S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Speaking to a group of Jews, Jesus says, "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 ...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What does it mean that Satan is the father of lies?

John 8:44: "Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof."

The Bible calls satan the "Father of lies." That means he's pretty good at it. He lies to you not just to knock you down, but to keep you down. Every time we get knocked down, we have a choice to make: Will I remember the truth of God's love and forgiveness and get back up? Or will I let the enemy's lies keep me down?

Jesus makes it clear that He considers the Pharisees to be the offspring of Satan because their motives are evil, they are dishonouring Jesus and are unable to comprehend the meaning of His words. John 8:44: "You are of your father the Devil, and the desires of your father you want to do."

Satan is stated to have "the means to cause death." (Heb 2:14, 15) He is called "a manslayer" (Joh 8:44), not necessarily because he kills directly but because he does so by deceit and seduction to sin, by inducing or stimulating wrongdoing that leads to corruption and death (2 Co 11:3), and also by fathering murderous attitudes in the minds and hearts of men. (Joh 8:40-44, 59; 13:2; compare Jas 3:14-16; 4:1, 2.)

Jesus rightly condemned those reprehensible men. (Matthew 23:33-35) However, he recognised that someone else must share the blame for the evil in their hearts. He said to them: 

John 8:44: "Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof."

Though Jesus acknowledged that humans are capable of wicked acts, he pointed to the very source of evil​—Satan, the Devil.

Today, Satan continues to be the chief proponent of untruth and, in fact, is "misleading the entire inhabited earth." He bears a heavy responsibility for the damage that widespread lying has done to humans today.​—Revelation 12:9.

Out of greed and selfish ambition, he schemed to usurp God's place. To achieve this, Satan resorted to lies and deceit.​—1 Timothy 3:6.

Jesus said of Satan: "[He] was a manslayer when he began." So when Satan lied to Eve, that was when he began to be Satan​—from a Hebrew word that means "resister." God did not create Satan. A previously faithful angel allowed wrong desire to develop in his heart so that he became Satan.​—Deuteronomy 32:4; compare Job 1:6-12; 2:1-10; James 1:13-15.

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