"An idea is like a virus—resilient, highly contagious.
And the smallest seed of an idea can grow;
it can grow to define or destroy you."
~ Cobb, from the movie Inception,
© 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Though the movie Inception is science fiction, its premises are chillingly real. An idea can be planted in the mind from the inside. Ideas may take root which both defy eradication and come to define and destroy a person. And the attempt to alter our world by defining our own reality with deceptive ideas is most assuredly a deadly mind game.
Our enemy the devil is master of inception. His goal is to steal, kill and destroy. His modus operandi is to first plant an idea from within, mixing the lie with enough truth for it to take root.
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
~ John 10:10 (NKJV)
Another premise of Inception is that freefall is fatal even before it ends with an impact. When we think of what is needed to sustain life, we think air, water, food. But the need for something solid to stand upon is also vital.
Skydiving exhilarates with its eagle's ride upon the wind, until the moment when a ripcord is pulled and one floats gently back to terra firma. Without a parachute to capture the earth's breath, the same swan dive would bring death—whether when man meets rock, or in terror of anticipating that inevitable end.
The freedom of traveling upon the ocean is likewise thrilling—as long as one has feet planted in a reliable vessel. But a ship must eventually return to land to sustain its human cargo, and one could not float or tread water for long without solid support before the sea would prove fatal.
Jesus warned that shifting sands of self-defined reality will inevitably collapse, resulting in thorough destruction. Our lives are secure only if resting upon the solid rock of His words. (Matthew 7:24-25) If we do not build upon that rock, truth will fall upon us with crushing power.
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone ...' ?
... whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
Matthew 21:42-44 (NKJV)
It's been said that not all lies send you to Hell. But to embrace a lie is to sleep with the enemy, who is father of lies. Whether inception plants deception in mind of self or another, lies compromise ability to discern truth, distort reality, and architect a hell of the mind which destroys life.
Our enemy attacks not only when he covertly speaks within our minds, but when he speaks through the false teachers who infiltrate our churches and other Christian circles. No weapon of man can fight deadly ideas, but only the sword of God's Spirit.
In the movie Inception, potential victims can be trained to fight against an enemy who enters the mind.
In reality, it is critical that we immerse ourselves with the truth of God's Word so that the enemy's seeds find no inception.
"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."
~ John 17:17 (NKJV)
~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~
This post is the rest of the story attached to the gratitude I express today at Everyday Testimony.
Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Powerfully true post sis, love you.
ReplyDeleteIt's exciting for me when I'm more and more able to discern the lies. My last book had a lot of skydiving in it. Made me think of the symbolism in it.
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
Hi there, new to your blog. Wow! Now I want to see that movie. This is a very good way to describe the lies of the enemy. He is so very subtle too...the whole idea is to present the lie under the guise of truth. Also, excellent point about needing solid ground! I never thought of it like that, but it is so true. The parable of the two foundations (sand vs. rock) is one of my favorites, but I never considered that solid footing is also a basic human need. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand/all other ground is sinking sand!
ReplyDeletewas going to write a post this morning about building. this is was/is a good reminder of how a builder can be off just a little bit in his measurements and if he continues with that wrong measurement, the entire house will be off. our stair guy absolutely ruined/destroyed the beauty of the woodwork because he only took one measurement. he was so confident in himself that he forged ahead with all the wrong measurements.
ReplyDeletelove that last verse above. been sitting here for awhile and thinking about His prayer for us. it's yesterday, today, and tomorrow. before i used to think about the Word as being written centuries ago. thank you for the good chew this morning.
and quite possibly why we are told what to think on in Philippians ... so we'd recognize more readily the counterfeit
ReplyDeleteDenise ~
ReplyDeleteLove you too, pretty lil bear.
Wendy ~
ReplyDeleteOooo. I hope that means you've been skydiving so we can compare notes one of these days. :D
I'm glad to discern the lies. I'm always sad to hear them. Sometimes mad, too. I ask God to always give me grace when they face me.
Kimberly ~
ReplyDeleteThe need for solid ground is one it took me some time to see. We really do need it. Our bodies can't even survive when suspended indefinitely. Crucifixion actually brings death by suffocation. It has something to do with lack of support for the diaphram.
So glad to meet you!
Bud ~
ReplyDeleteBoy did you say it! Even a small "inaccuracies" can lead us astray enough for it to ruin something, given enough time or distance.
You remind me today of how precious it truly is to hear our Savior pray for us.
Susan ~
ReplyDeleteI love the way you represent those particular verses in your work. (I keep them posted to our T.V.)
Oh, Amen, Anne! I want the total truth-immersion...the truth-infusion until it penetrates marrow! Thank you for this beautiful reminder to be on my guard against that virus of deception.
ReplyDeleteI saw that movie, it was a head trip to say the least. I think once satan germinates a seed of lies in our hearts it's difficult to extinguish even with the Word. As humans we tend to gravitate towards self doubt and hystrionics. I wish we could just as easily gravitate towards the peace Jesus offers.
ReplyDeleteLaura ~
ReplyDelete"... until [truth] penetrates marrow." I like the way you talk. Truth is too little valued by so many people. We've got to stick together.
T ~
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Once a lie takes root, some of them don't want to go. I have a yucca in my yard that I've dug up multiple times. I've even gone down several feet trying to get the whole root out. That thing doesn't care. It just grows back. I finally planted so many iris around it that it can't be seen.
We do gravitate more easily toward the "self doubt and hystronics" than toward the peace of Jesus—but only until we exercise the self-control to walk away from the other stuff and walk straight into His Word. Sometimes, just listening to Christian music that exalts Him and uplifts me is enough to drive out or drown out the lie. Either one works for me, but I do have to choose to walk away from the lie and engage the Truth.