How Can We tell the Voice is God’s and not Satan’s
We need to recognize that sometimes Satan’s voice comes to us not in our thoughts and imaginations, but through the words of other people, some of whom may seem to be well intentioned or say they love us.
The Bible assures us that there is a way to tell Satan’s voice from that of our Lord. I believe we will hear some distinct differences in the messages.
Satan Says . . . The Lord Jesus Says . . .
Do your own thing; do what you want to do. Consider the effects of your behavior on others. Live a selfless, self-giving life.
Live for the moment. Live with an eye to eternity.
Don’t concern yourself with what others say. Receive godly counsel.
You’re as mature as you ever need to be. You’re a grown-up. Continue to grow and mature and to become more and more like Jesus Christ.
Certainly, the outcome is different for us when we follow Satan’s voice and message rather than the Lord’s. Satan’s path always leads to loss, destruction, and death. The Lord’s way always leads to abundant life and eternal life. (John 10:10.)
Part of the difference in outcome is in the way we feel about our lives and actions:
• The result of following Satan’s dictates is frustration, dismay, and worry.
• The result of following the Lord’s message is a great inner peace.
Effects on Other People
God will never ask us to exhibit harsh or crude behavior; He will never lead us to do anything that might hurt another person—emotionally, spiritually, or materially. God always works for the good of all His people, not just a few.
Satan, on the other hand, tells us what we want to hear. He tells us that we shouldn’t worry about the rippling effects of our lives on others. He tells us that every person is an island unto himself or herself and that we should do whatever we please.
What the Word Says
It is good neither to eat meat [offered to idols] nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak (Romans 14:21).
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (1 Timothy 6:18-19).
Consider this question:
In your experience, have there been times when you knew that you acted solely for your benefit and neglected to take into consideration the welfare of others? What was the result?
God Is Never in a Hurry
Many references in Scripture mention the "fullness of time." God isn’t in a hurry. He deals in eternal consequences, and He continually seeks the fulfillment of the full scope of His plan and purpose.
Satan always encourages us to act immediately because he knows if we back off and think long enough about most things, we’ll reconsider. If we feel an overwhelming urge to act spontaneously and immediately, we’re probably better off to pull in the reins. God is interested in having all the details in their proper places.
King Saul lost his throne because he acted hastily. (1 Samuel 10:8; 13:8-14.)
On the other hand, Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, patiently waited for God’s timing. He sought the Lord, with fasting and prayer, for four months until the king asked Nehemiah why his appearance was downcast
What the Word Says
My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him (Psalm 62:5).
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient (James 5:7-8).
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it - lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish" (Luke 14:28-30).
Consider this question:
In your experience, have there been times when you got ahead of God or you rushed ahead to do His will with unsatisfactory consequences?
Taking Advantage of Wise Counsel
The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about the value of wise counsel. Proverbs 13:10 declares, "By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom." Proverbs 20:5 states, "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out."
We are to seek godly counsel and to hear from people who truly love the Lord and who are firmly grounded in His Word. Bad counseling may be more damaging than the problem in the first place. When we seek counsel from others, we must seek out people who are knowledgeable in their field, but in addition to that, they must be
• Counselors who have no ulterior motive over our lives.
• Counselors who are eager to hear from God and are eager for us to hear from God.
• Counselors who base their opinions on the Word of God and are eager for us to check their advice against the advice of the Bible.
If your counselor doesn’t have these three traits, find a new counselor!
What the Word Says
Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who
have escaped from the nations.
They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved
image, And pray to a god that cannot save.
Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel
together.
Who has declared this from ancient time?
Who has told it from that time?
Have not I, the LORD?
And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me (Isaiah 45:20-21).
You younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:5-6).
Do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. . . . Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:17-21).
Continually Value Spiritual Growth
Rebellious teens often say to their elders, "Don’t tell me what to do! I’m a grown-up, too!" That is the attitude of many people toward the voice of God. It is an attitude of pride, based on an assumption that we know as much about any given situation as God knows. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Ultimately, God speaks to us in terms of our surrender to His desires. His messages to us aren’t about what we want—which is usually limited, self-centered, narrow-minded, and shortsighted. Rather, His messages are about what He wants for us - which is always eternal and loving, and calls us to a higher and better way.
The Lord’s messages are about our yielding to Him, our taking up the cross and following Him, our giving up our lives for others, our bearing one another’s burdens, our encouraging one another and building up one another, our behaving in a way that causes others to walk in righteousness before the Lord.
Satan comes to us and tells us that we are wise enough in our own understanding to make decisions. This has been the temptation to humankind since the Garden of Eden—just eat of the fruit and you will be wise as gods.
What the Word Says
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious (1 Peter 2:2-3).
We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ (Ephesians 4:14-15).
Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:17-18).
A Peace Beyond Understanding
The net result of hearing the voice of Satan is a gnawing, nagging feeling of frustration in your spirit.
God’s voice brings about a deep calmness in the spirit. Although we may be challenged by what God says for us to do, we will not have a sense of inner conflict, worry, or a troubled heart.
The peace that God gives us is what the apostle Paul described as peace "which surpasses all understanding", in Philippians 4:7.
Some people have calloused consciences and don’t seem to feel anything in the wake of a bad decision. Not feeling anything is a bad state to be in! After you have attempted to hear from God and have reached a decision about something in your life, you will feel one way or the other about it. Either you will have an abiding sense of calm, purpose, and peace, or you will feel uneasy, dissatisfied, out of sorts, frustrated, worried, or uncomfortable. Pay attention to this feeling that flows from your innermost being. It is a confirming sign to you that you have or have not heard from God.
Identifying His Voice
Over time, you will grow in your ability to discern whether the voice you are hearing is that of the Lord God. The same is true for the voice of any person with whom you have a relationship. As a child, I often heard my mother calling me to dinner. I didn’t have to wonder for a split second whether the voice was that of my mother. I had grown up hearing it. A thousand mothers could have called my name, but I responded only to my mother’s voice. As you develop an ear to hear what God is saying to you, you will come to know His voice unequivocally and immediately. He is your Father, and He calls you by name.
Consider this question:
How do you feel today about your ability to discern God’s voice?
