Satan knows exactly where our vulnerable spots are. He is a vindictive monster who wants to crush any hope we have. The closer we come to Jesus, the harder he tries to lure us away from Him.
Last week I read a Bible verse that often triggers bad memories. You may think – How could a Bible verse do that? How could God’s Word of love bring hurt?
It doesn’t. But some people abuse God’s Word by putting their own interpretation on it to justify hurting us. Like the minister who abused me did. When I come across this verse, my body and mind react. Fear grasps my heart in a vise-grip, and I want to run for my life. All the muscles in my body tense up, and the nausea rises up into my throat. A whirlwind of screaming and crying from a deep place in my heart press against my throat and eyes.
I shoved it all down and numbed myself to it, but the next day it came up again. I knew I had to address it and fight it with the truth.
I begged God to take away those memories and help me focus on His truth as He meant it to be. Not on the memories of how a man twisted its meaning to give a stamp of approval to his sinful lust.
God graciously reminded me:
♥ To read His Word through His perspective, never man’s. His Word is meant to instruct us in the way of His love, salvation, and healing. It is NEVER meant to manipulate, to threaten, or to give an excuse to sinful actions.
♥ To fight against the enemy and his deceitful tactics from a standpoint of victory already won by Him, not for a standpoint of victory. Fighting for victory or fighting from victory. Too often I wear myself out fighting for a victory of my own. I need to fight from the solid ground of God’s victory over Satan. The enemy can never get a foothold there.
♥ That my heart is in His safe hands. He has access to every deep part of my brokenness, and He will continue to heal me layer by layer. Each time a painful memory is triggered, He makes me stronger in Him.
"For the enemy has pursued me, crushing me to the ground, making me live in darkness like those long dead. My spirit is weak within me; my heart is overcome with dismay. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all You have done; I reflect on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; I am like parched land before You." Psalm 143:4-6 HCSB
The enemy will pursue us and even crush us to the ground. Our hearts will faint within us and be overcome with anxiety and fear. But God…
I love those two words, don’t you? But God has already defeated the enemy. Yes, as long as we live, Satan is never going to give up, but God has given us a standpoint of victory we can fight from. A safe place where the devil has no access to.
“The Champion of Love”
by The Cathedrals
“He is higher than the highest
Greater than the great
No one will ever take His crown away
He is more mighty than the mightiest
He reigns from above
He’s the all-time, undisputed, undefeated
Champion of Love”
Freed to Fly 
Satan does and will try every tactic to wear us down and infuse us with fear instead of faith. Thank you for reminding us, Trudy, that the victory is already won, and all we have to do to combat the devil is lean on God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
And thank you, too, for your candor. Sharing such things is never, ever easy.
Blessings!
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Thank you, Martha. Blessings to you, too! Yes, the devil tries every tactic and can be so relentless. I so easily forget the victory is already won, but God is so endlessly patient with me. May we lean on God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength!
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I need to hear this over & over. I hear the whisper that I am just talking myself into believing & trusting that God loves me & has a good plan when it is all just words. Then I just crumble feeling as if I am playing a game! I love the Lord and the more time I spend with Him, here the kicks come!! It is exhausting!
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I’m so sorry, Karmen. Yes, it can be exhausting when the devil hounds us so viciously. The closer we are to Jesus, the more he tries to part us from Him, right? May God help us to each moment cling to our victory in Jesus!
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You write with such transparency and at the same time point us to the truth in God. Your story of abuse is one that makes me hurt deeply for you. But your story is one of redemption and the enemy has already been defeated so you can walk in the truth of grace and love. Thank you for all of this today. Love and hugs!
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Thank you, Mary. Love and hugs to you, too! It is my desire to always point to hope in Jesus in the midst of pain. It’s not easy to be transparent, but I know it makes others feel less alone. And the deeper the pain we experience, the more awed we are by God’s precious redemption. May we together walk in the truth of His love and grace!
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Dear Trudy, thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing you heart with us. I am so sorry for the pain that you have endured, but I am rejoicing over the Victory that God lets your life testify to! This touches me so deeply: “Too often I wear myself out fighting for a victory of my own. I need to fight from the solid ground of God’s victory over Satan. The enemy can never get a foothold there.” Oh, yes, I have found myself doing the same thing! But thank God for the victory that Jesus has won for us. Blessings and Hugs to you my Friend! xoxo
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Thank you for your compassion, Bettie. Blessings and hugs to you, too! I’m so glad you were deeply touched here. I cannot find words to describe the depth of God’s love for us. As you experience yourself, we can go through deep trials, but the depth of His love is infinitely deeper. May we continue to fight from the solid ground of God’s already won victory!
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Trudy, I’m so sorry that bad memories were triggered by a Bible verse. It is so sad that the enemy can even twist God’s Word and use it to hurt us. I love your thoughts on fighting from a standpoint of victory because Jesus has already won. That is so important. And I agree: “But God…” are two of the most beautiful words. Love and hugs to you!
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Thank you for your empathy, Lesley. Love and hugs to you, too! It’s amazing what a depth of meaning is in those two words, isn’t it? May we daily remember that God has already won the victory and anything is possible with Him!
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Trudy, so sorry those memories come up, but so thankful you can have victory in God. I love that passage of Scripture. It’s such a good reminder to us to remember what God has done when the enemy attacks.
Many blessings to you! Love and hugs! xo
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Thank you for your compassion, Gayl. Blessings, love, and hugs to you, too! Yes, isn’t that passage of Scripture comforting? I try to imagine that in the midst of the crushing, I can cry out, “No, Satan, I will remember the works of the Lord! He has already defeated you!” May we daily meditate and reflect on what God has done for us!
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“He has access to every deep part of my brokenness, and He will continue to heal me layer by layer.” Wow. Trudy – yes!! Thank you for sharing your journey and all that Jesus is showing you along the way – it certainly encourages me.
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I’m so glad you’re encouraged, Michelle. I know you have deep parts of brokenness, too, and my heart aches for you. Yes, He will continue to heal us layer by layer! May we continue along this journey together resting in Jesus as our Ultimate Victor and Compassionate Healer!
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I am sorry that happened to you Trudy. Man can sure twist meaning to harm, but thankfully God has the balm. And like ‘parched land’, He reigns over us, our spaces that are so in need of Him nourishing with the truth of His love. You truly are a blessing to others, T, with your openness to share your story.
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Thank you for your compassion, Lynn. Yes, God has the balm. I love how you describe how He reigns and nourishes those parched spaces within us with the truth of His love. Such a comforting thought. Thank you. I missed your post today, but I read your comment over at Linda’s. Yes, give yourself a breath and don’t condemn yourself for not producing a post this week. May we together “cease the striving and be in His will!” (Do you see how God still uses you? Your comment over at Linda’s and here encouraged me today.) 🙂
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Amen, Trudy. It makes me angry that people twist scripture in such vile ways … I’m so sorry there are verses that trigger pain for you. God’s strength was clearly at work in you as you set your heart on peeling back the hurt so you could uncover His truth. What a comfort it is to remember that the battle is already won. May God continue to hold you up you as you lean into this hard work, and also you to share bits of the journey with us. Hugs, friend. 🙂
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Thank you for your compassion, Lois. Hugs back to you! It is so, so sad how some people abuse God’s precious Word. Yes, God is truly with me. I’m so grateful as I couldn’t go on in this life without Him. One of my husband’s and my favorite songs is “Greater” by MercyMe. So often I have to remember those lyrics “Greater is the One living inside of me than he who is living in the world!” May we daily travel this journey remembering He has already won the victory!
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Hi Trudy,
God’s words do prevail and they do flood our souls with the peace we crave and the comfort we need. I’m so grateful for that! We do have a firm foundation to fight the arrows that come our way. And when we can’t stand strong in our own strength, God is right there, holding us up! Your words are victorious and full of courage as you find your strength in him, Trudy! xoxo
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Thank you, Valerie. Oh, I love how you describe ourselves as standing on that firm foundation to fight the arrows that come our way and how God is right beside us holding us up. Thank you for this comforting picture. Yes, in Him we are victorious! May we continue to find our strength and courage in Him no matter how rough the journey may be!
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Oh, there’s so much here, Trudy. First of all, I’m sorry about the abuse you endured. ((HUG)). Thank you for being so transparent.
Secondly, this is such a powerful post. And the difference of one word completely alters our perspective when it comes to our enemy. You’re right, we fight from a standpoint of the victory having already been won by Jesus. We’re not trying to gain the victory. It’s already ours. I hadn’t really thought about the for and from aspect before.
Thank you for sharing and reminding me of truth, Trudy!
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Thank you for your compassionate hug, Jeanne. Yes, doesn’t that one word make such a difference? I hadn’t thought about it before either until I read something about it in a devotion of Jennifer Rothschild. It didn’t sink in at that time, but God brought it to my remembrance, applied it to my situation, and taught me what a difference one word can make. May we daily remember the truth that we fight from a standpoint of victory already won by Jesus!
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Trudy,
((Hugs)) Your words hold power because of what you’ve gone through and how you continue to seek God for the healing…and this is a powerful truth you’ve shared and which I’m learning to live more into…this: “To fight against the enemy and his deceitful tactics from a standpoint of victory already won by Him”….You have the victory and God will continue to heal you…You inspire me…love and hugs<3
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Thanks you for your kind encouragement, Dolly. Love and hugs back to you! I am so glad you are inspired. It’s not always easy, is it? May we daily remember we already have the victory in Jesus and may He lead us ever deeper into His healing love!
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Hi Trudy! I love how you have shared with us the words of God to you. They are so empowering and peaceful. I really appreciated the perspective of coming from a place of victory. I think at times I think holiness and being close to God is a pipe-dream for a sinner like me, and yet I have already received it all. Thank you for reminding me that the Lord has fought for me once, and he empowers me to win everyday.
May God continue to heal you as you deal with your past abuse. May he bring you comfort and peace,
Ceil
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Thank you for your loving prayers, Ceil. I’m so glad this is empowering to you. I love the thoughts you share. I need that reminder, too, that the Lord has fought for me once, and He empowers me to win every day. We don’t have to do more. We just need to rest in His free grace. It’s hard though sometimes, isn’t it? This reminds me of the song Who Am I by Casting Crowns –
“Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are.”
May we daily rest in who He is and the victory He has already won for us!
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Hi Trudy- So happy to meet with you here tonight- Thank you for sharing. I am so so sorry about what happened to you and how awful it must have been. My heart aches and feels so sad for you about this. SO thankful for Jesus and his love and care and how he doesnt leave us in this stuff. He heals us and is so patient and kind and gentle in it all- I love your words and what you shared about fight in a place from victory. That is good I will hang onto that. Also to these beautiful words. “That my heart is in His safe hands. He has access to every deep part of my brokenness, and He will continue to heal me layer by layer. Each time a painful memory is triggered, He makes me stronger in Him.”
Thank you Trudy for your transparency and wisdom.- So grateful- with much love xoxo
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I’m happy to meet you here, too, Susie. Thank you for your love and compassion. Much love back to you! I’m so glad your heart was ministered to. I need to hang onto these truths, too. I love your thoughts about how patient and kind and gentle He is. Amen! It brings tears to my eyes. We couldn’t live without Him, could we? May we daily remember our hearts are safe in His hands and may He heal us ever deeper and grow us stronger in Him!
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I have a deep and abiding love for the Word of God, and a deep and intense desire to handle it rightly, so I understand the emotion you are speaking of when it comes to how we use or misuse His Word. I pray I never do that willingly. And I love to find others who find their rescue hidden in the fold of His Truth. Praying for your heart, for whatever you have been through at the hands of someone you trusted and may God be glorified as you continue to abide in Him. Thanks for reminding us to handle His Word with care and complete reverence.
Blessings,
Dawn
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Thank you for your kind prayers, Dawn. I just read your post, and it’s so true how God’s “brush strokes of grace” turn our messes into good. I love also what you write here about how we find our “rescue hidden in the fold of His Truth.” God’s Word is so precious! May we daily find rescue in the Truth of God’s love and grace!
