SATAN, THE FATHER OF LIES

When God created the angels, He created them for good. There was nothing bad or evil about them. They were the servants of God to fulfill His purpose. However, Satan, one of the prominent angels, decided to use his free will to disobey God and wanted to become like God (Ezekiel 28:15-17). He was able to influence a third of the angels to follow him and rebel against God. These angles became known as evil spirits or demons. They are responsible for demon possessions and evil influences on people. The biggest weapon of Satan, also called the devil, is his lies. Jesus described him in John 8:44, "For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." It is important to note that God did not create evil, but evil is the result of choosing to rebel against God. God gave the angels the freedom to choose, just like us. When we exercise our freedom of choice to disobey God, it leads to evil, which we also refer to as sin. 

The first human victim of Satan's lie is Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:6 says, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Through Satan's lies, Adam and Eve fell into sin and thus suffered the consequences of their sin. In a way, Satan murdered Adam and Eve with his lies because the consequences of Adam's sin are physical and spiritual death. Today, Satan and the demons are working in this world to deceive people into not following God's ways. Satan is twisting the truth to mislead people, and when people do not know the truth, they can easily be deceived. In order for us not to be deceived by Satan, we must know the Word of God, for God's Word is the truth. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." Interestingly enough, Satan knows that the Word of God is a threat to his lies, so he tempts people not to read the Word of God, or tries to ban it from schools and society. 

God's Word is the weapon that we have against Satan's lies. Disobedience to God only leads to destruction and death. One day, Jesus will return to this earth to judge Satan, the demons, and those who follow his ways, casting them into the lake of fire known as hell.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is the biggest weapon of Satan? How can I protect myself from Satan's lies? What lesson did I learn from today's devotion?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for your Word. Please help me to overcome Satan's lies and temptations so that I may continue to walk in your ways. Thank you for helping me to understand the importance of knowing your truth. Please give me a hunger and thirst to read your Word that I may know your truth and walk in your ways. In your name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.