The Lies of Satan and the Word of God

Our Lord Jesus tells us:

[The devil] 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. (John 8:44)

What lies does Satan tell you?

Here are seventeen that he has used against me over the years – and responses to each from God’s Word. I encourage you to make your own list, adding additional lies, and developing a list of Scriptures to use in our battle against the enemy.

(1) THE LIE: There is no such thing as Satan

THE WORD: Satan tempts (Matthew 4:10-11), can be rebuked (Zechariah 3:2) and resisted (James 4:7), fell from heaven (Luke 10:18), asks to be able to accomplish his purposes (Luke 22:31-32); our battle is neither against flesh and blood nor against an abstract force, but against rulers and authorities (Ephesians 6:12).

(2) THE LIE: “You’re so bad, you might as well never try to be good.  God will never forgive you for all that you’ve done.”

THE WORD: “Don’t you know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (emphasis added)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

(3) (Satan doesn’t aim to be consistent: Note that this third lie is virtually the opposite of the second, but he uses both against the same person, sometimes within minutes):

THE LIE: “Aren’t you becoming a wonderful Christian now!  Look at all the things you do for God!  Isn’t it too bad that all those other Christians aren’t doing so well.  And all those unbelievers . . .  Well!”

THE WORD: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9  not by works, so that no one can boast. 10  For we are God’s workmanship.” Ephesians 2:8-10a

(4) THE LIE: “Don’t even try to resist this temptation — you can’t do it!”

THE WORD: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13

(5) THE LIE: “Shouldn’t a great mind like yours take an academic interest in Christianity?“

THE WORD: “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things– and the things that are not– to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God– that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’”  1 Corinthians 1:26-31

(6) THE LIE: “This is more important right now!  You can (read the Bible, pray, serve others) tomorrow.”

THE WORD: “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”  Hebrews 6:12

(7) THE LIE: “God’s way is no fun; you will miss out on life if you follow him!  My way is the way to life!”

THE WORD: “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?  Those things result in death!  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:20-23

“. . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . .” Galations 5:22

(8) THE LIE: “You’ve been good for quite a while now – come on, you deserve a little fun.”

THE WORD: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”  1 Corinthians 10:12

(9) THE LIE: “This sin really doesn’t matter . . . It’s only a little one.”

THE WORD: “Be perfect, therefore, as your father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew  5:48

(10) THE LIE: “Everyone else is doing it, so it must be ok!”

THE WORD: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

(11) THE LIE: “Just this once. Come on, just this once!  See what it’s like!  No harm can come from this one time!”

THE WORD: “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he  is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.”  James 1:14-15

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”  1 John 2:5-6

(12) THE LIE: “No one will ever know!”

THE WORD:  “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Luke 12:2

(13) THE LIE: “You’ve already blown it — you might as well give in the rest of the way and ask God to forgive you later.”

THE WORD: “What shall we say, then?  Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means!  We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”  Romans 6:1-2

(14) THE LIE: “You’ve given plenty to God — keep this for yourself.  He can’t expect you to give him everything!”

THE WORD: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26 (emphasis added)

(15) THE LIE: “God doesn’t love you!” 

THE WORD: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

(16) THE LIE: “God couldn’t possibly intend for you to do that!  Here’s an easier way to accomplish the same thing!”

THE WORD: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9

(17) THE LIE: “If anything looks good to you, go after it!”

THE WORD: “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and his pride in his possessions — comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”  1 John 2:15-17

Set Free From the Fear of Death

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

What does Jesus accomplish through the sufferings He encountered in life and death?

The author of Hebrews answers that question in several ways in chapter 2:

  • He pays the penalty for the sins of His people (Hebrews 2:9, 11, 12, 16);
  • He becomes an example of faith in overcoming temptation;
  • He becomes a merciful and faithful high priest who understands our weaknesses (Hebrews 2:18).

But in verses 14 and 15 we learn that Jesus’s death did something to the devil. The English Standard Version (quoted above) says He destroyed the devil through His death; the New American Standard says He rendered Satan powerless (as does the New International Version).

The Greek Verb can mean either “destroy” or “render powerless,” so context alone must determine the meaning.

