it’s Michelle. I just want to share something real that happened to me recently because I know I’m not the only one dealing with it. Sometimes the enemy will come at you in ways that feel so small at first, but if you’re not paying attention, those little thoughts can snowball into something bigger. And let me tell you, he doesn’t stop at just one thing—he’ll move from one angle to the next until you either give in or stand your ground.
For me, it started with something simple. I knew what God told me about a certain situation. I had clear instruction in my spirit, but the enemy tried to whisper, “Oh, this would be so much better if you just did it your way.” And I almost caught myself thinking, “Well maybe…” but I stopped. Because deep down I knew what the Lord had said, and God’s word doesn’t change just because temptation comes knocking.
But the enemy wasn’t done. He quickly switched gears. Since I didn’t give in on that first thing, he tried to slide in through another door—my looks. He started putting all these thoughts in my head like, “You know you’d be prettier if you wore that wig,” or “You’d look more beautiful to people if you put on these short shorts,” or “When you go out of town, nobody is going to think you’re enough unless you dress like this.” And y’all, it hit me because that’s what so many women are battling right now. Society makes us feel like we have to show everything, wear the fake hair, pile on the lashes, or have our bodies out just to be seen as valuable.
But right then and there, I had to speak back. I literally said out loud, “Devil, you’re a liar.” Because he is. I had to remind myself that God already called me enough. He already said I was fearfully and wonderfully made. Covering up, being modest, living holy—that’s not weakness, that’s strength. That’s obedience. And nothing the enemy whispers can change what God has already declared.
The truth is, this is exactly what the devil does. He stirs things up. He’ll plant ideas in your head, then try to make you feel wrong for doing right. He’ll make you question if you’re good enough when in reality, you’re already chosen, already loved, already sealed by Christ. And if he can get you doubting your worth, doubting your beauty, doubting God’s instructions, then he’s won a little victory. That’s why we can’t sit there in silence. We have to open our mouths and declare the truth back to him.
I bind him out in the name of Jesus, and I remind myself daily: I am not what the world says I should look like. I am not measured by wigs, shorts, or fake beauty standards. I am who Christ says I am. I know my value. I know my worth. And y’all need to know yours too.
So if you’ve been feeling that tug—like you’re less than because you’re not dressing like everybody else, or not living wild like the world is living—just remember, that’s the enemy talking. He wants to twist your mind and wear you down until you cave. But you don’t have to. Speak back. Call him out. Don’t just sit there and let the thoughts replay. Tell him, “No, I know who I am.”
Because the more you declare it, the more power you give to God’s truth and the less grip the enemy has over your life. The devil will always try to come for you, but the victory is already yours in Christ Jesus.
I’m sharing this because I know somebody else needed the reminder today. You don’t need the short shorts. You don’t need the wig. You don’t need to look like everybody else just to be beautiful. You are enough. You are loved. And you are covered.
So keep pushing, keep striving, and keep reminding the enemy every single time: he can’t have your mind, he can’t have your body, and he definitely can’t have your spirit.
Stay encouraged..
– Michelle
Lee’s Chapel AME Zion | What It Looks Like in 2026 | Bolton, North Carolina
From what I understand, Reverend Avery L. McAllister is currently serving in leadership at Lee’s Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Churches such as Lee’s Chapel are an important part of many small communities because they represent more than simply a building.
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