God or Satan, God's Will Or Mine Chapter 10

6 Ways to Distinguish God’s Voice From Satan’s

Jesus is Truth and Satan is a lie

16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not [a]eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Gen 2:16-17

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from [a]any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! Gen. 3:1-5

What happened to Adam and Eve? They died. God’s promises will always come to fruition. The consequences of sin and the blessings of obedience will always come true.

Satan will lead you to question God's Word. We have all seen the tragic results when people listened to Satan and his demons rather than the voice of the Holy Spirit. Satan not only lies outright; he is also the master of half-truths and escape clauses. For example, Christians know their marriage vows are sacred, but they can become convinced their circumstances are “special.” A deceived Christian would be the first to say, “I don't believe in divorce,” but they would hastily add, “My situation is unique.” When you hear someone say, “Yes, I'm married, but it's not a healthy marriage, so God released me to have a relationship with someone who would love me,” you have just heard from Satan. God could not have made himself more clear, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exod. 20:14).

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 191). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Satan Offers Shortcuts

13 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this [a]bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the [b]lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 1 Sam. 15:13-15

Saul did not do what God told him to do. God told Saul to utterly destroy everything. He spared the kings life and saved the spoils. Saul only had partial obedience. This is the same as disobedience.

Sometimes Satan will tempt you to stop short of fully obeying God. He'll seek to convince you God will still be pleased with your halfhearted obedience. This is not a new tactic. This was his modus operandi in the wilderness with Jesus.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 192). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

God Calls Us to Repent of Sin, Satan calls us to justify it

Satan will encourage you to justify your actions. He'll tell you your sin was not so bad. After all, you were tired and under a lot of pressure. You became angry, but you couldn't help the way you felt. You lost your temper, but you're a passionate person by nature. That's the way God made you. On the other hand, God will identify sin as sin. Satan's lenient and generous attitude may appear more attractive, but accepting his excuses will dull your senses to the reality of your sin. You'll be much more likely to repeat it, in an even bigger way next time. And, of course, included in Satan's gift pack is the inevitable heartbreak and destruction your sin will cause.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 193). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Casting blame on others and trivializing sin are two forms of justifying sin. When we own up to our sins and stop doing it,make restitution then we have repented.

God unites, Satan divides

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and [a]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, [b]natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and [c]selfish ambition exist, [d]there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [e]reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the [f]seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace [g]by those who make peace. James 3:13-18

You can know if God is leading by asking the question,” Will my actions bring peace to the situation or disorder?” This does not mean that we should avoid correcting for fear of disorder, but should correct for the purpose of bringing peace.

Once Satan tempted people to sin, it wasn't long until the first family feud occurred, culminating in the first murder. Satan is masterful in stirring up enmity. When you contemplate saying or doing something you know will be divisive, understand that your impulse is probably not coming from God. God is not the author of disorder (1 Cor. 14:33). God draws people together (James 3:13–18). We sometimes hear people boast about their hurtful behavior: “I know I am outspoken and step on toes, but that's just the way I am!” Such people have never seriously considered the source of their offensive and divisive comments. If they did, they might be shocked to discover they were actually Satan's mouthpieces.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 193-194). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

God brings humility, Satan fosters pride

Satan's downfall was pride. Now he seeks to bring others down with him. Satan will tempt you to do and say things that make you look good. The Holy Spirit will lead you to bring glory to God. Satan will encourage you to exalt yourself and to bolster your self-esteem at the expense of truth and humility. The Holy Spirit will encourage you to deny yourself. When you have offended someone, Satan will fan the flames of pride in you so you are unwilling to humble yourself for reconciliation. Pride will defend what you did and deflect the blame. A word from the Holy Spirit, however, will always lead you to humility and restoration (Mic. 6:8).

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 194). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Satan Excuses the Means

Satan wants to lure you into using questionable methods to accomplish God's will. That was the crux of Satan's temptations for Jesus: accomplish a good goal using bad methods. Satan offered him a way other than the cross. Jesus saw through Satan's deception immediately. Often people don't. In their zeal to serve God and advance his kingdom, many people have succumbed to the temptation to sidestep God's ways. Ultimately, they bring shame on themselves and dishonor to God's name. You can avoid this pitfall. You know it is God when you are led to use a means and to achieve an end that both bring glory to God.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 195). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

God’s Will Or Mine (4 Questions to ask)

Will my actions honor God?

Let's say you are in dire financial straits. The burden of debt is becoming unbearable. You have a few options. They include: (1) declaring bankruptcy, (2) quitting your job for one that pays better but will tempt you to compromise your values, (3) withholding your tithe from your church as well as reneging on some of the outstanding debts you carry, (4) downsizing your home and selling off assets. The choice you make will reveal whose voice you are following.

God does not need you to compromise your integrity to accomplish his work. He will not ask you to bring him glory through sinful or questionable means.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 196). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Generally speaking, if there is hesitation in an action there is probably a reason that you are hesitating. Always seek what is right and you will never go wrong. God determines what is right!

Am I Looking for an Excuse to Quit?

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6

People are notorious for breaking commitments and not finishing what they start. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. What Christ begins in us, he always works through to the finish (Phil. 1:6). Just because the going is tough, God is not necessarily leading you to quit. In the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion, Jesus faced the consummate test of obedience. How he must have recoiled at the horrendous thought of the cross! Nevertheless Jesus knew he had been sent to earth to die. Even as he prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me,” he knew his Father would complete the redemptive work he had begun (Luke 22:42 HCSB).

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 196-197). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Just because things get tough, doesn’t mean that you are to quit. It could mean that God is preparing you for something bigger.

What does the Bible Say?

The Bible takes the guesswork out of our decision-making. Go to the Scriptures often; they are amazingly candid and specific. For example, you borrow something from a friend but don't get around to returning it. Time elapses, and you begin to feel guilty. You console yourself with the fact that everyone forgets to repay borrowed items. In fact, you are doing without all kinds of things others have borrowed from you. However, when you consider Psalm 37:21, “The wicked borrows and does not pay back” (HCSB), you are left with no doubt about what you should do.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 197-198). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The Bible gives instruction for every aspect of life. You may have to dig to find it, but it is in the Word of God!

If I Want It, Can It Be God's Will?

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [a]prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:7-11

We have never understood people who think the Christian life should be devoid of joy and laughter. Some bad-mood believers are convinced that if something brings a smile it cannot be from God. They tend to view a dour disposition as a sign of deep spirituality. They are sadly mistaken! If anyone has reason to celebrate life, it is a Christian. Don't automatically assume that because you like what you are hearing it must not be from God. Nothing can bring you more joy than hearing from God! Jim Elliot concluded: “In my own experience I have found that the most extravagant dreams of boyhood have not surpassed the great experience of being in the will of God, and I believe that nothing could be better.”5

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 198-199). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

God desires us to be full of joy. The joy must be rooted in Him in order to have fullness and longevity. The world only offers happiness that is short-lived and not fully satisfying.