I'd like to look at a concern I have run across too many times to dismiss as coincidental or insignificant. Over and over again as I talk and minister to people from all over the country the same pitfalls seem to arise in the conversations. They are what I have termed here as "Guardian Lies."
Now let me explain what I mean by the term Guardian Lies as I use it here in the body of this article. The word guardian as defined from Webster's Dictionary means "one that guards, one who has the care of a person or property of another." This wordguardian comes from guard which means "to stand at the entrance of as if on guard or as a barrier. To watch by way of caution or defense."
Now a lie is something that misleads or deceives.
So a Guardian Lie as I am using it here means - A lie that stands at the entrance of a persons' mind, as a barrier to mislead or deceive that person from receiving the truth.
Now no matter how I approach this subject, I am bound to offend someone. Let me first say it is not my intention to offend anyone. However, no matter how hard you try, if your going to make an omelet you’ve got to break a few eggs. So if you get yoke on you, sorry. Don’t be worried, it will all come out in the wash or at the return.
I cannot tell you the number of times I have had to handle the same questions / objections that have their roots in these guardian lies.
All the Guardian Lies I will list I have encountered over and over again when we try to minister to people.
Now before I handle some of these common Guardian Lies I would like you to understand something very important. A lie many times has it beginnings from a truth. Without the truth a lie would be worthless. Lies, as they are used by the adversary, are to imprison and deceive. When the devil can get us off the truth (The Word) and get us to believe a lie, he has for the most part accomplished his objective. One of the adversary's favorite tricks is to take a statement someone made at a certain time, in a certain context, and make a doctrine out of it.
He has done this throughout history, and it always works. Now most of the Guardian Lies I am going to set before you, all began as truth, spoken in a certain place and context. However, they have become Guardian Lies in the minds of people as they were repeated through the years and misapplied to different circumstances. Ultimately they to became an all-pervading doctrine, sometimes to be placed on the same level as God's Word. This is how dangerous these Guardian Lies can become. Let me give you a few examples.
Guardian Lie - The Renewed Mind is the key to Power.
When this statement was made it was never intended to become a doctrine that was to be misapplied by thousands of sincere Christians as a cure for every category of spiritual opportunity.
In and of itself it is a good statement. However, people have misapplied and placed themselves in bondage because of this statement.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Jesus Christ is the key to power. There is no power in the mind unless it comes from demons. What people have done to themselves by believing "the renewed mind is the key to power," is to place themselves in a position where, if there is a demon present, they will never be free. You see if a demon is present and hindering your healing or deliverance you can practice the renewed mind principles until you are blue in the face and that demon will not leave
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.
If this is the nature of your problem, simply practicing the renewed mind won't work. The only way to get rid of a demon is to cast it out in the name of Jesus Christ. You can quote it verses all day and night and all you will do at best is suppress or agitate the thing. I don't care how many times someone tells you to renew your mind; if this is the nature of your problem, it won't work. Now for those of you who want to split hairs and take a different position you are entitled to your opinion. However, I have ministered to too many people who believed all you had to do was renew your mind and everything would be fine.
And as long as they believed this Guardian Lie they stayed in bondage. Once they understood that Jesus Christ was the key to power and it was the name of Jesus that they needed (which, by the way, is renewing your mind) they were set free every one. in the name of Jesus that they received deliverance, they were all set free, each one. Jesus is the key to power and it was the name of Jesus that they needed (which, by the way, is renewing your mind).
I have ministered to people who were told to renew their minds a hundred times by well meaning clergy. They really tried hard (but always failed) at receiving deliverance. Never have I met a person who has ever overcome a demon by simply renewing their minds. Now, I have met persons who renewed their minds to the truth that they need the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver them and not their own works. Demons will not leave because you try harder, or become more disciplined or retemorize scriptures.
The cure must correspond with the sickness, and if your problem is from the Adamic nature that plagues us all once in a while, then the cure is the cross of Christ and the renewed mind principles.
Enough said, if you want to argue then find someone else to argue with. I find the ones who argue are the ones who don't minister or minister regularly enough to understand this truth yet.
Guardian Lie - If it never comes to pass its still God's Word.
True statement when it pertains to certain truths in a correct context. I have no doubt that when this statement was first made it was said under these conditions. However, once again people have misapplied this and made a pet saying out of it to cover for their failure in certain areas of life.
I would like to suggest that if it doesn't come to pass that perhaps we need to do something different instead of covering with the cliché of "if it never comes to pass it's still God's Word." At times all that saying has done is to relieve the person from their responsibility of seeing the job through. Now, if we are talking about the hope or healing or deliverance in some areas after we have done the Word, then this statement can be applied. Too many times we don't follow through or we don't try something different because we are too set in our ways and we cover it with this statement.
When truth is spoken out of context and without proper motive, it becomes a weapon for the adversary.
Philippians 1:15-16 15Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
Here we see that even at the time when Paul was around he had to deal with this. Some preach Christ of good will and others of contention.
Perhaps a clearer way to state this truth so the adversary doesn't mix it up so easily for people is, "If we have the truth of God's Word and it is the truth, and we do all of what the Word said to do and it never comes to pass, it's still God's Word."
Sometimes we think we are right and we are dead wrong. And I have seen too many people explain away sickness, lack of power, and poverty by quoting this statement when they should have been trying a different approach.
Guardian Lie - If any one brings up the past it's from an evil spirit.
Again spoken in a certain context this can be true. However in working with people we MUST search into their past most of the time to see where the problem started. Furthermore, you must find the entrance point and the lie in the memory if you are going to set people free and close the doors on the adversary. Unless you get rid of the garbage in people's lives you will never deal successfully with the problem. We do not bring up past sins or events to hurt people (however, many times there is hurt there.)
We bring up things and get them out in the open to expose the adversary and his lies. Sin is not the problem. The Cross washed all sin away. We revisit the memory to bring God's truth to the interpretation of the event.
Many times Philippians 3:13 is quoted to back up this position.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
If you will take the time to read Philippians chapter 3 the context teaches us the truth of what Paul was forgetting.
Philippians 3:4-6 4Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom What was Paul forgetting?
I'll tell you what he learned to put behind him: his credentials. He had to get to the place where he was willing to forget all his abilities and learn to rely on Christ. In his words, he counted them as dung that he may win Christ.
Guardian Lie - You don't know if you have a demon.
I don't know where this one started, as if God Almighty is not big enough to show you if you have a demon, or not? Do you mean to tell me that the devil is bigger than God? That God can't show you what's wrong with your life if there is a demon present? Then the same must apply to Healing and every other aspect of God and that's ridiculous.ÿ