You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44
There is a story in John 8 that details an extended interaction Jesus had with the Jews. His audience was a mixed crowd of Pharisees, Scribes, and the Jews who believed in him. Typical of Jesus’ conversations with this group of people, it was quite confrontational and argumentative as they pressed him regarding a few statements he had made earlier in his submission. Specifically, Jesus had referred to himself as “the light of the world…” and this rubbed them off in the wrong way. During this confrontational interaction, Jesus did an extensive characterization of his audience and their “master”, Satan. He referred to the Jews as children of Satan and then to Satan as “… the father of lies”.
If we are going to learn anything about the devil, we must prioritize what Jesus says about him. This is the crux of this series: to shed light on Satan’s operations and that of the people he influences.
The text in John 8:44 is the anchor verse for this entire article so I will take time to do a breakdown of how Jesus described Satan, his character, his mission, and his relationship with the Jews:
- Satan is the father of the Jews – Jesus said this because he could tell that the people had purposed in their hearts to kill him. Their murderous intent directly linked them to the devil because Jesus described him as “… a murderer from the beginning”. It was clear Satan had a strong influence over the people hence their willingness to do his bidding. This is similar to the kind of influence a father has over his children. The Jews opposed the truth claims Jesus made about himself, therefore they were behaving like real offsprings of the devil because there is no truth in him either. In summary, the father-child relationship between the Jews and Satan can be established on 2 main premises: 1. The murderous intent of the Jews towards Jesus and 2. their opposition to the truth.
- He was a murderer from the beginning – this refers to the fact that Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin which introduced death, separation from God, and corruption into the world. It could also refer to the actual first murder case ever recorded and the fact that Satan was instrumental in it (the murder of Abel by Cain).
- Satan does not stand in the truth – He has no relationship with the truth, no history with the truth, and doesn’t intend to tell the truth anytime soon because there is no iota of truth in him.
- When he lies he speaks out of his own character – this description is quite interesting because it points to the fact that lies and deception are the essence of Satan’s character. Hence, it would be hypocritical on his part to tell the truth or a denial of his nature to tell the truth. Honestly, I don’t think anybody should have anything to do with somebody whose very nature and character is lies and deception.
- He is a liar and the father of lies – this implies he is the inventor, originator, and progenitor of deception. No lie was ever told or recorded before Satan deceived the angels of God to rebel in heaven.
This is who the devil we are fighting is. He is not described as powerful but a liar and murderer; we must treat him as such.
The nature of Satan’s lies:
To the Christian, a lie is not just misinformation or disinformation, it is any information that is contrary to the word of God. Contrariness doesn’t mean the information should always be the direct opposite of what God said. Sometimes, the lies of Satan are even deadlier when they are only slightly different from what God said. He twists the truth by introducing a little falsehood which, if adhered to, will eventually lead the believer on a path of destruction.
Here are some ways the devil presents his lies:
- False information – as seen in the temptation of Eve in Genesis 3. She informed the devil that God instructed them never to eat the fruit of the tree amid the garden lest they die. Satan’s response to this was in direct opposition to what God said. He said, “You will not surely die” and that’s an outright lie. That is false information from Satan because it was in direct contradiction to what God had said.
- Exaggerations – again, as seen in the temptation of Eve in Genesis 3:5 the devil told Eve that the day they eat of the fruit, their eyes will be open and they shall become like God, knowing good and evil. This is an exaggeration of the actual effect of their actions. Satan promised them way more than their sin could deliver. The eyes of Adam and Eve did open, but it opened to their nakedness, shame, and guilt; they didn’t become like God afterward either. The opposite happened and they lost their place with God in the garden instead.
- Truth wrongly applied – this refers to the times when Satan wrongly applies the word of God as a way of deceiving people. A typical example is seen in the temptation of Jesus when the devil asked Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple if he truly was the son of God. He said this on the premise that the word of God says in Psalm 91 that “he will give his angels charge over you…”. The quotation is true but it is wrongly applied in the temptation of Jesus when Satan implies that Jesus should recklessly throw himself off a temple to prove he is the Son of God. God’s promises are true and call for responsible conduct in the believer, not a reckless abandonment of sound behavior to actualize them.
The devil’s approach has not changed since the first temptation recorded in the book of Genesis. He will always seek to distort the word of God either drastically or slightly. This was the approach he took in the temptation of Eve in the Garden. He asked a question that was aimed at engendering doubts in the woman. It is also the first ever question recorded in scripture. Satan asked, “Did God actually say…?”. Today, he is still asking this question to get believers to doubt the word of God. In some circles, strong philosophical positions and scientific theories have been developed to debunk the truth of God’s word. There can only be one person behind all of this – that old serpent, the devil. When Satan attacks our theology or the true interpretation of God’s word, it is an attack on the nature of God and how we view him. It has implications for our Christian walk and our trust in his word. The effects are more far-reaching than we can ever imagine.
Sometimes, this attack affects us by casting doubts in our hearts regarding who the word of God says we are. A typical example is the condemnation most Christians feel after they sin. Indeed, the bible doesn’t mince words in painting a grim picture of sin and its impact. However, a more impactful picture is painted of how Jesus redeemed all who have faith in him by taking their place and receiving in his body the punishment for their sins. Therefore, none of them should stand condemned in any way because of their sins. This is why the bible employs us to come boldly before God. This truth of God’s word is often attacked by Satan because he presents to us a lie. He often elevates our sins way above the mercy of God to condemn us. He is the accuser of the brethren and will accuse us all day.
Another example of the devil’s deceptive attack on the believer is the kind of lie that makes you feel isolated. Satan has a way of exaggerating your predicament while highlighting everyone else’s seemingly perfect life. This creates a sense of isolation and abandonment. It makes you feel like you are the only one in the whole wide world going through a hard time when in actual fact everyone else is battling something. This approach is evil because it stirs up discouragement, anxiety, and even depression in the believer. It is also in direct contradiction with God’s word. Peter said:
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9
You are not alone. Your case may be unique but it is not the first of its kind or you are not the only one going through something like this. Everybody else is dealing with one thing or the other. I say this to encourage somebody because a trial would feel twice as devastating if coupled with the idea that you are the only one going through anything close to it. Peter said the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by other believers all over the world. This is not a case of “misery loves company” but the truth of God’s word. He didn’t say the exact same suffering, but the “same kinds” which implies that the issues may not be identical in detail but they are similar in magnitude. Hence, we need to understand we are not the only ones burdened with trials and tribulations because nobody around us seems to be going through “our kind” of problems.
How then can we counter the devil’s lies?
- Immerse yourself in the truth of God’s word: know what God says about himself and what he says about you.
- Resist him: use the word of God to resist the devil just as the passage from 1 Peter posted above suggests.
We must pay Satan no heed or even entertain him in any way. I repeat, if we are going to learn anything about Satan, we need to prioritize what Jesus says about him. Jesus said he is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning, you don’t need to be convinced to stay away from such an entity. Resist him when he comes at you mentally, psychologically, spiritually, and physically. He shall flee!