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The enemy would stop at nothing to confuse us and pull us away from God. It’s sad that he uses people and God’s Word to do that. But yes, we can fight from a place of victory, because He’s already won and therefore we are victorious. So thankful for our freedom in Christ.
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So true, Barbie. The enemy stops at nothing. I am so thankful, too, that we are already victorious in Jesus. May we learn ever more deeply we have freedom in Christ for past, present, and future!
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Sweet friend, I’m so sorry that the fear came back so strongly to you. Thanks be to God Who gives us victory through Jesus Christ. How encouraging it is that you pointed out that we are to stand in a place of victory (already won!) rather than fight for victory. So wise. Misuse of scripture was part of a very tragic event in my life as well. I never doubted Him or His word, but there are still some types of conversations that bring up bad memories for me. May God’s grace be upon you today, dear one. Happy weekend.
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Thank you for your empathy and prayers, June. May God’s grace be upon you as well! I’m so, so sorry misuse of Scripture was part of a tragic event in your life. Those triggers of bad memories can be so painful. May God keep giving us sufficient grace when those memories come up and may we daily fight from a standpoint of victory already won in Christ!
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This is so good Trudy…wisdom coming from a bad experience will be used over and over again. Its like a test, do I really believe God’s Word for what it really says or do I listen to false teachers. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this same story from other women, “men of God using God’s Word to fulfill their evil desires”. Wolves in sheeps clothing. Thank you for sharing this story. It will help others.
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Thank you for your encouragement to share, Betty. It’s so sad, isn’t it? Yes, wolves in sheep’s clothing. It’s such a scary thing. Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. May God give us light and wisdom to discern God’s Word as it is really meant to say!
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These are wise words, Trudy, honed in the furnace of affliction and laced with faith. I’m so sorry for all you have gone through and the way it continues to haunt you, but I love seeing the brave woman of faith you’re becoming by God’s goodness and grace. Although I’m nearly a week late catching up with your words, it turns out that they reaffirm a devotional reading from today. I hope you don’t mind me sharing it here:
“We don’t know about our inheritance. No one ever told us about “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19). No one ever told us that we fight from victory, not for victory. No one told us that our Promised Land, our Canaan, is already conquered. Some Christians never live out of their inheritance because they don’t know they have one.” – ‘God Is With You Every Day’ by Max Lucado.
It mirrors your own encouraging thoughts and is yet another great reminder of our identity in Christ. Blessings and hugs to you, sweet battling, victorious friend! xo 💜
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Thank you for your compassion and prayers, Joy. Blessings and hugs back to you! God surely does have good timing, doesn’t He? I’m so glad God reaffirmed His truth to your heart. As it turns out, the devil is working hard at me this morning and I’m feeling weighed down with depression. So God arranged the timing for both of us. I am badly in need of it right now to be reminded I’m fighting from a place of victory already won. I need to remember about the inheritance God has already given us. Thank you so much for sharing this devotional reading with me! May we daily own our inheritance and believe and trust in “the exceeding greatness of His power!”
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Amen to your closing words, Trudy! Though I clicked ‘like’ I am not liking your propensity to having depression today, anymore than I like the continual feelings of sadness and discouragement I am sitting with. Time for sisters to join link hearts and hands across the ocean in prayer? Let’s claim the victory we have in Jesus over all of these bad feelings! Join me? Love, Joy xo
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I don’t “like” the feelings of sadness and discouragement you are sitting with either, Joy. Yes, I will join you and link our hearts and hands across the ocean in prayer! Let’s stand with Jesus and the victory He has already won where Satan can no longer touch us and bring us down. Let’s claim our inheritance in Jesus. Let’s trust His plan in whatever happens in our lives, knowing He’s got us and is out for our good. Hugs to you, my friend!
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Sweet friend, keep battling the enemy with the Word of God! As you do, you are encouraging so many to do the very same thing ♥ You are my hero. This post is FULL of HOPE, TRUTH, and VICTORY!
Love you much,
Lori
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Thank you so much for your sweet encouragement, Lori. I love you much, too! I’m so glad you find hope, truth, and victory here. May we keep battling that enemy with the Truth and may we trust that Jesus has already won the battle!
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