Several years ago, Louie Giglio walked through a painful, heartbreaking situation, but he trusted God to vindicate him and set the record straight. Then one day, it happened. Without Louie’s help, God brought the truth to light and refuted the lies leveled against him.
Louie reached for his phone and texted a long text to a good friend. He said something like, “Time tells the truth! You’ll never guess what happened!” And he went on to explain the situation. He wanted his friend to commiserate with him and affirm his innocence. Louie stood at the top of his driveway and stared at his phone. “I’d sent a long text to a good friend about a painful situation, so I was expecting a swift and heartfelt reply. And to my surprise, my friend only texted me back one sentence. Nine words, actually. Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table.”
Louie was at once arrested by those words. God spoke to him at that moment. He showed him the impact of allowing the enemy a seat at his table, a table that the Lord had prepared for him on his battlefield. Wow.
Recently on Susie Larson Live, Louie joined me to talk about his new book, “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It’s Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind“. Louie shared how the enemy really only needs a sliver of opportunity to pull up a chair and fill our minds with lies that defeat us, weaken us, and derail us from the best of what God has for us.
One of the ways we allow the devil a presence in our lives that he doesn’t deserve is when we buy into the lie that we’re actually entitled to more than God is giving us at the moment. Louie writes:
If you’ve heard recently that it’s better at another table, then you can be certain the Enemy is at your table. Jesus’ table, the one He prepares for you, is about life and life abundantly…the Enemy comes to the table with an offer to seduce you. But ultimately, he’s not selling you truth. He’s not selling you life. No. He’s selling you lies. He’s selling you death.
Louie suggests that we spend some significant time in the 23rd Psalm and ponder the fact that we have everything we need in our Good Shepherd. If our souls are distressed, He’ll give us rest. If we walk through the dark valley, we can know that He’s right beside us.
May God pour out the oil of joy on you this day! May He calm your heart and restore your soul. May He heighten your discernment, so you’re quick to identify the enemy’s schemes and refuse him a place at your table. And may Jesus Himself awaken new faith in you to believe that He really is a wonderful Shepherd and He’s always up to something good. You can trust Him.
Psalm 23:1-3 (NLT)
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.