White Noise | Silencing the Lies in Your Head
About this series:
White noise mixes all sounds at once—and life can feel the same, full of mental, emotional, and spiritual static. With constant noise from the world and from within, it’s hard to hear what really matters. This series helps us quiet the clutter, filter out unhelpful voices, and tune in to God. We’ll explore cultural overload, inner stress, and the spiritual drift that happens when God’s voice gets drowned out.
About this talk:
David, the great hero and king of Israel, the forerunner of Jesus, certainly had his moments of weakness! Whether it was with Bathsheba or managing his family or in mental torment, as here in Psalm 13.
We are not told the setting for this Psalm, but we can at least assume that David was being pursued by those he refers to as “my enemy” (vs 2, 4) and “my foes” (v 4). He certainly fears being overcome by his enemies or falling into their hands (v 4) and perhaps even fears for his life (v 3). And the measure of his internal angst is expressed in vs 1 - 2:
Four times he asks “How long?” this must carry one.
He feels forgotten by God, as if God is hiding from him.
He is wrestling with sorrowful thoughts related to ways in which his enemy is treating him.
It’s as if the noise in his head just won’t shut up. He feels powerless to do anything about it and wonders if and when God will show up to bring him relief.
Many other examples in Scripture can be given of people who suffered with anything ranging from nagging doubts to mental torment. Peter and the enormous regret of his betrayal (Luke 22:54-62); Elijah who ran for his life and asked God to kill him rather than leave him to face Jezebel’s fury (1 Kings 19:1-5); Job who endured great pain as he wrestled with the disasters that had come upon him; Paul who was tormented by his ‘thorn’ (2 Corinthians 12:1-10), was opposed by many false teachers (2 Timothy 3:8;4:15) and let down by those who deserted him (2 Timothy 1:15;4:10;4:16); Jeremiah regretting that he had ever been born (Jeremiah 20:14-18); Moses who felt the overwhelming weight of responsibility for God’s people (Numbers 11:10-15); Jesus who, in Gethsemane, was “deeply distressed and troubled…overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:33-34).
As these examples illustrate, your loudest enemy isn’t always out there; sometimes it’s the one in your head. That internal voice has been developed by the many things you’ve heard from others and the many things you’ve experienced, but it has the potential to determine your future. Those looping lies (“I’m not enough,” “I’ll never change,” “I’m worthless,” “God’s done with me”) become mental static that can drown out the truth.
Paul calls those lies that take root in our minds ‘strongholds’ - fortresses that keep you imprisoned. So he writes to the Corinthians, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
He is encouraging his readers to take up the weapon of truth with which they can cut down the lies and deceit that could otherwise torment them. The New Testament writers were familiar with the concept of the truth of God’s word being a sword by which we defeat the lies that oppose us:
Ephesians 6:17: “Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.”
In practice this means a) taking every thought captive rather than simply allowing it to run riot and b) making every thought obedient to Christ - bringing the truth about Jesus and who we are in him to defeat those lies and accusations and realign our thinking.
Psalm 13 concludes with David doing something very similar. With all the voices swirling around his head, all the questions he still hasn’t got answers to, he reminds himself of what he knows to be true: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me” (vs 5-6).
Audio only
Devotional: How to Silence the Lies in Your Head
Psalm 13
One of the reasons we believe the Bible is trustworthy is its honesty. Scripture does not polish its heroes. God’s people are not painted in glowing colours, and neither are its great characters. Adam and Eve fall. Abraham lies. Moses falters. Kings fail. Disciples doubt. Churches struggle. The Bible tells the truth about humanity—and that very honesty gives us confidence that it is a reliable record of God’s dealings with mankind.
King David is a prime example. A military hero, the great king of Israel, and the forerunner of Jesus—yet also a deeply flawed man. His affair with Bathsheba, his broken family, and the rebellion of his son Absalom are recorded with undiluted candour. Psalm 13 gives us something even more personal: a window into David’s inner world. Here we overhear the noise inside his head and heart.
Reflection
Psalm 13 opens like a cry from the depths:
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?”
Four times David asks, “How long?” He feels forgotten, as if God is hiding. He is anxious, fearful, and unsure of the future—so overwhelmed that he fears for his life. This is not polished worship; it’s raw, honest prayer. It even seems likely this psalm was meant to be sung. When was the last time you sang something like this?
David is facing real danger, yet somewhere his feelings have passed through a filter of lies. The lie sounds like this: “God has forgotten me.” And that’s the danger for all of us. When feelings pass through a filter of lies, they can lead us down a slippery slope until we begin to live the lie.
Sometimes the loudest enemy isn’t “out there” but inside our heads:
“I’m not enough.”
“God can’t be trusted.”
“This will never change.”
Scripture shows we’re not alone. Elijah wanted to die. Job questioned everything. Peter was crushed by regret. Paul spoke of torment. Even Jesus, in Gethsemane, was overwhelmed with sorrow. In each case, the battle included what was happening in the mind—how suffering was being interpreted.
Paul later calls these deeply rooted lies “strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). They feel true, even when they’re not—like a pilot whose senses lie to him in the dark. Survival depends on trusting the instruments.
David does exactly that at the end of Psalm 13. With the noise still swirling, he deliberately changes the filter:
“But I trust in your unfailing love… for he has been good to me.”
Literally, “I have trusted.” David looks back. He remembers God’s proven faithfulness. He chooses a truth filter—God’s goodness and love—and through it he recalibrates his heart. The song ends not because circumstances have changed, but because perspective has.
Discussion Questions
If a friend asked why you believe the Bible is trustworthy, which of these reasons resonates most with you:
internal coherence, historical integrity, self-authenticating nature, textual reliability, or honesty? Why?What stands out to you about David’s honesty in Psalm 13?
What “How long?” questions are loudest in your own heart right now?
Can you identify any lies that may be shaping how you interpret your circumstances?
How does David model a healthy way of processing pain before God?
Application
Listen: Pay attention to the internal noise this week. What messages keep repeating in your mind?
Test the filter: Ask, “Is this thought aligned with what I know to be true about God, myself, and the gospel?”
Take it captive: Don’t let thoughts run riot. Bring them to Christ and replace lies with truth from Scripture.
Remember: Recall your own “Ebenezers”—moments when God has clearly been faithful.
Respond: Like David, choose to trust and worship—not because everything is resolved, but because God has proven himself good.
Prayer
“Lord, help me to recognise the lies that distort my thinking. Teach me to see my life through the filter of your unfailing love and faithfulness. Recalibrate my heart to trust you again. Amen.”
