“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).
An alarming study from Gallup published in February 2023 showed that roughly half of all Americans believe the news is given to intentionally mislead or misinform the public.[1] Given the state of our political system, I can only imagine that percentage has increased in the past two years. And, even though there aren’t any official polls to show it, this mistrust extends to all areas of our lives. It seems that, no matter who is speaking, we are primed to listen for lies.
It is an important skill because, like it or not, we have to confront many lies in our lives—from the news, from friends and family, from neighbors, etc. But we also must face the Father of Lies—Satan. Jesus warns the disciples in John’s gospel that “[Satan] is a liar and the father of lies” (8:44), and that he has nothing to do with the truth. And we are the target of his lies, for we are members of the Body of Christ whom Satan is seeking to destroy. He lies in order that God’s Creation would suffer, fall into sin, and die eternally. And his lies are enticing to sinners, for they invite us to seize power and control for ourselves that really belongs to God. Thus he is ever at work against God, which is why it is good for us as God’s people to be able to listen for his lies.
But how do we listen for the lies? We must identify the lie in order that it might be exposed. And, in order to do this, we must first know the truth—for, as Jesus Himself says, “the truth will set you free.” As a pastor, I find this is often what gets overlooked when dealing with the lies we face in the world. We are quick to cry “liar!” at news media and individuals, but we are slow to identify those lies with the bondage-breaking truth of God’s Word. Why is that? Perhaps we are worried about rejection. After all, the Word of God doesn’t carry too much weight in most areas of society. And many of us have likely been burned by sharing God’s Word in one situation or another, which makes us shy.
Yet, what other option is there? “If you abide in my word … you will know the truth” (John 8:31). If our goal is to listen for lies—both for ourselves and those we love—we must use the Word of God. But how we use this Word is just as important as the Word itself. Too often we see the Word used as ammunition to engage our neighbor in battle. But this sees our neighbor as the enemy, rather than one who is convinced by the lies of our true Enemy. The Word is not given for us to wound our neighbor but heal them. It is an invitation for sinners to turn away from their sin in order that they might receive the comfort that comes from listening to the One Who forgives sins and brings life everlasting. And this invitation is personal and intimate. It requires the sinner to sit and learn at the feet of Jesus so that He might heal them and raise them up to new life.
This is why our use of the Word is so important to keep in mind. If we simply cry out “liar” when someone repeats a lie of Satan, or if we seek only to cut down someone living in sin, then we miss the opportunity for invitation. Instead, we should see God’s Word as a source of encouragement—a light that shines in the darkness of our weary and sinful world. And we should allow this light, with its power, to banish the darkness of Satan’s lies.
And, fortunately for us, there is a new resource that can help us do just that. A few years ago, Rev. Andrew Jones published his first book, 10 Questions, which helped us read the Word with inquisitive minds. His next book, 10 Lies Satan Loves to Tell, is available now. In the introduction to his book, Rev. Jones writes, “Satan attacks and means evil against us, but God always intends such attacks to drive us back into conversation with Him in prayer and into further meditation on the sweet comfort of His Word.”[2] As people of hope, we should take the attacks and lies we face in the world and allow them to drive us further into the Word of God, so that we will not only be bolstered against Satan’s attacks but also encouraged by our God and Father. May you be driven headlong into the Word of God together this year!
Photo © Ben White/Unsplash
[1] See the report at https://knightfoundation.org/reports/american-views-2023-part-2/
[2] Jones, 10 Lies Satan Loves to Tell, 11.

Craig Britton - January 14, 2025
Great job, pastor. So needed. All the time, this warning you give. We get comfortable with hearing lies and then sadly we may even begin to participate. May we all grow in our love for God’s truth that others may be freed by it. Thanks again.