Five Lies of Satan
It was said that General George Patton of WW II fame was seldom at a loss for words. During a battle in N. Africa against the German Erwin Rommel is reported to have shouted in the thick of battle, “I read your book, Rommel! I read your book!” In his book, Infantry Attacks, the famed Desert Fox Rommel carefully detailed his military strategies. And Patton, having read it, knew what to expect and was able to plan a counter attack and defeat the Germans. Mankind today is engaged in a war, and not necessarily the physical kind. God has told us in the book He wrote, the Bible, “ For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” We are going to use the strategy Patton used against Rommel by examining some of the lies Satan uses to deceive mankind so that we will not be deceived. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Why should you care? Is there the chance you may believe his lies? How can you tell? What should you do if you are buying into them? Let’s look into God’s Word, specifically Isaiah 14, and find out the answers to these questions.
Bridge Out Ahead
If you are wondering why you should care about Satan and his lies and bother reading a paper about it, then imagine driving down an interstate road in your car and having the road suddenly end with no time for you to avoid an accident. Not very pleasant, is it? Wouldn’t you have wanted someone to tell you ahead of time that there was danger waiting ahead? Wouldn’t you have wanted to know alternative routes that were safe? Of course you would. In answer to your question then, of “Why should I care about Satan and his lies?”, tragic results await if you do not pay heed to the warnings. Don’t get angry, but an indifferent attitude should be the first warning sign on the dash to you. So stay with me now and let’s see what some more warning signs are. This is in no way a complete list of Satan’s lies, but rather 5 specific ones.
Get it Right
Before we go there, we need to address some issues. One of the challenges in interpreting Old Testament scripture is determining whether a passage is referring to the present time of the writer, or to a time in the future. Confusion can result if an incorrect conclusion is drawn. For example, in Isaiah 11 we read: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.” As you can see, if you would try and reconcile this at the time Isaiah wrote it, it would not fit. It is clearly describing a future time. Sometime passages have both current and future meanings. For example, in Psalm 41:9 David says: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” While this is true of David, it also is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Another challenge is not to over-spiritualize scripture. For example, you could take the account of Moses striking the rock in Exodus 20 and develop a really nice sermon on the danger of “striking” the “rock” Jesus Christ. There may be many biblical truths in it, but the text in Exodus 20 is not talking about that. Another example would be the Song of Solomon. Some look at it as an example of Christ’s love to the church. While it may be true of Christ’s love, the text must mean something to the original audience and they wouldn’t have had a clue if it the whole book was suppose to be an allegory of Christ and the church. That book is best interpreted as literal-historical. Having said this, we don’t want to try and take things out of Isaiah 14 that aren’t supposed to be there.
Isaiah 14
With this understanding, we look at Isaiah 14:3-4 and read: “When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon.” This would bring up the question then, “Who is the King of Babylon and is he the only one addressed in this passage?” The key to the “Who” is in first few verses where we see “For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.” Add to this the “rest” in verse 3 and we see that this passage has not yet been fulfilled, and therefore refers to a time during the millennial kingdom of Christ. In Revelation, we have 6 specific references to “Babylon.” We see that Babylon in this time period refers to the entire worldwide political, economical, and religious kingdom of the antichrist. The taunt in verse 4 against the “king” of Babylon is a taunt against the antichrist. More proof for this is in verse 9 where we read of a “Welcome Home” party in Hell for this man. “Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.” This won’t be a cupcake and ice cream party, for in verse 10 and 11 we see they mock him saying “All of them will answer
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
and worms are your covers.”
The focus shifts in verse 12 from the antichrist to another character in the text. Here we read: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” The text now looks to the power behind the antichrist, which is Satan. If this was the only passage in the Bible that could be used in the description of how Satan fell, it might be hard to support. However, Jesus references this fall in Luke 10:18 and in Revelation 12:8-10. Ezekiel 28:12-17 adds support as well. Why go through all this and not just start in with lies of Satan? Remember, we are going through the playbook of the enemy and want to be sure that we identify him first.
