Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour. ( I Peter 5:8)

Nearly every day I turn on the news and hear about another incident involving a prominent person caught lying or found to be involved in some sort of a scandal. It seems to be an epidemic in our society today, but deception is nothing new.

The Bible teaches that Satan is the father of lies and deception. Distorting the truth is what he does best. He roams the earth seeking someone to destroy. It all started in the Garden of Eden when Satan deceived Eve. Unfortunately, women have been listening to the lies of Satan ever since.

God created us.  He wrote the instruction manual for our life. He knows what is best for us. Like Eve, when we disobey God and begin to doubt his word, we suffer painful consequences.

The downfall of man began when Satan convinced Eve that God’s word wasn’t entirely true. God placed Eve in a perfect paradise where she had everything she needed. God told her she could eat from any tree except one.  Satan distorted God’s truth just enough that Eve fell for it and ate from the forbidden tree.

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)

Eve traded in her perfect paradise for a life of pain and suffering – all because she didn’t obey God and doubted his word.  Sound familiar?  Satan is still in the business of deception today, and he is still targeting women.

Let’s look at a few of the ways Satan is distorting God’s word in our world today and wrecking havoc in the lives of women.

Women think: Being thin and beautiful is everything. It’s all about looking good.

The Bible teaches:  Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3: 3-4)

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” ( Proverbs 31: 30)

Women think: It’s all about me. I have to look out for #1.

The Bible teaches:  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humiliation consider others better than yourselves.  (Philippians 2: 3)

Women think: God wants me to be happy. That’s all that matters. I deserve to be happy.

The Bible teaches: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4)

Women think: Nobody loves me or cares about me.

The Bible teaches: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (John 16: 27)

Women think: I am so ashamed of my past. God will never forgive me.

The Bible teaches: Those who look to him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame. (Psalm 34:5)

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)

Women think: I’m filing for divorce because:

• I don’t have anything in common with my husband.
• I love my husband, but I’m not “in” love with him. (I hear this one a lot.)
• He’s a good man, but he works too much and he is never home.
• He ignores me, and I deserve better than this.
• I’m bored with my marriage.

The Bible teaches: To the married I give this command: A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. (I Corinthians 7: 10-11)

Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.  (Mark 10: 9)

“I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel. (Malachi 2:16)

Women think: Everyone else _______ (fill in the blank) so I may as well do it.

The Bible teaches: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12: 2)

I could list many more ways we are being deceived by Satan. As Christian women, we must be diligent in seeking the truth in God’s word.  We should not be getting answers to our problems from social media, magazines, or TV talk show hosts.

Knowing biblical truth is one way to stop Satan in his tracks. Developing a daily habit of reading and memorizing scripture is the best way to prepare for the battle Satan will rage against us. Jesus fought Satan with the word of God when he was tempted in the wilderness. Each time Satan tried to distort God’s truth, Jesus said, “It is written” and proceeded to quote scripture revealing the truth. (Luke 4: 1-13)

Our world is filled with deception. We must follow the example of Jesus and be ready to counterattack all lies with the truth of God’s word. When we sell ourselves out to Satan’s deception, we trade in the good things God has planned for us for fake substitutes that leave us miserable and unsatisfied.