Discerning The Liar

Discerning the Liar

Read: John 8:31-47

“When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

John 8:44

“The use of a counterfeit is Satan’s most natural method of resisting the purpose of God.”

—Stephen Slocum

IN WORD The best lies are slight variations on the truth. Anyone can pick out an obvious counterfeit. The ones closest to reality are the most difficult to detect. So it is with the father of lies. He is only overt when no discerning eyes are around. But the more we discern, the more subtle he gets in his perversions of truth. He will taint the gospel with the slightest of heresies—if we let him.

This is why some of the most deceptive cults have begun with Christianity as their starting point. The gospel plus a bit of paganism or a dash of secularism is an appealing formula for the liar. We must always guard against anything that modifies the purity and simplicity of the message that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected as our hope.

Our culture has fallen for the lies. It has no problem with our saying that Jesus is a way, a truth, and a life. It’s when we say Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life—the only way to the Father (John 14:6)—that the enemy gets uncomfortable. He hates the exclusivity of the gospel, and he has inspired our culture to rebel against it. It is, and has always been, a scandalous proposition that there is only one way of salvation. The world rails against such particularity. It can tolerate anything but truth.

IN DEED Jesus tells us we are to be as wise as serpents but as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). Paul tells us that he is not—and neither should we be—ignorant of the enemy’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). And we are urged, even commanded, to put on the armor of God against the scheming weapons of the enemy (Ephesians 6:11).

It is a treacherous world, with deceptions scattered about like well-hidden land mines. The terrain is difficult. There is no way through it without strict adherence to the map. Let your mind absorb it; use it well and discern the lies.