Facing The Father of Lies
Part I: Knowing The Truth
John 8:44c: “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Have you ever really stopped to think, “how does satan get what he desires?” Something I experienced this week caused me to ponder this question.
Wednesday night after church, I purchased some cupcakes that were left over from the children’s monthly birthday bash. Well, one child in particular saw these cupcakes and told me that she did not receive one during the party. What she didn’t know is that her teacher had just mentioned to me in passing that she had indeed received a cupcake. Now before we tie this story to our text, let’s revisit it:
“When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44c).
Our text starts off with “when.” This word denotes a definite time, not a probable one. The devil will absolutely, positively confront you with a lie in an effort to kill the truth in your life. There is no use in believing that we are so anointed that we will be exempt from this test. The best thing we can do is get ready for the face-off. Therefore, we need to know the truth. I’m not just talking about knowing it casually; I mean knowing it intimately. You will have to know what God’s word says about your situation so well and so intensely to the point where no other option is available.
The truth is so vital simply because the devil is going to bring you a lie to separate you from God’s word – guaranteed. If we do not know the truth, the lie that is presented to us will probably sound good enough to go along with. This was the case with the cupcake story. When the little one told me how she did not get a cupcake, she sounded very believable. However, there was only one thing I had to refute this “good sounding story” with: the truth!
But just having the truth was not enough. Beloved of God, I had to use the truth. You see, after I was presented a lie, I asked the little one, “Are you sure you did not get a cupcake?” And she answered with a little hesitation but still said, “yes.” Then I replied, “Well that’s not what your teacher told me. She told me that you had a cupcake.” It was then that the little one changed the story and did not refute the truth! If I had not known the truth, I would have been easily tricked or deceived by a lie.
Too often satan will come to us and tell us things that are contrary to the truth— things like, “you/your loved one will never get delivered of that. You will always have this problem. Things will never change. Things will never get better. You will always be down and out. You will never get ahead.” Today, you need to tell him, “Well, that’s not what the word told me!”
John 8:32 tells us that “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth of the matter is that Jesus paid the price in full for you to have the good life, the God-style life, the life of more than enough—and satan is doing all he can, through his lies, to keep you from it. It is by the truth that you shall be made free, for once you know the truth, which is what God has for you, and once it gets implanted deeply within you, the only option you will then have is to be made free, delivered, prosperous, healthy, and whole.