Following the Command Not to Be Silent
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- Updated Jul 11, 2023
Most change is not sudden, a single moment from which a person decides to be forever different. More often, a single decision gets us just a little more comfortable with sin. Satan knows this and uses this tactic every single day. This strategy is first demonstrated immediately when Satan enters the stage as a serpent. He introduces just a little doubt. Just a little.
Genesis 3 describes the interaction between Eve and the serpent. I don’t think these events were immediately adjacent. As with most stories in the Bible, there was time between the events in Genesis 3. It says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it” (Genesis 3:6).
In verses 4-5, the serpent doesn’t say, “You’re not going to die; now hurry up and eat it now!” No, I imagine the serpent passively mentioning that if she eats from the forbidden tree, she “will not certainly die” (Genesis 3:4) and then cleverly slithering away as nonchalantly as it slithered in. How much time passed? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? No one knows for sure. It was enough time for the woman’s mind to ponder the serpent’s comments. It was enough time for the woman to seriously consider the lie. It was enough time for Eve to accept the lie as truth.
Satan first reveals himself as a simple whisper.
What starts as an obvious lie can root itself in one’s life and mind and evolve into something that changes how you see the world, yourself, and God. Sin is a very gradual ramp that leads one down to destruction. How we handle those lies can define our very soul and those around us. I want you to consider the important role you have in your community of believers. Your role could be named the reminder, the encourager, the uplifter, or the truth-teller. All of these roles require you to follow one command - don’t be silent.
Don’t Be Silent
When silence occurs, only one thing can follow. Assumptions flood that void. When silence occurs, the only voice that can be heard is our own. God created a companion for Adam because His plan for us is one of community, where we support and encourage each other, lift each other up when one is weak, and denounce the lies that form against us, lies that may develop in our very own minds.
Are you going to be silent when others think lowly of themselves? Are you going to be silent when others are giving in to the whispered lies? We must identify the relationships in our life where God is calling us more than ever not to be silent. The following are just some ideas to help you identify where you may be just a bit quieter than you should be.
How to Apply to Marriage
Marriage is one of the holiest of earthly covenants. If you are married or plan to get married, it is your duty to love that person with every ounce of convicted tenacity you have. However, if you are married, you may know that it is not always optimal, fulfilling, or enjoyable. It is especially important in these seasons not to be silent. Change in marriage is the same as mentioned above. Slowly over the years, one negative comment to your spouse can plant a seed that leads to lies that become truths in your spouse’s heart. That lie could not even be from you. People carry much baggage, and as we age, we may go through seasons where confidence wanes. You must speak the truth. More importantly, you must not perpetuate those lies. If you are speaking down to your spouse, if you hurl insults, if you tell them they are not loveable, then you have been deceived as well by Satan. No matter how much you currently believe it, your spouse is not the one exception in the entire world that actually deserves to be told that those lies are actually true.
How to Apply to Parenthood
Your children are almost just as important as your spouse and need you to regularly speak the truth in their lives. Speaking truth against the flood of lies means the same thing for your children. The only difference is that they have had less time for those truths to take root. This means you have a chance. You have a chance if you are vigilant to stop these lies before all of that can happen. So be vigilant and pray for the energy after a long workday to still speak up and break whatever lies may be trying to root themselves in your children. You have a chance to have a magnificent Eternal effect. By breaking and thwarting any hold the enemy can take on your children, you are preventing generational curses from taking root.
Not being silent requires strength, stamina, and grit. Not being silent requires making a choice to ask God for a keen ear whenever these lies appear in your life or in others. Take up two approaches to prevent these lies from sinking into those around you. You must defensively speak against lies that you hear come up from others. When you hear someone speaking negatively about themself or when you believe their behavior and demeanor indicate that they believe a lie about themself, speak back against it. Instead of waiting for the lies to root and then speaking against them, you can also take up an offensive approach. Offensive prayers are those that ask God not to let something happen before it even has a chance. For those of you with children in public school, for example, I hope you are offensively praying that God protects them from whatever lies might try to sneak in when they are at school.
Photo Credit: GettyImages-RyanKing999
