Lies the Devil Told Me: Unforgivable

Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

“The enemy will not see you vanish into God’s company without an effort to reclaim you.” - C.S. Lewis

Shortly after turning to the Lord for forgiveness, I was still greatly grieved over my past sins and having been an atheist. How would God forgive me when I had adamantly denied Him for so long? My own spiritual father helped me work through the guilt with guidance on repentance, drawing closer to the Lord, and moving forward.

The devil however was not done with the guilt manipulation. He had been my biggest cheerleader to sin in the past and now that I sought the Lord, he berated me as being unforgivable. He was there to ensure I had every temptation at my disposal and then when I sought repentance and forgiveness, he wished to snatch it away from me. Has he done the same to you? Has he made the curious shift from being an advocate of sin to being a manipulating accuser over your sins?

I recall making a coffee one morning and a dark thought arriving in my mind saying ‘the Lord will never forgive you.’ I knew this was not from me or from God. I thought about that statement briefly and decided that even if that were true, which it’s not, I will still serve the Lord for the rest of my days because I have found the Truth. How could I go back to the way I was when I now know the Lord? Simon Peter said it best in John 6:66-69: “After this many of His disciples drew back and no longer went about with Him. Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.’”

If the devil is lying to you and telling you that the Lord will not forgive you, do not believe the lie. The evil one desires that we believe the lie that God won’t forgive us because then it leads to hopelessness. That hopelessness would then make us think ‘what’s the point? I’ll go back to my old ways’. We have the words of God stating that He would and He will forgive us if we repent and turn to Him. If we can also forgive others, He too will forgive us. God earnestly desires that we be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He is ready to forgive us and shower us with His love if we are ready to turn to Him. May we all humbly seek the Lord, let His Spirit work in our hearts, and provide us with the peace that passes all understanding.