Neither Did the Devil

"We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
1 John 4:6 (NIV)

Would you let a mechanic who's never opened a hood fix your car? Or what about a doctor who never studied the human body– would you let them decide your treatment?

In today’s verse, the Apostle John tells you how to be confident about who you listen to when it comes to your faith:

"We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood" (1 John 4:6, NIV).

Anyone can sound sure about God. But sounding sure doesn't make someone right. Knowing God's Word does. If you let a feeling, a headline, or your own experience matter more than Scripture, you've let a guessing mechanic work on your soul.

We can slip into this more than we realize. A friend's opinion can outweigh the verse you read last week, or a headline can reshape what you believe about right and wrong before you check what God already said. Ask this one question before you adjust what you believe: What does the Word of God say?

Next time the world tells you something new about an old question, open your Bible first. Let it guide what you say.

R.G. Lee, who pastored Bellevue Church before Adrian Rogers, once preached a hard sermon. A woman met him at the door and told him she didn't like it one bit. He said, "Neither did the devil. Classify yourself."

What did he mean? Sometimes telling the truth costs you people's approval. And that's how you know you're telling the truth, instead of just saying what people want to hear. 

If everyone always likes what you say about God, it might be time to take a second look at what you're saying.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the confidence I gain as I anchor myself in Your Word. Keep me grounded in Scripture, not tossed to and fro by headlines and opinions. When following You costs me people's approval, remind me that's exactly how I'll know I'm standing on the truth. In Jesus' name, Amen.