We are warned in the word of God that Satan is a liar and truth is not in Him.

In rebuking religious Jews in Jerusalem, our Lord declared…

John 8:44 (NKJV) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Sadly, the truth of Satan’s character as a “liar” and the “father of lies”, has been understated over the last many decades, at least in the church in America. It is true that it is an error to find the Devil (or a demon) as the cause behind every Christian trouble; but it is equally an error to understand and miss the pervasiveness of his role and that of his demonic administration of the world system, in the last days.

As we know, Satan is the “father of lies”, let us consider two passages of scripture, which give label to his greatest deception.

Romans 1:18-25 (NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

You will notice the contrasting phrase “who exchanged the truth of God for the lie”. It is most interesting that the word “the” makes that which follows it an unofficial title. It therefore revels the battle between God and His word and Satan and his lies.

We must understand that “the lie” is not referring to all the lies of the enemy as individual and separate from one another, but as a singular entity made of up purposeful, pragmatic chosen lies. These lies form a singular lie, which Satan has been using with great effect against humanity and often the church.

When considering “THE LIE”, we understand it was used from the Garden until now and will be through the return of Jesus; for the purpose of keeping the world at odds with “the truth of God”. Another New Testament passage reveals the reach of “THE LIE” beyond the Garden of Eden, until Christ’s return.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NKJV) The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

II Thessalonians 2:1-12 reveals the conditions present at the time of the rise of antichrist and as such reveals a “the falling away” in verse 3. This falling away does not refer to those outside the kingdom of God, but those who appear at one time to be in; as the Greek word apostasia is what “the falling away” is translated from. The word is used in other places in the New Testament refering to those who were in the Kingdom but are in danger of falling away (see Hebrews 6:4-6).

In the quoted passage above “the falling away” comes to those who do not receive a love of “the truth”. God sends a delusion that they would believe “The LIE”, because they were already walking in unbelief.

Do we not see this “falling away” before us, even now, where denominations and individuals who once professed the faith once delivered to the saints, are choosing to believe gnostic garbage concerning Jesus and adding to or subtracting from the word of God. In the last days “The LIE” is super fueled by the supernatural and satanic deceptions, with the rise of antichrists paving the way before the last antichrist is revealed (Matthew 24:23-26)

The same “LIE” the Devil whispered to Eve in the Garden is the core of “THE LIE” even today. Let us take a look.

Genesis 3:1-5 (NKJV) ​ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Interestingly “THE LIE” begins with the error that God is not loving or benevolent, withholding  and limiting our potential, because He wants to keep us subject to Him. “THE LIE” continues with Satan injecting himself as humanity’s liberator from God; through obedience to Lucifer man can be fully realized apart from Almighty God. Note the Devil did not attempt to erase the knowledge of God, but to make them unthankful for who God is as creator, Sustainer and Savior.

“THE LIE” the Devil created used(s) sets humanity on a search to attain what Satan Himself can never lay hold of… Divinity. Read the accounts of the fall of Satan in Isaiah 14:12-15, especially verse 14 where Lucifer declares “I will be like the Most High”. For an angel, being like God is an impossibility, as well as for a human, but “THE LIE” besmirches this one truth”: Man was made in the image of God.

Though we will never attain divinity or eternality (by ourselves), which God alone possesses, more than any other creation, we bare the moral, spiritual and physical image of the one true God.

“THE LIE” tempts us to choose to be unthankful towards God and believe He is holding us back and subjecting us to unnecessary rules. This lines up with what we previously read in Romans 1:18-25.

Even in the early stages of humanity, after the flood we see Satan’s “LIE” taking firm root. In Genesis 9:1-10, the LORD declared He would never flood the earth again and gave a sign of His faithfulness to that promise—He commanded they were to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. As we will see, “THE LIE” was used to twist humanity from believing in God’s goodness again, and therefore reject His rulership.

Genesis 11:1-4 (NKJV) ​ Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

In this verse we can clearly see that humanity had at least obeyed be “fruitful and multiply“, but they rejected “and fill the earth”. In fact, they were trying to stick together and not fill the earth. Why? Because they did not believe in God’s mercy or trust His word, that He would never again flood the earth. We know this because they were building a tower to heaven. Yes, it was to worship fallen angels, but it was a giant middle finger, that if God flooded the earth, they would stand against Him.

We see “THE LIE” challenging God’s goodness, love, mercy and character of Truth and Faithfulness, with cynicism, unbelief, and unthankfulness. After we see humanity’s one language confused and the people scattered, we see the “THE LIE” coalescing over millennia and called out by God in Psalm 2, where He reveals who will destroy “THE LIE”.

Psalms 2 (NKJV) ​ Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed (Messiah), saying,
“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.'”

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Psalm 2 truly transcends all time, as it reveals Christ’s pre-incarnation relationship to the Father, His will to make Himself of no reputation and His return to bring God’s wrath and Kingdom forever. He will destroy the “LIE”, but until then we must be aware of how “THE LIE” works for the purpose of guarding ourselves and revealing its flaws in the light of “THE TRUTH OF GOD”.

Next time we will examine more closely why “THE LIE” has influence in all humanity, discussing our born in iniquity and how the best lies stay close enough to the truth to be believable and are repeated so much that they are unquestioned.