“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.’ ‘Abraham is our father,’ they answered. ‘If you were Abraham’s children,’ said Jesus, ‘then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.’ ‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God Himself.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 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 there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!’” —John 8.31-45
Image of The Usual Suspects:
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” —Roger “Verbal” Kint, The Usual Suspects
Live No Lies
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the three enemies of the soul
- The world
- The flesh
- The devil
Biblical Basis
- Paul regularly likened following Jesus to a war. Ephesians 6.10-20; 2nd Timothy 2.4
- One of Paul’s most famous sayings is “Fight the good fight of the faith.” 1st Timothy 6.12
- Paul told the Ephesians to “put on the full armor of God” Ephesians 6.11 and prayed that their pastor Timothy would “fight the battle well.” 1st Timothy 1.18
- Careful to note that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but…against the spiritual forces of evil” Ephesians 6.12
and that “the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world,” he nonetheless claimed that we have “divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2nd Corinthians 10.4
“Know your enemy.” —Sun Tzu, The Art of War
The Truth About Lies
“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 there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” —John 8.44
For Jesus:
There is a devil.
Greek diabolos: to slander or accuse.
the accuser
the satan
the evil one
the tempter
the destroyer
the deceiver
the great dragon…who deceives the whole world
the ancient serpent…who leads the whole world astray
1. The devil’s end goal is
“The thief [another name for the devil] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” —Jesus, John 10.10
“There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” —C.S. Lewis, Christian Reflections
2. The means for the devil’s work is
“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 there is NO truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!” —Jesus, John 8.44-45
“Spiritual Warfare”
Hint: it’s probably not what you think it is
It’s a
There is not a soul I know who is not living in, at some level,
“Human kind cannot bear very much reality.” —T.S. Eliot
“The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you.” —David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest
“taken [us] captive to do his will.” —2nd Timothy 2.26
“Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.’ Pilate said, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus responded, ‘You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.’ ‘What is true?’ Pilate asked.” —John 18.36-38
“repent and believe the good news.” —Jesus, Mark 1.15
Practices
Sabbath: Worship with The Way as we continue our, “Live No Lies,” series.
Solitude: What Lies am I living?
Scripture: Read the Live No Lies Reading Plan with others from The Way Church on the YouVersion Bible App.
“Chronological Snobbery”: the natural human bias to think we’re smarter than people who came before us and therefore new ideas are obviously better or more truthful than old ones. —C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy
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“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.” —C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
This Week’s Songs
- House Of The Lord
- I Saw The Light
- O Come To The Altar
- Holy Spirit
- Be Thou My Vision