Scripture
“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
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
JOHN 10:10
Quotes/Color
“The lies we tell ourselves are so much more dangerous than the lies we tell to others.”
Dr. Scott Moore
“The most dangerous lies always contain some truth.. we latch onto that truth and ignore the rest.”
Dr. Scott Moore
“Oft in lies truth is hidden.”
Glorfindel from Lord of the Rings
Context
I love the way John 8:44 puts it…
It’s important to remember… The devils native language is lies. And he’s got a silver tongue…
The devil is present and speaks in his native language at all times… Lies. You have to be watchful.
Application
Here is something very helpful that you may need to hear.
Lies attach themselves to small truths.
Think about that… You’re not an idiot. If something is just an outright lie, you’re not going to believe it. Or you’re at least less likely. The way the devil baits you into believing lies is that he attaches it to just enough truth that you can believe it.
Genesis
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The hidden truth: You WILL be in charge if you eat this fruit. Your eyes will be opened and things will change forever.
The lie: You will never be God.
There is just enough truth there for you to take the bait. That is how the devil works.
Your Life
So what does that look like in your life? A couple of examples…
- Intellect – Let’s say you are a bit self conscious about your intellect. You feel that others are succeeding more than you are and that you are a bit thick.
If you want to find evidence that reinforces your insecurity… you’re going to have no problem finding it. All it takes is one bad grade or one bad result in a key moment.
The Truth: You got a bad result. Or someone else got a better result.
The Lie You Take the Bait On: You are an idiot. You always have been this way and you always will be this way.
That’s a bit of an overcorrection isn’t it?
It’s true… You may have gotten a bad result. But in that truth, a dangerous lie has snatched onto it.
“You’re an idiot. You’ve got nothing to offer here. You’ve got nothing to contribute.”
- Friendships – Another example, let’s say you have trouble fitting in and making new friends at times. You feel invisible and like you’re not good company.
Again, if you want to find evidence that reinforces this insecurity… you’re not going to have any trouble finding it. All it takes is one awkward conversation or one group setting that you don’t fit in with.
The Truth: Oops, you just had a really awkward interaction with someone.
The Lie You Take the Bait On: You, as a person, are awkward and unlovable.
Do you see how dangerous that is?
- University of Texas Football – One last really good example. Let’s say that you have a football program that you think is a lot more successful than it is.
Every year you come in ranked in say the Top 10 and then inevitably finish outside of the Top 25. Every time.
The Truth: You win 1 game against someone who is decent.
The Life You Take the Bait On: Texas is back
There are little truths out there that can be latched onto by lies in dangerous ways. If you are looking for evidence of a certain insecurity or worry that you have, I promise you, you will not have any trouble finding it. Why is that? Because lies are the devil’s native language. He is an expert at finding little truths and attaching dangerous lies to them.
Your Own Lies are Most Dangerous
I love the quote above from one of my professors in college…
“The lies we tell ourselves are so much more dangerous than the lies we tell to others.”
It is so true. Those little lies that echo in your head, drive you crazy and don’t ever find a way out? Those are far more damaging than the lies that others may tell you.
Know that these lies are the devils’ first language and his specialty. Be wary of little lies attaching to truths in your daily life. And ask God for His truth to stand alone in your heart and in your mind.
Something to Chew On:
- Do you fall prey to lies that attach themselves to little truths? What could you do to separate the two and be able to take the lie away from the little truth?
- What lies are you prone to take the bait on? Are you able to identify those now and call them what they are (lies)?
GreatValue Proverb:
You’re not an idiot. Lies often don’t stand completely alone. They latch themselves onto the smallest truth, just enough truth to make you take the bait, and make you believe the whole thing.