It is no secret that the choices we make affect our future. The ripple effect from what we do and say, whether good or bad, will touch multiple generations. The Bible tells us that God deals with us generationally; He is concerned about our offspring. When we obey God’s word, good things happen. However, when we choose our own way and defy God, we step into a curse that lies in wait for us, much as a snare is hidden. Sometimes, we don’t realize our error until later because we don’t always experience an immediate consequence. Without heartfelt introspection, bad decisions can pile up until our lives are really a mess.

God’s word is living, which means that it brings His Zoe Life to us when we apply it to our lives. Zoe is all things good and righteous. There are several concepts that describe how we receive the Life that God wants us to have from His word. The scripture tells us that God’s word is bread, so it’s meant to be eaten. We’re told that it is a Rock, so we’re supposed to stand on it. God’s word is a two-edged sword, so we use it to do battle. But the operative word phrase is, “We apply God’s word by faith.” In other words, we eat it, stand on it and we do battle with it… by faith.

Fear and faith are polar opposites when it comes to God’s word. Just as God has plans and purposes for us that are good, Satan has a plan for us as well—his plan is to kill us if he can. Satan hates people because we are made in God’s image. Satan doesn’t play by the rules; he operates using deception and lies. God’s word brings life; Satan’s lies bring death—it’s that simple. Satan’s minimum goal is to keep you from God’s Zoe Life by feeding you lies and deception, and he will succeed as long as you believe them and act on them. Since his lies are directly opposed to God’s word, they produce death. This is the essence of operating in fear. If you keep “buying” Satan’s lies, he will continue to lead you astray and use you to do his bidding.

Operating in fear means that you are believing Satan’s counterfeit instead of choosing God’s way to Life. Just as a fisherman uses artificial bait, Satan does too because he has nothing authentic to offer. Much like a mirage is only a figment of our imagination, Satan only has counterfeits to lure us. When we are not eating, standing on, and doing battle with God’s word, we are vulnerable to Satan’s counterfeit offers. Anytime we are not operating in faith, we are operating in fear. There are no shades of grey