Lessons From a Confrontation – Part 3, More Facts About ‘The Adversary’
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Last devotion we looked at John 8:42-47 to see what it revealed about the devil; we looked at three truths. We’ll look at three more truths today. While inter-related and similar, all of them reveal different aspects of our adversary.

Truth 4: Satan is a Liar by Nature
In John 8:44, Jesus says of Satan that, “…Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar…” We will use some illustrations will magnify this point.

Some dogs are happy, well behaved and calm. They are obedient to their owner and never aggressive toward anyone or anything. If you asked the owner to describe such a dog in a few short words, they might say, “This dog is sweet!” Conversely, some dogs have an angry disposition and a bad temperament. If you asked the owner for a description, they might say, “This is one mean dog!” Each owner formed their opinion based on their observations of the dogs disposition, or said another way, their nature. One dog would react ‘sweetly’, even in a bad circumstance. On the other hand, the other dog could react in ‘anger’, even in a good circumstance. In the end, they consistently acted a certain way, because it was the way they were; it was their nature.

The examples with the dogs help us to understand why Satan lies. Satan lies because it’s the way he is; it’s his nature. He has lied in the past. He is lying now, and he will lie in the future. These lies stem from a core of darkness that no human can fully comprehend.

Truth 5: There is no Truth in Satan
John 8:44, says of Satan that, “…there is no truth in him…” It is one thing to prove that someone has lied. It is another to say that someone has demonstrated a history of lying, but it is a different realm to say that someone has ‘no truth within them.’ Think about it for a second; a being exists that is devoid of truth. It’s a chilling thought about the depths of Satan’s depravity.

Further, let us consider that this statement reveals the Divine nature of Jesus Christ, since only God could make this statement accurately. It is God who searches and knows the hearts, souls and minds of every being in His creation. He sees the thoughts behind every deed and every word spoken. When Jesus said ‘there s no truth in Satan’, it was not a statement of exaggeration meant to capture our imagination. This was a factual statement made by the One who has authority to make it.

Truth 6: Satan is the Father of Lies
In John 8:44, Jesus refers to Satan as, “…the father of lies.” Did you ever consider that before Satan there had never been a lie spoken throughout all of creation? It’s hard to believe, since our world today is full of sin and lies, but there was a time when that was not the case. Recall, in Genesis 1:31, God surveys His work of creation and is pleased with it. Genesis 2 begins as an extension of the topic that Genesis 1 ended with. Together these read as follows,

	31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. 4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.
	Genesis 1:31 and Genesis 2:1-4 (NASB)

God’s creation was abundantly good and without flaw. There was no sin in it, and there were no lies.

Satan, in his attempt to be worshipped, wanted to change that. He introduced lies and deceit into God’s creation:

	1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
	Genesis 3:1-5 (NASB)

What a hideous legacy Satan has. While God was creating beauty and perfection, Satan’s offering to the world was sin and lies.

The last two messages have reviewed John 8:42-47 to see what they revealed about the devil, and we found the texts contained six truths:

Truth 1: Satan Exists
Truth 2: Satan has Desires
Truth 3: Satan is a Murderer
Truth 4: Satan is a Liar by Nature
Truth 5: There is no Truth in Satan
Truth 6: Satan is the Father of Lies
Next devotion will continue to look at John 8:42-47, but we will shift our focus to other aspects of the text.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and always…

*** Words of Jesus Christ appear in red



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