Lies and the Father of Lies
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44).
Webster defines a lie as follows: 1) to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive and 2) to create a false or misleading impression.
Our text reveals TRUTH about Satan. Satan stands as the antithesis to truth. When he speaks a lie, he is revealing his own nature and the nature of all who follow him. He is not only a liar but he is the originator of the lie. Genesis 3:1 states that he was more subtle (cunning) than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. The word cunning is defined as having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion.
There are times when we speak of myths or fables and many people delight in them. Some could be used to reveal spiritual truth as in the parables. Yet there are many myths and fables that are nothing more than lies and worse, millions have chosen to believe Satan’s lies.
Little Miss Riding Hood took a basket of goodies to her grandmother who lived in the woods. But the wolf got there before she did and gobbled up grandmother and waited for this delicious girl to come to the door.
Now we all know that this is not true — nothing more than a myth, a fable. There was a time when no one would travel the ocean for fear they would fall off the flat earth. That was a myth and yet sincerely believed. Would you believe that some even thought the flat earth rested on the back of a large turtle?
God has revealed to us how the earth came into being. However, choosing to reject Almighty God, man needed another explanation and Satan was there to put into man’s minds hundreds of different myths (lies) of which one is believed by millions today. The universe simply exploded into existence, producing many stars and planets. Then in some incredible way, non-living substances were able to randomly arrange themselves to the place where a single cell emerged which, of course, split up into many cells out of which came life, including all plants, bugs, fowl, animals, and human beings.
As such, mankind is nothing more than an animal and so murdering babies by abortion or at the time of the birth is not considered wrong even though God explicitly forbids it. And if we are nothing more than animals, we have the right to do with our bodies whatever we desire, even changing them from the way God created us into something else. While many people think transgenderism is natural, they still do not see people who think they are wild animals as being realistic. God gave specific instructions as to how men and women were to live with one another and again, another lie was accepted so that men could live with men and women with women. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever (Romans 1:25).
Today we have the many officials in high offices who are supposed to govern and maintain the law of the land, which in our case, for the most part, rest on principles found in the Word of God. This is one of the reasons so many people attack the memory of our national foundation. This is complicated even more when our leaders are more interested in votes than the good of the nation. If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked (Proverbs 29:12).
Psalm 58:3 states that the wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking LIES. 1 Timothy 4:2 reveals that they speak lies in hypocrisy so much their conscience is as though it was seared with a hot iron. They lied so much they believed their own lies and continued in a path of manufacturing more lies.
We do not have to follow Satan’s lead as others have. He is not going to stop telling his lies and deceiving people but Jesus has made it possible for us to avoid him and his lies. Knowing God’s Word is a good place to start. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). The devil’s lies can be answered with the Word of God. It is God’s will that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive (Ephesians 4:14). The more we submit ourselves to God, the greater will be our enablement to resist the devil and God’s promise is that he will flee from us (James 4:7). When Satan’s lies come to you, resist them and then replace them with the truths of His Word. In doing that, you will find that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
Beware of the lies, myths, fables, half-truths and the other deceptions of Satan. Recognize that there is nothing impossible with God (Matthew 17:20; Luke 18:27). For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
The late George Stiekes served in several churches through his ministry. In his later years, he published a daily newsletter he called Reverent Reflections. We draw from his stock of devotions for occasional articles here on Proclaim & Defend.
Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash