The Root of All Lies

Genesis 3:4 (ESV)
⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.


The first recorded lie came from Satan. Jesus said he was the father of lies. The truth is not in him. It is normal for him to lie. It is normal for him to lead you from the truth which is God. He promises a life better than God has planned. He is always telling this lie. He has gotten very creative in the way he tells it.

People often believe lies because of sin. They want to believe something because the truth does not appeal to the flesh. Thus, they will exchange the truth for a lie.

Romans 1:25 (ESV)
²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.


Many would say that this is talking of worshiping idols. It is but those idols often have human flesh. A person turns away from God and embraces a lie. That lie says that anything is permissible. There is no such thing as sin. Therefore, whatever feels good; whatever looks good; whatever is expedient and whatever is accepted by others will be the standard of what is right. There is no bottom to this pit. It is a lie which unravels the whole of creation. If not for God's providence, the world would fall apart.

People believe Satan's lies because they are afraid of not believing them. Saul failed to obey God because he was afraid of what his people would say when he eliminated what appeared to be perfectly good captured animals. They were the reward of the fighting and he was afraid of losing favor or control of the people. He convinced himself that he had done what God wanted. He even thought that he had improved on God's idea.

1 Samuel 15:20-21 (ESV)
²⁰ And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. ²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

But Samuel confronted him with the facts. He had not done what God had said. So Saul admitted:

1 Samuel 15:24 (ESV)
²⁴ Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 

Peer pressure is a powerful tool of Satan. He can tell his lie very effectively through others. He says, "Let's do something better than what God has planned. It makes sense until the lie is placed beside the truth of God's word.

Some have known nothing but a lie. They will not accept the truth because the truth is so contrary to the lie the lie they have always believed. So you have them resisting the Holy Spirit  Thus, Stephen preaches to the Jews who would stone him for speaking the truth. He tells them they were resisting the Holy Spirit. He (Holy Spirit) was speaking the truth but they rejected it as their fathers had. 

Acts 7:51 (ESV)
⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 

John 16:13 (ESV)
¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 

The Jews on religion which is intended to lead them to the truth is keeping them away. It is like telling a person who has always worn a cross that the cross she  wears is merely symbolic. It has no saving power in it. She will be reluctant to take off the cross if this is all she has ever believed. Satan doesn't mind using religious symbols or religious practices if he can keep people from the truth.    

It is easy to come to despair over people not knowing the truth. They are always being lied to. They are trying to fit in with a world that rejects the truth. Their own flesh wants to accept the lies. They have never known the truth. Why should they ever accept the truth?

But please remember: once you were one of these people and you must live among these people today. Why did you believe the truth? Why do you continue believing the truth when the same forces which pull on those in the world are pulling on you?

By God's word, by the Holy Spirit and by God's grace we believe the truth. There is nothing better than God's will. Their is nothing better than what He has for us.