Whenever we find Satan speaking in Scripture he is lying.
First, Satan lied to himself when he said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:13-14). That was not the truth. Satan had no ability to accomplish these goals. He deceived himself.
Second, because he could lie to himself, Satan found no problem in lying to others. Satan lied to Adam and Eve by promising them more than what was merited (Gen. 3:1-5).
Third, Satan lied about Job. Satan said he knew what was in Job’s heart. He said Job would not serve God if God stopped blessing him (Job 1:9-11). But he was wrong, as the Lord proved.
Fourth, Satan lied to God Himself. There is always a progression in evil, and in Matthew 4, the climax of Satan’s lying is found. Taking Jesus to a high mountain, and showing him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, Satan said to Christ, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” That was a lie, for Satan had no authority to give Christ anything. The Bible says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psa. 24:1).
If Satan will lie to himself, if Satan will lie to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, if Satan will lie about Job, one of the greatest saints of the ancient world, if Satan will lie to Christ, then certainly he will lie to you and me, and he does. Have you not heard some satanic whispers in your ear?
Before salvation, Satan likes to say the following. “You are not worthy of salvation. God does not want you.” “You cannot be saved unless you first work for it.” “You do not need to make a decision today. Do not do anything right now.”
After salvation, the voice of the Evil One persists. “You do not have to change. That is just the way you are. Make people accept you as you are, and if they do not, then they have a problem.” “No one will get hurt; no one will ever know.” “Go on and sin; God’s grace abounds.” “There is so much pleasure to be enjoy; go on, do it. If it feels good, do it.”
Then, once the will to power is experienced, and the pleasure, new lies are heard. “You cannot escape me. Look how easily you sin. You will always sin easily for you cannot escape my control.” “If you stop doing wrong now you will be exposed, and will lose everything.”
If there is to be any divine deliverance from Satan’s bondage then self must not be lied to, and the voice of Satan must not be listened to. It is as simple as that, because it is the truth. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” But the truth must be believed. It must be embraced” (John 8:32).
It is my greatest desire to find a way to help God’s people find spiritual freedom from any personal bondage. Years of fear and fighting can cease, sooner, rather than later, when Satan is told simply, and forcefully, “Stop lying to me!”
When that command is spoken in the name, or authority of Jesus, when that command is spoken with the voice of faith, then the spiritual Enemy must leave, because “greater is He who is within you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Even a little faith, as small as a mustard seed, will remove the mountain of sin under which the soul seems to lie. Faith will grow, and then greater faith will produce greater victories.
When Satan lied to God about Job, God did not believe Satan’s lie (Job 1:12). You do not have to believe any lie of the devil either. So go now, and enjoy the simplicity, and the freedom that is found in Christ Jesus the Lord. “Stop lying to me” is not a mantra; it is the spiritual battle cry of freedom.
How to Recognize the Lies of the Devil
If a key to spiritual victory is to tell the devil to stop lying to the soul, and for self to stop believing the lies of the Enemy, how does one recognize satanic deception?
First, the lies of Satan are always contrary to the Word of God. The lies may be subtle at first, as when Satan simply invited Eve to question God’s goodness and grace, but as the dialogue continues the lie will grow bolder until it is plain that the known will, and Word of God, is being violated. There is an audaciousness to sin.
Second, the lies of the Devil violate the conscience. The soul that is born of God is sensitive to sin. A question arises when the heart is doing, or saying something that is contrary to holiness.
Third, the lies of Satan are reinforced by the world. When the thoughts of the Christian must find validation from the world, then there is usually something wrong.
Fourth, the lies of Satan come in different phases or what is sometimes called “half-truths”. The intent is to mislead, and misdirected from true truth, and in that way the lies of Satan can be detected. It is possible to play man a game of spiritual mental gymnastics in order to justify the unjustifiable.
Fifth, the lies of Satan can be identified, for when the truth is plainly presented in a gospel message the heart is convicted of wrongdoing. One of the signs of righteousness, and being filled with the Spirit, is that the heart is not condemned.
Question: “Why does the heart embrace the lies of the Enemy?”
The lies of Satan are believed because faith is weak. Faith is weak by natural spiritual dynamics for the believer is exhorted to grow in grace, and in knowledge. 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).
The lies of Satan are believed because of fear. Christians are liked little children, and are afraid of many things until there is a level of spiritual maturity to enjoy.
The lies of Satan are believed because they are persuasive. A good lie will have an element of truth associated with it. The closer to the truth a lie, is the more effective it can be. If a believer does not think through a thought, then a lie has a good chance of being embraced.
The lies of Satan are believed because they appeal to the flesh. The flesh enjoys the will to power and the principle of pleasure. The Christian is to mortify the flesh. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience” (Col. 3:5-6).
The conclusion is that the heart does not need to believe the lies of the Devil
