something GOOD or BETTER that she couldn't have. And isn’t the story the same for us? We strive to enhance our natural beauty and chase things that will help us feel better about ourselves, because we don’t realize who we already are. The enemy's tactic today is simple but powerful. It worked with Eve, and so the Liar continues his crafty skill to this very day. He tries to get us focused on everything we DON'T have. He shows us images of cute boys, pretty hair, dazzling bags, flawless faces, flashy cars, glamorous lifestyles, and skinny models. Then he says, “You really should have this. You really need to be this. You really should chase this. Why didn't God give you this? Look how ugly you are compared to her. He doesn't really love you as much as you think He does, because He has denied you the pleasure of a good gift.”
James 1:16-17 says; "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
To be deceived is to see God in a distorted form. When thoughts of God enter your mind, do you imagine
He is holding something back from you? Or do you see Him standing before you with arms wide open? The root of all deception comes from not believing that God has and IS every good and perfect gift...and that
He desires to give all good things (which is Himself!) to us. There is truly nothing good for us, outside the will of God. When the Lord asks us to trade in one of our selfish ways, for His perfect ways, we always get the better end of the deal. Everything He asks us to do is for our own good! The enemy does not want us to believe that, so he never ceases to lie about who God is and who we are as His daughters.
Just like Cinderella's evil step-mother, the enemy is jealous of our potential and royal position. He knows we are stunning and splendorous... so he tries his very best to lie to us and convince us that we are not. He says we are worthless, powerless, ugly and unloved. But he knows the truth...and it frightens him. We are priceless, powerful, beautiful, and radically loved. Imagine what damage an army of girls could do to the enemy's plans, who understand who they are in Jesus, and walk in their royal identity!
If we don't know or believe the truth, we offer no threat to him. But once we grasp and understand this truth...we become unstoppable! The enemy tries to keep us from our Cinderella-style, God-given destiny that is more exciting and exhilarating than we could dream. He would like us to continue gazing into the mirror, despising, comparing, and hating ourselves...
Why does he work so tirelessly to discourage us as young women? I believe the enemy hates us so intensely for two reasons.
1) He is jealous of our beauty
This sounds like a wild thought, but it’s a Biblical one. Ezekiel 28:12 describes the enemy in this way;
““You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”
Lucifer (also known as Satan, or the devil) was a handsome, attractive angel. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says he disguises himself as an angel of light. God said he was perfect in beauty! But apparently Lucifer enjoyed looking at himself in the mirror. He became obsessed with himself. But God couldn't stand to be around pride. “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.” Ezekiel 28:17. Jesus said that Lucifer’s bad attitude got him kicked out of heaven. (Luke 10:18).
Only Satan himself knows just how much his puffed up arrogance and selfishness cost him. And now, aware of how short his time is on earth before he is cast away to eternal torment in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10) his evil goal is to drag everyone he possibly can down with him. Even though he cannot shake our eternal security of being Heaven-bound (as long as we are following Christ), Satan attempts to discourage us in every way possible, with such a great wrath, hatred and jealousy. He knows what a slippery slope it is for God’s beautiful ones to become obsessed with ourselves and worship our own images. The Deceiver is really good at his job, which only makes it all the more important that we know the truth!
Conquering Savior! He has commissioned us to sparkle and illuminate the darkness with the light He has placed inside us. We can’t do that if we aren’t aware of what’s going on!