There’s meme going around in social media that appears to be a verse from the Bible, but it is not. It is a note in a study Bible placed just above a Bible verse. (And it’s got an interesting history.)
It contains this quote: “The Devil will exaggerate your mate’s failures and inadequacies, sow suspicion and jealousy, indulge your self-pity, insist that you deserve something better, and hold out the hollow promise that things would be better with someone else. But hear Jesus’ words, and remember: God can change hearts and remove all hardness if we will allow Him.”
This meme first appeared on the Internet in 2016 according to TinEye.com, but it’s actually 30 years old. Where did it come from? Keep reading.
In the image above, you cannot see the entire Bible page, but the way the photo is cropped, it appears to be part of the biblical text. Observe that the comment was placed just above Matthew 19:10 (New King James Version). It is not part of the Bible. And the contributor put their initials at the end of the comment (“L.C.”). This is probably a photo taken of an early edition (possibly the first edition published in 1991) of the Spirit-Filled Life Bible (NKJV), edited by pastor and author Dr. Jack Hayford, where the interior is still black and white and the paper is poor quality. (The paper is not very opaque and the ink from the next page bleeds through).
See sample page of this Bible below.
Sample page of the Spirit-Filled Life Bible
(Note: The new third edition of the Spirit-Filled Life Bible NKJV, now sets apart these comments in BLUE and it is more obvious. (Click HERE and scroll down to page 53 in the PDF of the new third edition of this Bible for an example.) Note the initials “D.E.” which stand for Dick Eastman, one of the contributors. See page 5 in the PDF.)
I found the exact same “Devil will exaggerate your mate’s failures” quote in a 1994 book by Pastor Jack Hayford: Spirit-Filled Family. It is part of a longer quote. The only difference is the capitalization of the word Devil.
So, no, this is not in the Bible.
In fact, the advice is not even wise and discerning. It doesn’t take into consideration the whole counsel of God, the full Scriptures.
The Bible says that if a person does show signs of being abusive, or commits adultery, has drug or alcohol addictions (“drunkenness”), financial fraud, etc., we should not associate with them, not even eat with them. 1 Corinthians 5:11. Anybody can be forgiven for a failure or indiscretion. What you need to conclude, however, is whether the “condition” in a spouse’s life is showing the fruit of repentance or not.
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone nwho bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler-not even to eat with such a one. -1 Corinthians 5:11 ESV
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