“Whose Voice Do You Believe?”
- Brian Lee
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27).
Introduction
We live in a noisy world. Every day, countless voices compete for our attention. They come from the media, from our past, from people around us, and perhaps most powerfully, from within ourselves.
Psychologists call them automatic thoughts (In Cognitive Behavior Therapy, we deal with those thoughts. A new idea can lead to new behavior.) It is quite human for us to have those quick, unfiltered inner messages that pop into our minds. In this fallen world, they are often negative and even accusatory. The Bible has its own way of describing them. Ephesians 6:16 calls them “fiery darts” of the enemy. 2 Corinthians 10:5 describes them as “arguments and lofty opinions” that must be taken captive to obey Christ.
The psalmist often struggled with the nagging inner voices. He would cry out, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (Psalm 42:5). He was listening to the voice within, but he didn’t stop there. He remembered the truth. “Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
The recent film K-pop Demon Hunters illustrates this reality vividly. Its central theme is voices. In the story, the voices of the heroines, the Huntresses, have the power to drive away darkness. But the voices of the demons drain the very soul of a person. That is not merely fantasy. That is precisely how the spiritual world operates. The voices we believe shape the direction of our lives.
So the question I would like to answer for us is, "Whose voice do we believe?"
Jesus says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” He contrasts His voice with the voices of strangers, thieves, and wolves who seek to steal, kill, and destroy. To belong to Jesus means to recognize, trust, and follow His voice above all others.
Let’s look at three truths that flow from this:
The enemy’s voices enslave us.
Our hidden patterns shape our lives.
Only Christ’s voice can set us free.
1. The Enemy’s Voices Enslave Us
In K-pop Demon Hunters, there is a demonic idol group called Sa-Ja Boys. On the surface, they are attractive, and their songs are catchy. But behind the music, they drain the life of their fans. In the Korean culture, the “Sa-Ja” refers to the spirit that escorts the dead. Their music literally takes the life out of you.
Isn’t this exactly how the devil works? Jesus says in John 8:44:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
To the descendants of Adam and Eve, the enemy still whispers lies. The darkness says, “You are a mistake. You don’t belong anywhere. You will never be loved. You will never be good enough. You will never change.” And the tragedy is that we often think that those voices are true. We bow down and let them dictate our lives.
Have you ever caught yourself repeating those inner voices as if they were the truth? “No one likes me.” “My life will never amount to anything.” “God could never use me.” Those voices enslave us. They drain our energy, our joy, and even our will to live. Like the Sa-Ja Boys feeding off their fans, the enemy feeds off our misplaced "faith" in lies.
2. Our Hidden Patterns Shape Our Lives
The heroine Rumi carries a purple mark on her neck. It symbolizes her heritage. She was born as half Huntress, half demon. Now, she hides this under high collars and zipped-up costumes. Why? Because of the words she heard growing up: “Hide it. No one will accept you. Erase it.”
Friends, this is what many of us do. We hide our shame, our wounds, our past. We develop patterns of thought and behavior rooted in early experiences or hurtful words. Psychologists call them core beliefs. Scripture calls it the “old self, corrupted by deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22).
Paul also says in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Without that renewal, our hidden patterns become the script of our lives. They tell us we are unacceptable. They spread shame until we begin to believe that our very existence is shameful.
Like Rumi, we may fight hard to fix the world around us, but inside, we cannot hold ourselves together. Our hidden patterns shape our lives until they are confronted by the truth.
3. Only Christ’s Voice Can Set Us Free
In the climax of the story, Rumi cries out to her guardian, Celine, with one heartbreaking question.
Rumi: Don’t you get it? This is what I am. Look at me. Why can’t you look at me?! Why couldn’t you love me?! Celine: I do! Rumi: ALL OF ME!! Celine: This is why we have to hide it. Our faults and fears must never be seen. It’s the only way to protect the Honmoon.
“Why couldn’t you love me?” Isn’t that the cry of every human heart? We long to be fully known, fully accepted, and fully loved. But human love, even at its best, is limited. It can affirm, but it cannot redeem.
But there is One who can. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” His voice is not the voice of shame, not the voice of hiding, not the voice of fear. His voice is the gospel. Jesus says to us:
“You are not a mistake! I know you, and I called you by name. You are mine. I laid down my life for you. I love you with an everlasting love."
On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of our shame. He exposed Himself to public scorn so that we would no longer have to hide. He silenced the voices of accusation by triumphing over them. And through His Spirit, He gives us the power to sing a new song, a song of freedom, a song of grace!
Conclusion
We all carry "voices" within us. Some are lies of the enemy. Some are patterns from our past. They enslave us. But the Good News is that there is a voice that gives life. It's the voice of Christ.
The enemy’s voice says, “You are worthless.”
Your past patterns say, “You must hide to survive.”
But Christ’s voice says, “You are mine, forgiven, and beloved.”
Today, the Good Shepherd is calling. He does not shout over the noises of this world. He calls His sheep by name. We just have to turn around and tune our hearts to His voice. Won't you do that right now?
To those who will listen to Jesus Christ, the promise is made:
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
That is the security of hearing and believing the voice of Christ. So, church, let us silence the lies, confront our patterns, and listen afresh to the Shepherd, for His voice alone sets us free.