What Lies Beneath
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Lies In Threes
Ecc. 4:12 tells us a rope of three strands is not quickly broken. It is predictable, then, that we often find lies in triads, in an attempt to strengthen the bondage. The three lies are set up to feed on each other and to create a progression that becomes self-sustaining. For example, if I believe the lie "I have to do everything myself" and this lie is followed by "I can't do anything right," then I am trapped by my own beliefs and I feel powerless. Add to those two lies a belief that "I should be able to do it," then the feeling of shame and condemnation adds to the powerless feeling, and I am overwhelmed and paralyzed. There are many examples of similar traps that result in a sort of "gerbil wheel" that spins constantly but goes nowhere. At times, the enemy will establish a trap such as this one to cover over the main "root" lie, so the individual never gets past the internal circular argument to deal with the root cause of his/her pain. Other times, a number of these "lie triads" are embedded, and the individual will move in their emotions from one wheel to another, never moving forward or growing spiritually. In either case, the enemy's goal is to rob the Lord's freedom and peace from the individual.


The Desolate Area
Deprivation lies cause an area of desolation in the individual's heart; a "ruined city" as described in Isaiah 61. The bombed-out heart holds the remains of warfare, the rubble but not the completed temple. Lies found in the desolate area may include abandonment lies such as "I am all alone" and "I don't matter," rejection lies such as "I am unloved, not needed or wanted," and feelings of fear. This is not intended to be a complete list, but serves as an example of what might be uncovered in the lie-identification process of someone who has experienced deprivation. Note the three-lie set, and the root feeling of fear that the triad projects. Hope lies in the promise of God that He will rebuild the ruined cities and desolate areas.
  Two Types of Wounding
There are two different types of wounding which result in two very different kinds of lie sets. We call them: "Imposition" and "Deprivation." Wounds of imposition are the ones which result from imposed trauma, such as physical or sexual abuse. With these wounds, an individual can identify a specific event or memory or series of memories where the wounding occurred. In deprivation wounding, however, the individual experiences a lack of something rather than an imposition of something into their lives. These types of wounds may be neglect, abandonment, loss of a parent, or general lack of love from their caretakers. For deprivation, there may not be a specific memory or event that the individual can point to as the moment of initial trauma. Instead they envision emptiness and desolation in their hearts, and believe themselves to be unloved, and unlovable.

Mourning for a Garment of Praise
What we call "imposition wounds" that arise from trauma are often very different in the nature and composition of the lie sets than deprivation lies. Physical and sexual abuse often result in an individual blaming themselves, where the lie is "it is all my fault." It can also produce shame lies such as "I should've done something about it" or "I'm bad because of what happened to me." The lies "no one cares" and "I can never be good enough" can also accompany the blame and shame. The dominant root feeling from these lies is condemnation. Since "there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus," we know these are all lies and that the truth from Jesus will replace the sadness and despair or mourning with His garment of joyous praise.

A List of Lies

Pulling Out the Root
The Lord used a true story in our lives to teach us the importance of getting to the "root" and pulling it out. When the builders were preparing the foundation for our house, they had to remove a large tree that was standing too close to the foundation. Believing it was sufficient, they cut down the tree, then sawed off the stump down to ground level and covered it over with dirt. That was 15 years ago. The tree now stands several feet higher than our two story house! Why? Because the builders DID NOT GET RID OF THE ROOT.

It has been our experience that most individuals have a "root" lie or sometimes a "root" set of lies that are foundational to their bondage. In His healing, Jesus does not just chop down the tree, or prune the branches (the surface lies), for this does nothing in the long-term. The lies grow a new "tree" if the root is not removed. He uncovers the root, digs it out, and removes it by bringing an understanding of the height, depth, length and breadth of His wonderful love for us (Eph. 3:18). When we know Him face-to-face, in a real and personal way, and we begin to comprehend the truth about His love for us, our root lies are shaken and finally pulled out.


Light Has Come Into the World
Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light...John 3:19-21