I Almost Mistook the Enemy’s Voice for God’s — Until I Tested It Against His Word

A few years ago, I was faced with a life-altering decision—one that wouldn't just affect me, but everyone involved.

I won't go into the details of what I was deciding, but I knew the choice I made would have serious consequences. I wanted to make the right decision, but more importantly, I wanted to make the decision that was pleasing to God.

As I wrestled with what I should do, a Bible verse suddenly came to my mind.

At the time, I took it as my answer. After all, it was Scripture. I was facing an incredibly important decision, and suddenly there was a Bible verse that seemed to point me in a particular direction. So I made my decision, and that was the end of it, so I thought.

At first, I thought that I had peace about it. I had Scripture that seemed to support my choice, and I believed God had given me my answer, but underneath that peace, something wasn't sitting right within my spirit.

For about a week, I carried that feeling. On the surface, I had what seemed like peace, but deep down, something continued to trouble me.

Eventually, I couldn't ignore it anymore, and that's when I remembered something that changed everything: the enemy knows Scripture too.

Satan Knows the Word of God

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he didn't approach Him with only obvious lies. He actually quoted Scripture, showing us just how important it is to recognize the enemy's tricks.

Matthew 4:6 records Satan telling Jesus:

“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee...” — Matthew 4:6, KJV

Satan was quoting from Psalm 91, a passage many Christians know well today. The Scripture itself was true, but Satan was using it to tempt Jesus into doing something God had not told Him to do.

Jesus answered with the Word of God:

“It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” — Matthew 4:7, KJV

That realization made me question what I had accepted so quickly. A Bible verse coming to my mind did not automatically mean that the message behind it had come from God.

So this time, instead of assuming, I prayed.

I Asked God if the Message Had Come From Him

I went directly to God and asked Him whether the message I had received had truly come from Him. Then something happened that has stayed with me. A completely different Bible verse came to my mind, except this one pointed me in the opposite direction.

So I went back to God's Word and tested what I had received against what He had actually said. That's when it became real clear.

The first message had been leading me toward a decision that did not line up with God's Word. The second brought me back into agreement with what He had actually said.

I changed my decision immediately, and thank God I did. The false peace I had been holding onto crumbled instantly. In its place came a genuine peace that I had not experienced before. That nagging feeling that something wasn't right was gone.

That taught me something else I have carried with me ever since: peace alone cannot be my standard for determining whether something came from God.

I had thought I had peace before. God's Word had to be the standard.

I Felt Like Eve in the Garden

Afterward, I couldn't help but think about Eve. The serpent's deception in the Garden of Eden began with a question:

“Yea, hath God said...?” — Genesis 3:1, KJV

The serpent questioned what God had said and then twisted His words. That is what makes deception so dangerous. It doesn't always arrive looking obviously evil. Sometimes truth is mixed in with a lie. Sometimes Scripture can be taken out of context or applied in a way God never intended, something that seems to happen a lot in our culture lately.

For a moment, I felt like Eve standing in the garden with a choice in front of me. Something had been presented to me in a way that appeared to have God's Word behind it. But this time, by the grace of God, I didn't continue down that path.

I stopped.

I prayed.

I tested it against what God had actually said, and the deception became clear.

Deception Doesn't Always Look Like Deception

The Bible gives us another warning that I believe is incredibly important when it comes to discernment:

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” — 2 Corinthians 11:14, KJV

If deception always looked like deception, it would be easy to recognize, but Satan questioned and twisted God's words in the garden. He quoted Scripture while tempting Jesus. Scripture warns that he can appear as an angel of light.

In my situation, the first message didn't appear evil. It came with Scripture attached to it. I even experienced what I initially believed was peace, but something still wasn't right.

It wasn't until I took that message back to God and tested it against what His Word actually said that I recognized where it was leading me. Something appearing to be from God does not make it from God.

Years Later, I Still Test the Spirits

That experience happened years ago, but it changed the way I approach decisions to this day.

When I face a decision, I don't want to base it solely on a feeling, an impression, a thought that enters my mind, or even a Bible verse that suddenly seems applicable. I test it against the Word of God. I test the spirits.

First John 4:1 says:

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God...” — 1 John 4:1, KJV

I understand the importance of those words in a much more personal way now. When I believe that God may be showing me something, I pray about it, I go back to Scripture, and I look at what God's Word actually says rather than relying solely on what I feel in the moment.

Because God's Word will not contradict itself, and knowing Scripture matters. If I don't know what God has actually said, how will I recognize when His Word is being twisted?

Why I’m Sharing This

I share this experience because I know how easily I could have made a serious mistake.

Had I listened to that first voice simply because a Bible verse accompanied it, I could have followed through with a life-altering decision that carried consequences not only for me but for others.

First John 4:1 tells us:

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God...” — 1 John 4:1, KJV

After what happened to me, I understand the importance of those words in a way I never did before. Something sounding biblical isn't the same as something being biblical. Learning to recognize that difference changed the way I approach discernment.

The enemy knew God's Word in the garden. He knew God's Word when he tempted Jesus. And Scripture warns us that Satan himself can appear as an angel of light.

Years later, I still test the spirits. I still take my decisions back to the Word of God because I've learned firsthand that the question isn't simply, “Did a Bible verse come to mind?”

The question I now ask is, “Does this truly line up with what God has said?”

I could have made a serious mistake that day. By the grace of God, I tested it before it was too late.

And thank God I did.

Comments:

About

Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions

Follow Glorious Grace for biblical truth, Christian encouragement, and new resources.

© 2026 Glorious Grace. All rights reserved.