Five Lies of Satan
In verses 13 though 14 we read:
“You said in your heart,
I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God;
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” We will now go through them individually to identify the lies of Satan and how to combat them. Satan, a created angel of God, was cast from heaven for trying to carry these out and wants us to believe we can buy into them without consequences.
Lie #1-Being “Good” will get me….
In verse 13 we see that Satan said in his heart “I will ascend to heaven.” The lie of Satan is the belief that being a “good” person will get me into heaven. Just around and ask people “How do you get to Heaven?” You will find that many believe heaven is for “good” people and hell for the “bad”. You just need to be “good” to get to heaven then. Being “good” to them means doing things like upholding the laws of the land, helping the needy, giving to charities and other causes, and in many cases going to church. Many will say you just need to be sincere in your beliefs to get there. Is this true? Jesus met a rich young ruler in Luke 18 who thought being good would get you to heaven. Do you remember what Jesus told him? Jesus said that no one is good but God alone. And if anyone thought there were any exceptions, Romans 3:10 says: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Ecclesiastics 7:20 adds “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”
That would then bring up the question “How then do you get to heaven?” Jesus told the young man who asked him how to “come, follow me." Do you want eternal life? Jesus told us how in Luke 15 through a parable of a rebellious son. It went like this: And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!” I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” First, we see sin how God sees it, dirty like the pig pin. We recognize sin separates us from God. We then repent, which means we change direction. Before we were heading away from God but now we turn towards Him. We see that we cannot save ourselves, and believe that Jesus Christ is the only one who can. Belief includes an action on our part, so we abide in Christ and follow His commandments. Jesus said in John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” In short, salvation demands repentance (Luke 13:3-5, Acts 2:38-42); salvation requires the new birth and the new birth changes a person’s life (2 Cor. 5:17-21, Matt. 18:3-4, John 3:1-18, 1 John 3:10); salvation is evidenced by perseverance (John 10:27-28, Col. 1:21-23, Heb. 3:12-14, 10:38-39, 1 John 2:19, 3:3); and saving faith always produce fruit (works) (Eph. 2:8-10, Heb. 11:4, 7, 8, James 2:14-26).
Now, many Christians are quick to admit that being good doesn’t get you to heaven. There is a tendency to believe that being “good” is what keeps you saved, or more in God’s favor. While the scripture is clear on our responsibility to obey and abide in Christ, it is equally clear that it is not by our power or good deeds that keep us there. Failure to understand this can lead to the “I must constantly be doing good things or I might not stay saved” or “God won’t love me as much” mentality. Again, the scripture is clear that we are called to bear fruit and draw closer to God. That’s the message of Hebrews-“Don’t stop now, keep going!” Romans 8:28-30 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Do you see God’s work in the process here? Think on Philippians 1:6 which says “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” So don’t buy into thinking you have to keep doing enough “good” things or God will get rid of you or not love you as much. Romans 8:31-39 tell us of God’s saving power in “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Before we move on, it’s critical to the discussion on this first lie of Satan that we understand that being “good” is not what saved us or keeps us saved. Look again at Romans 8:28. We better qualify whom this verse is for. It’s not for all. We read “To those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” So if you don’t love God, and haven’t turned to Him yet in repentance, then sorry, you can’t try and claim the promise God made. Keep in mind Romans 8:28 is a lot deeper than we often think. When something goes wrong in life, we often say: “Well, all things work together for good, right?” This passage looks at much more than temporary, earthly things; the all things work together for good refers to eternal matters. Now we would all agree that all good things work together for our good, but that’s not what the verse says. It says “All things work together for good!” All things (note there is no exception clause in the verse) don’t mean some things, a few things, or most things. It means ALL things! This would include good things, but also bad things, such as suffering, struggling, and yes, even sin. While Romans 6 makes it clear we don’t go sin all we want so that grace may abound, Romans 8:28 points out that God causes even your sin to work together in some way to produce your ultimate and eternal good. This does not lessen the ugliness of sin, but highlights the power of God.
