Remember the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness? The thing that always hits me is how the devil started: “If you are the Son of God…” Luke 4:1-13
That’s his game—he goes straight for identity. He tries to plant doubt, to make you second-guess who you really are. And honestly, that feels a lot like what I go through with my own mental health struggles, especially scrupulosity.
For me, it’s not always a loud voice. It’s more like little thoughts that creep in:
- “If you really belong to God, why are you still struggling with this?”
- “If you actually had faith, wouldn’t you feel more peace by now?”
- “Are you sure, these absurd thoughts you are having is not a sign from God?”
Sound familiar? It’s sneaky. It makes you question yourself and God at the same time.
Quick Fix Lies (and Misusing the Bible)
When the devil tempted Jesus, he didn’t just question His identity—he also offered shortcuts. “Turn these stones into bread. Jump, and angels will catch you. Bow down, and I’ll give you everything.”
And here’s the wild part: at one point, the devil even quoted Scripture to Jesus! (Psalm 91:11, to be exact). That shows me something big—the enemy can take even good things, like the Bible, and twist them to trap us.
That’s why having a discerning spirit is so important. God’s Word brings freedom, peace, and clarity. The enemy’s “version” of it always brings pressure, fear, and confusion.
In my own struggles, I’ve noticed how scrupulosity tries to use God’s Word against me—like “You didn’t pray enough. You’re not holy enough. God has rejected you. You are so disobedient.” But that’s not God’s heart. His Word is meant to set me free, not put me in chains.
At first, I literally thought the ‘Holyspirit’ guiding me. A part of my mind seemed to convince me that those scary and illogical thoughts were from God and I was being disobedient. Obviously, I knew that those thoughts were lies and not from God.
Telling the Difference
Here’s how I tell:
- God’s voice = peace, even when He’s correcting me. Gentle. Clear. Loving.
- The enemy’s voice = pressure, accusation, confusion, fear.
And I have to remind myself: my identity is already safe in Christ. I don’t need to constantly prove my worth and value to God. Scrupulosity made me feel like I was one mess up away from being discarded and punished by God. Obviously that’s not a way to live—that’s just a lie Scrupulosity made me believe.
Fighting Back
One thing from the temptation of Jesus is that he didn’t get into debates or reasoning—He just stood on truth found in the bible which is the word of God: “It is written…”.
That’s how I want to fight back too. Not with perfection or endless overthinking, but by leaning on what God has already said about me.
And here’s the best part: Jesus already won. I’m not fighting for victory—I’m fighting from victory. We already know how this story ends!
One thing my fight with Scrupulosity is to take on the armour of God.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV
With time I started ignoring the thoughts and just dwelling on who I am in Christ. With OCD, the more you argue or try to prove the thoughts wrong, the more they tend to stick.
If You’re Struggling Too
Maybe you’ve had those thoughts too. The ones that make you feel like you’re failing, that God has abandoned you or like God is far away. If that’s you, hear me: you’re not alone. And your struggle doesn’t change who you are in Christ.
The enemy questioned Jesus’ identity, but it didn’t change the truth. Same with you. The enemy might even quote you a verse from the bible to back up his lies, but know that you don’t have to prove yourself over and over again by your works. You just have to rest in Christ.
You are loved. You are secure. Your identity in Christ is not up for debate.
Prayer
“Lord, help me to know Your voice above every other. Remind me who I am in You, and give me a discerning spirit to see through the enemy’s lies. My identity is safe in Christ. Amen.”
Called to Priesthood 
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