How can we apply Isaiah 36:18 to resist modern-day temptations and deceptions? Setting the Scene • The Assyrian field commander stands outside Jerusalem’s walls, taunting Judah and belittling the LORD. • Isaiah 36:18: “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?” • The threat is clear: abandon trust in the LORD, because “it won’t work.” That lie echoes through every age. Core Truths Wrapped in the Verse • Deception attacks confidence in God’s power and character. • The voice of unbelief compares the living God to powerless idols. • Trust in the LORD is portrayed as naïve, risky, even dangerous. • The enemy’s goal: isolate God’s people from their only true refuge. Modern Echoes of Rabshakeh’s Challenge • “Your faith is outdated—science, politics, or wealth will save you.” • “Everyone else compromises; standing firm will cost too much.” • “God hasn’t helped others—why think He’ll help you?” • “If God really cared, He’d have stopped your pain already.” Biblical Counters to Today’s Temptations and Deceptions • Remember past deliverances. Psalm 77:11: “I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.” • Hold fast to exclusive loyalty. Psalm 20:7: “Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” • Compare every claim to Scripture. Acts 17:11. • Capture rogue thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We tear down arguments…and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” • Lean on God, not self-reliance. Proverbs 3:5-6. • Expect God’s faithfulness under pressure. 1 Corinthians 10:13. Practical Steps to Stand Firm 1. Identify the Voice • Is the message undermining Scripture, God’s character, or your identity in Christ? 2. Answer with Truth • Speak Scripture aloud as Jesus did (Matthew 4:1-11). The Word silences lies. 3. Strengthen Your Shield of Faith • Ephesians 6:16: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” • Memorize key verses that address your recurring temptations. 4. Stay in Community • Hebrews 3:13: “Encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” 5. Replace Idols with Worship • Anything promising security apart from God becomes an idol. Deliberately redirect praise to the LORD. 6. Resist, Don’t Negotiate • James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” 7. Persevere in Hope • 1 Peter 5:9-10: stand firm, “knowing that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering,” and God will restore you. Encouragement for Today • The Assyrian boasts were short-lived; the angel of the LORD struck their army (Isaiah 37:36). • What looked invincible fell in a night. God’s faithfulness has not changed. • 1 John 4:4: “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” • Because the LORD truly delivers, every modern Rabshakeh’s lie can be met with unwavering trust and victorious obedience. |
    |