Recently, I shared a blog titled, “The Overactive “But” Muscle,” addressing the proverbial battle in the mind where your thoughts deny all things good and true to drag you down to a dark place mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In that scenario, “but” is the enemy. It is the “but” that counters the good to convince you of the bad. The struggle is real–for me, and I am guessing, for many.

After writing and thinking about that struggle with the “but” muscle, however, I realized that there was a different perspective from which to approach it. I realized that I could turn the “but” around and actually make it work for me, instead of against me. And I got pretty excited about it. My “but” doesn’t have to be my enemy, it can be my ally! When my mind tries to feed me discouragement and deny God’s truth, I can turn it around and go on the offensive with my “but.”

Let’s say I have one of those days where nothing is going right. I am feeling discouraged and frustrated. I want to cut myself some slack, but my mind won’t let me. I try to remind myself that one bad day does not define me until my thoughts throw out, “BUT this is hardly just one bad day for you. You have a lot of bad days. Remember when…” Now either I keep listening, believe the lies, and sink down into depression, OR I can employ the “but” against itself! This is where when I hear those awful lies, I come back with my own “but” to put it in its place. I respond, “You may be trying to convince me that I am not good enough, BUT God’s Word says differently! The Bible says that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” and that God is for me and not against me…and any other truths from the Word about my identity in Christ. We don’t have to receive the lie, we can counter it with the truth.

Not only does the Bible provide the truth with which we can fight this battle of the “buts,” it also demonstrates this principle through the life of the only One who sets a perfect example for us. In a familiar passage found in Matthew, chapter 4, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to the desert, where He will be tempted by Satan. In each of the three temptations Jesus faces, Satan is the “voice” that He is hearing in his head. Satan is the one trying to manipulate Jesus’ thoughts to lead Him away from Who He is and what He is called to do. The key for us is how Jesus responds to Satan’s lies.

Even though the word “but” does not appear directly in this passage, it can be heard in it. When the enemy tells Jesus to feed His physical hunger by turning the stones to bread, Jesus’ response can be understood to say, “I may be hungry, and I even may have the power to turn these stones to bread, BUT the Bible says that man does not live by bread alone. My bread is every word that comes from God.” And in saying this, He puts the devil in his place and rejects the lie. Jesus makes His “but” work for Him, and He does it with every temptation thrown His way.

Each time, Jesus’ response is consistent–he answers with “it is written.” He answers the manipulation and lies with the truth of God’s Word. So when the enemy tries to take Him down with tempting whispers in His mind, Jesus overcomes with the “but,” followed directly by truth from the Word. This is the example we need to follow in order to make our “but” work for us. We need to answer the lies offered to our minds with a “but + scripture” statement that puts those lies in their place. Like Jesus, this is how we will overcome.

Of course, to utilize this strategy, we need to know the Word. So that means we need to be in the Word regularly and abiding in the Spirit. This is how God’s Word is in our hearts and on our minds and lips, and this is how we make our “but” work for us!