Satan – Master of Deception
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 11:14
Satan is a master at deceiving people to believe his lies because they appeal to our fleshly nature and reasoning. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14). Because they believe Satan’s lies, many people are on the broad road to destruction while thinking they are on the narrow road to life.
It is human nature to form beliefs based on our fleshly and mental desires. People hang on to their beliefs because they are comfortable and have become part of their natures. Seeking the truth goes against their grain because these false beliefs have destroyed the foundation of who they are. They do not recognize the truth, and they refuse to entertain any contradictory information.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He 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). These are the words of Jesus to the Pharisees, telling them they were carrying Satan’s desires. Today, every person who does not know God’s truth is living in Satan’s lies by default. The spiritual war is between God’s truth and Satan’s lies.
Satan tailors his lies to people based on the individual. If the person doesn’t know the Lord, Satan is content and he will use that person to spread his lies. If the person knows the Lord and knows the truth, then Satan gently tempts them to justify their way over God’s way, all the while thinking they are pleasing to God. This is a dangerous situation to be in because it gives Satan a foothold in our lives and he is trying to reel us in like a caught fish.
How can we overcome the powerful enticement of blindly accepting Satan’s lies? So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). If a person truly wants to live in God’s truth they have to search for it independently of any other worldly beliefs. Jesus said many times in the Bible, “I tell you the truth,” because he knew people are susceptible to Satan’s lies.
To find the truth, read the Word and carefully study prophecies, history, and archeology. There are approximately 2500 prophecies in the Bible and roughly 2000 have been fulfilled in every detail, often hundreds of years later. Many people believe Satan’s lies about the Bible, that it is full of contradictions and written by men. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Man alone cannot predict the future in detail, hundreds of year later.
Today live by the truth and not by Satan’s lies. Recognize anything you may be doing that gives a hint of not pleasing God, because it is probably a justification from Satan. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). Today put the Lord first instead of putting the world first.
Let’s Pray: Lord, help me to never live in Satan’s lies and to recognize his temptations of deception. Help me to always live in your truth so I can stand strong against Satan and his temptation of lies. I pray to always have victory in Christ. In Jesus name, Amen