A true story may help to illustrate this point. Shortly after Vietnam fell in the 1970’s, a young Christian by the name of Hien Pham was arrested on the charge of helping the Americans. His captors tried to indoctrinate him against democracy and the Christian faith. He was forced to only read communist propaganda, and as the days went by, it began to take its toll on him. Hien Pham began to wonder if he had believed a lie; that maybe God didn’t exist. He decided to cease praying and thinking about God the next day. On the next day, he was assigned to clean the latrines. Keep in mind these weren’t like the campground ones you go to. These were extremely dirty and disgusting. As he cleaned one out, the noticed a piece of paper with English words. He washed it off and stuck it in his pocket to look it later. That night, as Hien read the paper, he was broken by the words: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Hein cried out to God, as this was what he thought would be the first day he would not pray to God. God however, had other plans. As it turned out, there was an official in the camp who was using the Bible as toilet paper. Hien went and asked to be assigned to clean the latrines daily, where he would pick up a portion of scripture, wash it off, and bring it home to read. Eventually he was released and made plans to flee the country. Hien, with a group of 53 others, made a boat and set a date for escaping. Days before he was to sail, however, he received a knock on his door. Standing outside were 4 Vietcong who told him that they heard of his plans to flee. In fear, Hien lied and denied it. As they left, he was convicted by the Holy Spirit for lying and promised to God that if they came back, he would tell the truth. Of course, he was hoping that they would not come back. Hours before he was to sail, they did. This time he told them the truth. To Hien’s amazement, they asked if they could come! As they were sailing to safety in Thailand, a large storm struck them. Hien cried out to God, asking Him why He brought them here to die in the sea. God answered Hien by using the 4 Vietcong, who were expert sailors, to bring them to safety! God doesn’t just do this with men like Hien; He keeps all His called!
If we find ourselves buying into this lie of thinking we are “good” or worthy to be saved, then what should we do? We need to take a trip, that’s what we need to do. “A trip” you say? Yes, a trip. To your knees, that’s where. To the throne room of God. Interestingly enough, the Bible never tells us to be humble. It’s always “Humble yourselves!” We get a good look at this in Isaiah 6 where we read “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
So I said: “ Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “ Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” You see, as our view of God is corrected by the Word, and we see Him for who He really is, high and lifted up, and ourselves as who we really are, people of unclean lips, it helps us to see it is God who ultimately saves and keeps us.
Lie #2-I am better than…..
The second lie is in Isaiah 14:13, where Satan says: “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” This lie says: “I am better than others!” As shown in Revelation 12:8-10, the stars represent angels. Satan desired to lift himself above his angel companions. Do you know people like this, who think that they are better than others? Better yet, why don’t you look in the mirror? Do you ever think “I’m a member of this church and boy, it’s too bad there aren’t more like me in it”! Do you wish God would “Throw the book” at others? Are you always blaming others, and wishing they would “get it right” for once? Are you putting others down, always pointing out their faults? What do you think of someone who comes into church or you come into contact with that isn’t dressed like you? Are you glad you aren’t “like” them? These are signs of believing this false doctrine, that you are better than others. In Luke 18:9-14 we read of someone who believed this. Jesus said: “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Look at this account. Do you see the Pharisee in yourself? In James 2:1-11 we read: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
Unfortunately we live in a world where this lie is believed. Men have enslaved, killed, and persecuted other men based on the color of their skin, their sex (male or female), or what religion they are. Let’s take this down to a personal level again. Why do you ask people what they do for a living? Do you view them differently based on where they work? What about the amount of money they make? Do you treat them differently because of that? What about where they go to church? Do you look at people differently based on the city they attend church in?
