“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me…” (Psalm 43:3, ESV).

Anthony lived in the fourth century. He has had a massive influence on Christians.

He fasted, prayed, shunned wealth and praise, memorized Scripture, and lived a life of focused simplicity. Even though he would go into the desert to be alone, people tracked him down to ask for advice and wisdom.

Oh, he also fought demons. Actual demons.

In a biography about him, Athanasius described the insights that the powerful ascetic brought to the battle. Speaking about the Devil, he wrote: “like a fallen tyrant he does not rest, but threatens, though it be but words.”*

There’s the thing. Through the cross and empty tomb, God has struck our Enemy with the fatal blow. He cannot recover. But with what little strength he has left, he threatens with his tongue. His strength and influence is limited. He plays the game he knows best: lies.

This is why truth is so important. A Christian who isn’t confident in the Scriptures isn’t confident. They are more easily led down the broad path. Half-truths lead to full lies which, in turn, can lead to death.

Fred Holloman was a chaplain of the Kansas Senate. He had a prayer in which he asked God to help him see through the fog of deception. His situation may be different than our own. But we all need help to discern truth from error, even as we fight our own spiritual battles today:

“Omniscient Father: 
Help us to know who is telling the truth.
One side tells us one thing,
and the other just the opposite. 
And if neither side is telling the truth,
we would like to know that, too.
And if each side is telling half the truth,
give us the wisdom to put the right halves together. 
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”**

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Notes and extra content:

–“God who raises corpses – a resurrection prayer of hope.” Click here.

–*Athanasius, The Life of St. Anthony the Great (Willits, Eastern Orthodox Books, no date given), 40.

–**As in: R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man (Wheaton: Crossway, 2019), 156.