Ryan Daffron

“He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say…?’” — Genesis 3:1

SOUNDING

The enemy’s first tactic in Scripture isn’t force, fear, or spectacle. It’s one quiet question: “Did God actually say…?”Subtle by design. He doesn’t attack Adam and Eve’s strength; he targets their clarity. Because once clarity drifts, trust starts to wobble. And once trust wobbles, obedience begins to feel optional. Doubt rarely kicks the door down. It whispers. It reframes. It twists just enough truth to sound familiar while pulling you away from God’s voice like a slow, steady riptide.

God’s voice doesn’t operate like that. His voice grounds you. It steadies you when everything else feels unsettled. It cuts cleanly through distortion with truth that doesn’t shift with emotion, pressure, or circumstance. Every follower of Jesus will face riptide moments, those subtle currents that move you inch by inch until suddenly you’re farther from clarity than you realized.

Riptides don’t announce themselves. They don’t overwhelm with force; they drift you off course quietly. That’s why awareness matters. Pay attention to the small questions that dilute what God has already made clear. When doubt whispers, don’t fight the current alone. Turn back toward the clarity of God’s Word and let His voice pull your feet back under you.

BEARING

Clarity is maintained by returning to what God has already spoken, not by negotiating with doubt.

Prayer

Lord, sharpen my awareness. Help me recognize subtle distortion and anchor myself again in Your truth.

DROP IN

Name one “riptide thought” that has been pulling at you. Write it down, then counter it with a specific truth from Scripture.