How Can You Know The Truth Unless You First Recognise The Lies?

That’s where this journey begins.
Not with fixing. Not with striving. Not even with changing.
It begins with recognising.
Seeing clearly.
Bringing things into the light.

Because you can’t walk in freedom if you’re still chained to something you can’t even see.

The Power of a Lie

Lies are subtle. They rarely announce themselves with banners or alarms.
They sound reasonable.
They feel familiar.
They creep in over years, whispered through childhood experiences, reinforced by broken people, wrapped up in culture, disguised as “just the way it is.”

That’s why Jesus called Satan the father of lies. (John 8:44)
It’s his native language.
He doesn’t need to physically destroy you; he just needs to convince you of something untrue. If you believe it, you’ll destroy yourself.

That’s the power of a lie. It shapes how you see God, how you see yourself, how you live, how you love, how you hope, or don’t.

Where the lies begin.

Most of us don’t even realise where the lies began.
It wasn’t the big trauma.
It wasn’t the loud voices.
It was often something smaller. A moment when you were overlooked. A harsh word. A father who didn’t notice. A teacher who didn’t care. A friend who betrayed you.
The enemy whispers:

• You’re not enough.
• You’re too much.
• You’ll never be loved.
• You’ll always be broken.
• God can’t really forgive you.

And you carry it. You build a life around it. You form habits to protect yourself from it.
But it’s not the truth. It never was.

How do you recognise a lie?

First, understand this:
A lie will always lead you to fear, shame, guilt, isolation, or self-focus.
It will pull you away from God’s truth.

It will make you look outward, to the world, to others, to performance, to coping mechanisms, instead of inward to the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, and upward to your Father in heaven.

Truth leads to freedom. Lies lead to bondage. (John 8:32)
So ask yourself:

• Does this belief lead me into peace or anxiety?
• Does it strengthen my faith or weaken it?
• Does it bring me closer to God or pull me further away?
• Does it align with Scripture, or is it rooted in feelings and circumstances?

If it doesn’t align with God’s Word, it’s a lie.  Even if it feels true.

Common lies we believe.

Here are some of the most common lies the enemy uses.
See if any feel familiar to you:

About Yourself:

• I’m unlovable.
• I’m too broken to change.
• I have to earn my worth.
• I’m not as spiritual as others.
• I’ll never be free from this sin.
• I’m defined by my past.
• I can’t hear God.
• I’m too far gone.

About God:

• God’s disappointed in me.
• God loves others more than me.
• God only blesses the good people.
• God’s withholding something from me.
• God won’t come through for me.

About Life:

• I need to control everything to be safe.
• People will always let me down.
• Vulnerability is weakness.
• I’m safer alone.
• Nothing ever really changes.

These are not throwaway thoughts.
They are roots that shape the fruit of your life.

The subtle nature of lies.

Sometimes the lies are loud. But often, they hide beneath the surface:

• Why do you flinch at love?
• Why do you fear failure so deeply?
• Why do you chase approval?
• Why do you shrink when you should speak?
• Why do you perform instead of rest?

Because somewhere deep down, you believed something that wasn’t from God.

God’s Truth vs. The Enemy’s Lies

Here’s a truth you must hold onto as you start this journey:
What God says about you is more real than how you feel about yourself.
His truth doesn’t change because of your circumstances, your mistakes, or your fears.

Scripture says:

• “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
• “God is not a man, that He should lie.” (Numbers 23:19)
• “Every word of God proves true.” (Proverbs 30:5)

The enemy will point to your past. God points to the cross.
The enemy will remind you of your failures. God reminds you of His forgiveness.
The enemy wants you bound by shame. God wants you clothed in righteousness.

Inviting the Holy Spirit in.

Recognising lies isn’t just about mental clarity. It’s spiritual.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them.
Sit quietly with Him. Ask questions. Let Him speak.

Ask Him:

• What lies have I believed about who I am?
• What lies have I believed about You?
• Where did these lies take root?
• How have these lies shaped my choices?

Be still. He will answer. Maybe through Scripture. Maybe through conviction. Maybe through bringing old memories to light so He can heal them.

Freedom begins with honesty.

Admit it:
You’ve believed things that aren’t true.
That’s not shame. That’s honesty.

Every believer walks through this.
Even people who seem mature and put together have believed lies they didn’t recognise.

It’s not about blaming your parents, your past, or your church.
It’s about owning your healing.
It’s about letting God pull up the roots so you can finally grow free.

Reflect: Where are you still bound?

Think practically. Look at your life.
Where are you stuck?
What patterns keep repeating?
What thoughts rob your peace?
What fears block your faith?

Underneath every area of bondage is usually a lie.
Find the lie. Name it. Bring it into the light.

Moving forward.

Don’t rush this.
Sit with it. Journal it. Pray over it.
Ask trusted believers to speak into it.
Let Scripture confront it.
Write down the lies you’ve believed. Write down the truth that cancels them out.

The next step, Reveal the Truth, builds on this foundation.
But you can’t replace what you haven’t recognised first.

Let this be your prayer:

Father, I want to walk in truth.
Show me the lies I’ve believed.
Expose the roots, even if it’s painful.
Break the chains.
Lead me out of deception and into Your freedom.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.