thoughts are watered by God’s Word, and we’re rooted in Christ Jesus, then our mind is resistant to any lie the enemy would dare seek to spread.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Do you take time to think about what you’re thinking? How might you think differently if you weighed your thoughts against Scripture?
2. When you’re struggling to get through a difficult season in your life, do you allow the enemy of your soul to sneak in the weeds of discouragement? How might you prevent this from happening?
3. When you spend time reading your Bible, have you noticed a shift in your perspective? How might hearing from God every day help you more quickly recognize the lies of the enemy?