The better question is not “Do I show partiality” but is “What can I do about it?” Or, “How can I overcome in this area?” Again, take a trip to the throne room of God. See Him in His full glory and yourself and who you are. Isaiah 40:22 says: “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” The next time you are in a plane, think on this verse. Look down at the smallness of buildings, cars, and people. Think of the big plans men try and make, and then how God looks down from His throne and sees them. Let’s humble ourselves. Just ask yourself what you did to be born where you were, to live in the home you did, with the family you have. You did nothing. So why then do we think we are somehow better than others? Go look in the Bible for where God said you were something special and deserving of love and grace. You will be looking for a long time, because it’s not there. Do we understand this now? We are undeserving of what God has given us, so let’s remember that as we interact with our fellow mankind! In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus reminded us of this with the account of the servant who refused to forgive. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” Remember the forgiveness Christ has granted you, if you are one of His, and live your life in thankfulness of this!
Lie #3-I know what’s best!
The third wind of false doctrine in Isaiah 14 is again found in verse 13. Lucifer in his heart says: “I will also sit on the mount of the congregation; On the farthest sides of the north.” The mount is a high place, and to sit is in reference to a teacher in authority. This lie says: “I know what’s best!” Ask yourself this, are you a person who is always giving your opinion but don’t listen to advice in return? Are you they type of person that when people talk about you, they say “Don’t waste your time with him, you can’t tell him anything”? Are you known as a “know it all”? If you find out you are doing something wrong, do you admit it and change? Or do you keep on going forward to “save face”?
First off, if you haven’t surrendered your life to Christ you are buying into this lie. You might not come out and say it, but it is evident that you think that your plan is better than God’s. In case no one has told you, that’s a very bad plan. When you come before God, in like 15 minutes in the time frame of eternity, you will see how you really didn’t know what was best. The good plan, the right plan, is to follow God’s ways. Jeremiah 17:9 says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? We don’t have in ourselves the ability to choose the right way; we need God’s help in it!
Even as Christians, we still buy into this lie at times as well. Whom do you go to for advice? When was the last time you went to someone you knew would tell you something you didn’t really want to hear? Are we willing to learn from those younger than us, or do we feel that it’s all about us teaching them? Are we willing to listen when someone challenges us on something we are doing, or are we just going to find a way to discount what he or she are saying?
To combat this falsehood, be willing to let others challenge you on areas in your life in which you need to grow spiritually. Stop talking and start listening, specifically to the Word of God. In James 1:19 we are told “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Later on in chapter 3 we are reminded: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Examine your motives. Why are you doing what you are doing? Is it to show people how much you know or how smart you are? Let God’s Word change your desires to the right ones.
Lie #4- I deserve….!
The fourth wind of doctrine is found in Isaiah 14:14 where we read: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.” This lie says: “I deserve the best!” Do you ever feel like because you have worked hard you therefore deserve the best? Do you view the world as at your feet? Do you tell people not to treat me like that because I work here or have a lot of money? Do you feel like you deserve better than what you have now in life? Or how about, do you think you should be able to buy gas cheap because you are an American? What do you really deserve? You probably won’t like this, but what we all really deserve is Hell. When you struggle with “Why is God not giving me what I think I deserve?” go to Romans 9:20 where Paul asks: “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay?” So let’s just get this straight. God doesn’t wake up every day and ask Himself how He can bless us and make our day all special. His love isn’t a pampering, “Here Billy, have another cupcake!” kind of love. It’s a perfecting love that isn’t about how we feel in the next 5 minutes or weeks. Let’s stop thinking that that and instead make God our delight, and remember He deserves the best, not us!!! He is God, and can do what He wants!
Lie #5-I am King!
