When Temptation Sounds Like Truth: The Prank That Changed My Life

April 1st, 2019.

“Is this a joke?” he asked. “No,” I replied. It was April Fool's Day, but nothing about ending my engagement felt funny. Actually, for the first time in forever, I had clarity. Not confusion. Not fear. Just... clarity of knowing and accepting the truth. My lack of clarity leading up to this moment, reminds me so much of Eve in the garden... I'm sharing this because I've learned that sometimes the most dangerous lies sound like truth—and God's whisper is worth listening to, even when everything else seems right. Looking back, I see now how easy it is to mistake a counterfeit for the real thing. The serpent didn’t show up with horns—he came with a question. A twist of the truth. “Did God really say...?” It didn’t sound evil—it sounded reasonable. Enticing. Familiar. Just like the voice I had been listening to for so long.

The devil is good at what he does. He takes God’s design for love, peace, and fulfillment—and counterfeits it. He promises wholeness but delivers fragmentation. He says you’ll be known and loved, but keeps you hidden and shamed.

I had been tempted with a version of love that sounded like the real thing. Words that wrapped around my soul like melodies. Promises that mimicked what I’d always wanted: security, belonging, companionship. But in the end, they left me more lost than ever.

This is exactly what temptation does. It tells you something is good, holy even. It presents itself in ways that seem true, but if you’re not careful, you’ll suppress that still, small voice inside you saying, “This isn’t it.” And if you don't recognize it, you might find yourself trapped in the counterfeit version of what you truly need.

In scripture, this theme of deception and distortion is everywhere:

• Eve was promised wisdom, but she lost paradise.

• Samson was promised love, but he lost his strength.

• Even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness—with food, with power, with safety. Each time, the enemy twisted God’s words just enough to make them sound true.

But Jesus didn’t bite. He knew that power wasn’t for self-gratification—it was for obedience to the Father. He knew who He was. And He held onto truth.

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him... And the God of all grace... will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."— 1 Peter 5:8–10 (NIV)

I wish I had done that earlier. I wish I hadn’t doubted God's gentle whisper to me, trying to get my attention. But even still—Jesus met me there. He pulled me from the mess. Not just to clean me up—but to re-center me in truth.

He took what was meant to destroy me and turned it into a story of redemption. Because that’s who He is. He doesn’t just forgive—He restores. He doesn’t just rescue— He repurposes.

And while I believe wholeheartedly in the God who redeems, I also believe His best for us is to not fall for the trick in the first place. To stand, like Jesus did, with the Word as our weapon. To discern truth from almost-truth. Because sometimes, the enemy’s most effective strategy isn’t loud rebellion—but subtle imitation.

That’s the hard part. Temptation doesn’t usually scream obvious lies—it whispers half-truths, just close enough to truth to make us doubt what we know deep down.

The devil thought he had me. He wrapped me in counterfeits and whispered lies that sounded like love. He was sure I was his.

But on April 1st—April Fool’s Day—God pulled the greatest prank I’ve ever seen.

He snatched me out of the enemy’s grip. Just when the devil was gloating, God flipped the script. What looked like a win for darkness became a setup for redemption. It was like God leaned in and laughed, “Nice try, Satan.”

He brought me into His glorious light, rewrote my story, and claimed me as His own.

And He continues to remind me of what’s always been true:

• His truth is the only truth that brings freedom.

• God has the final say.

• What was intended for my harm, God can use for good.
  

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."— Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

Want to feel what deception can look like in real time?Read the poetic version of this story: “The Magician’s Box: Pt. 1 & 2.”