Now, we know that in the end Satan will be thrown in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10); eventually he will be destroyed. But is Hebrews 2 speaking of that future destruction of Satan, or of something that has been done to him already?

Hebrews 2:15 tells us that the same act that has this impact on Satan delivers those who are slaves because of fear of death today. So it seems most likely that the impact on Satan referred to has already taken place; he is rendered powerless.

What is this fear, then? What is this slavery that results from fear of death – this fear that is taken away when Satan is rendered powerless?

Surely the fear of actual, physical death itself can enslave us. When we fear dying, we can become slaves to the quest for security and safety.

But another type of fear dominates many. Isaiah 22:12-13 help identify this fear, and to distinguish it from the fear of physical death:

In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (Isaiah 22:12-13)

In Isaiah 22, God has threatened judgment against the nation, and has called for mourning over their sin. But the people don’t mourn – instead, faced with death, they have a big party! They think, “Hey, if we’re going to die tomorrow, we better live it up today!”

These people don’t fear physical death, the process of dying. Nor do they fear what happens to them after they die.

Instead they fear missing out on life. “If I die tomorrow, I’ll miss out on the pleasure of eating, drinking, and having sex, so I’d better indulge in all of them today!”

Some of you are old enough to remember the similar Schlitz beer tagline: “You only go around once in life: So grab all the gusto you can.”

This fear of missing out is a key dynamic in the lives of most people – and it manifests itself in many ways other than indulgence in physical pleasures.

Ask yourself: What is life?

Does life consist of thrills and pleasures and accomplishment and possessions and fame, however we get them? And so if we don’t have these, we don’t truly live?

If we think in this way, we are slaves:

  • Slaves to our desires
  • Slaves to the market
  • Slaves to what others think of us.

This slavery will manifest itself in quite different ways: The person who fears physical death may become germophobic, isolated even when not under a stay-at-home order. But others in slavery to the fear of missing out on life will:

  • go to bars every night looking for someone attractive to pick up, or
  • spend hours watching internet videos every day trying to find the latest amusing, clever production, or
  • exert huge amounts of energy on professional advancement.

Each of those can be symptomatic of slavery to the fear of missing out on life. And Satan uses this fear, in its many different manifestations, to enslave us.

Indeed, Satan tells each one of us: “If you follow Jesus, you will miss out on real life; you will miss out on what is most enjoyable, most fulfilling.”

That’s how he keeps us in slavery.

But what does Jesus say?

He tells us He alone is the source of abundant life, true life. He grants us true thrills, true pleasure, true security, and genuine accomplishment. As He says in Mark 8,

“Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:35)

Jesus died to self all His life – and then clearly died to self in His death on the cross. Through that atoning death, He made it possible for us to find true life; in the example of His selfless life, He shows us how to live a truly abundant life.

  • We need not fear missing out on life.
  • We need not try to gain anyone’s approval.
  • We need not struggle for security and satisfaction and honor and accomplishment.

Those in Christ are loved as part of His family. We are secure in that family, protected by Him. We accomplish His purposes through a life lived in dependence on Him. We trust His character, and have confidence God’s promises through Him never fail.

Friends, our brother Jesus frees us from the fear of missing out on life – the fear that Satan uses to enslave us.

But Jesus lived and died and rose again to help all the offspring of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16). You are among those offspring – if you believe that you deserve God’s wrath, but Jesus died to pay the penalty you deserve, and is today your Master and Treasure. Jesus has been made like you in every respect so that He might become your high priest:

  • Merciful because He knows our need for mercy,
  • A man full of faith because He knows our need for faith,
  • Accomplishing God’s plan for His people, in part thru paying the penalty for their sins so that they can approach the Father boldly.

As your high priest He is well able to help you whenever and however you are tempted.

So don’t neglect such a great and true salvation. Escape from slavery to the fear of missing out on life. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus – and thereby lose false life to find the true, abundant life of following Him.

[This devotion is based on part of a sermon preached March 29, 2020. You can watch the entire service at this link. The sermon begins at 41:50; the section on this topic begins at 59:43. Ray Stedman’s sermon on this passage, which I first read about 35 years ago, was influential.]