How do I write encouragement when I am in the midst of battle? By writing my honest thoughts. At first, I had nothing I could think to write, and then I had titles come to mind like Stumbling Blocks, What Do I Do When I’m Not Enough, or The Devil Doesn’t Scream. Any one of those would give me plenty to write about. They all crystallized in the title – The Battle of Whispers.

As I was analyzing my depressive thoughts and how the devil works to compromise my faith, the word that came to mind was – twisted. He twists the truth, just like he did in the garden with Adam and Eve. He brings shadow and doubt around the truth. He snakes his way into our thinking manipulating how we view ourselves with his subtle innuendos.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

He calls into question our faith in the complete goodness of God. He seeps fear into our thoughts, that we could never be loved and accepted the way we are. He works in the background of our minds finding any shadow he can grasp to gain a foothold.

Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭27‬ ‭TPT‬‬

But if the devil doesn’t scream, God doesn’t shout, either. He doesn’t demand obedience or command our actions. He gives us free will to choose. His voice is gentle and quiet.

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Elijah had run away, full of fear and doubt when God whispered, pulling him back to faith.

So how do I win in the battle of whispers? I follow Habakkuk’s example.

I will stand like a guard and watch. I will wait to see what the Lord will say to me. I will wait and learn how he answers my questions.
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I will stand guard over my thoughts, wait for the Lord to speak, and learn from His answers.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy Blackburn

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