The fifth lie of Satan is again found in verse 14. Lucifer works his way up, and his last desire is: “I will be like the Most High.” This false doctrine says: “I am in control! I must be God!” This may be last in the text, but is probably first in danger. At the heart of rebellion is this desire to be God. You are believing this lie if you believe life is all about you. It’s time for a simple theology example now. Stay with me here, we are going to look at dog vs. cat theology. Do you have a cat or know anything about them? What does a cat do when you come in the house? For the most part, not much. They might brush up against you if they feel like it. Now how about a dog? What does a dog do when you come in the room? It runs to you and wags its tail. It is excited to see you! What about when you let it out to go the bathroom? A cat just meanders around and takes its sweet time. A dog does its business and then comes back to play with you. Cat theology, if you want to call it that, says: “You feed me, you clean me, I must be god!” Dog theology says: “You feed me, you clean me, you must be god!” Ask yourself, are you the dog or the cat? Do you view God or others as being there simply to meet your needs and desires? Look at Matthew 4 at the temptation of Jesus. What did Satan ultimately want? We read: “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me.” Satan wasn’t satisfied with reflecting God’s glory; he wanted God’s glory. How about you? Are you satisfied with being a vessel of God? Or do you think you should be the potter? Are you passing the credit for what you do on to God or are you keeping it for yourself? In Revelation 4:11 the church praises Christ saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
How can I check myself?
If the pattern of your life is believing in and following in these lies, then your responsibility is to repent and turn to the Lord. If you are a Christian, you still need to examine your life and see where you are buying into these lies. Your responsibility is to repent and to seek the Lord for help as well. We would agree that it’s one thing to identify the lies in our lives, it’s not as easy to move away from them. Here are some ways in which we can. This is by no means an exhaustive list or anything, but some practical ways.
1. Take a hard look at your life and write down areas in which you are buying into Satan’s lies. Be honest with yourself!
2. Ask God in prayer to reveal these areas and when they are, bring them to God for help in overcoming!
3. Name the lie, insert the truth. When you are tempted to follow after one of the falsehoods, name the lie Satan is telling you and insert the truth. For example, when you are thinking: “Man, I’m something special!” recognize that you aren’t and that the truth is: “Wow, God is someone special!”
4. Know what God said. Not knowing what God really said got Eve in trouble in Genesis 3. How do you know? By knowing God’s Word. I’m talking about more than just reading the Bible. Can we get off the notion that reading the Bible equates to knowing it? Yeah, you need to read it to know it, but you can read it all day and not really know anything. You need God to open your heart to understand, first off. Secondly, what kind of plan do you have for reading the Bible? Is it a “Read for a couple of minutes where I open” kind of plan? There was a man who had 2 dogs, a brown one and a white one. They liked to fight and he was asked which dog would win. The man’s response was “Whatever one I feed!” If you don’t spend time in God’s Word, why do you think you will know what He says? You spend time with your friends or husband/wife because that’s how you know them and get closer to them. It’s the same with God. A good plan is read the entire Old Testament through each year, and then break the New Testament books into 5 chapters and spend a month going through 5 chapters. At the end of the month, you will know much better what those 5 chapters say! How about memorizing? How about thinking throughout the day about what you read or are studying? It’s time for Christians to get off the bench and get to work. We need to sit ourselves down and study God’s Word. Why is it that Muslims have the Koran memorized but we can only muster up a few verses? Why is it that we will memorize songs or stupid useless facts but won’t do the same with the Bible? Why is it we will pour our lives into our temporary earthy jobs but will try and cram our study of God’s eternal Word into some spare minutes in our day?
5. Examine our motives. Why do we do the things that we do? Is it for our credit? Why are we going to church? Is it for the nice fellowship and doughnuts? Why are we singing? Is it to hear how good we sound? Why are we writing papers on spiritual topics? Is it so we can have people tell us how impressed they were? We can lie to others, but deep down it’s hard to lie to ourselves. When we check our motives, and find out they aren’t pure, let’s ask the Lord to help purify them and make them right!
6. Turn your focus to God. Let’s live for His glory! Let’s delight in His work! Let’s be excited about serving Him! Let’s let life be about Him!!
