Lies of the Enemy

Open up your bibles to John 8.

We started last week a series of talks about hearing the voice of God. Everyone has voice, a conscience, or something inside your mind or heart that tells you whether something is right or wrong, good or bad. Our culture tells us to follow our conscience or “follow your heart”, but what the Bible says is that the heart of man is evil and to follow the commandments God gives. To listen to the voice of God, and he will guide you and direct your paths. To hear the voice of God you must be in the flock.

John 10:1–5 NLT

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Last week we talked about how to hear the voice of God. We can hear the voice of God when we quiet the storm of life, putting distractions away and focusing on God in prayer. Psalm 46:10 “be still and know that I am God.” We hear God through His word. We hear him through the 3rd person of the trinity the Holy Spirit.

And God wants to speak to you, so that you will follow him. But there is an adversary. An Enemy of God that doesn’t want you to know Gods voice.

1 Peter 5:8 NLT

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Satan is real & he deceives.

Satan’s voice has been speaking to mankind since the dawn of time. Getting us to believe him and pull us away from our God. We see it in the garden when he takes on the form of a snake and slithers his way in between the relationship of man and God.

Jesus mentions what Satans agenda is and what His agenda is.

John 10:10 NLT

10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

He’ll come into your mind and speak, but what he is speaking is full of lies.

John 8:44 (ESV)

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

When I was young, and my family went to the grocery store I would get lost in the toy section. My parents would try to deliberately go out of there way to not go pass the toy section but I would wonder off and be in the toy isle looking at the nerf guns or legos or action figures. They aren’t boy barbies, they are action figures.

I would hear my mom call my name so I would reluctantly walk away still looking back at the toys going to find my mom. One time when this was happening, my mind was still set on the toys that I went up to grab my moms hand, and when I grabbed, I heard, “Well aren’t you the cutest thing!” It was not my moms voice at all she was walking the opposite direction, and I let go of that ladies hand and ran to my mom!

I knew it wasn’t my mom, not by the appearance of the lady, but because I knew it was not my mom’s voice.

Know Gods voice by what it doesn’t sound like.

Now, to John 8. Some context of the passage is that Jesus is talking to some Jewish leaders and some of them are starting to believe in Him!

Satan is the father of lies & that is how he deceives us.

John 8:44 NLT

44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:31–32 NLT

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

But they are still on the fence. They are not ready to fully trust Jesus because they believe a lie that they do not need Him.

Lie #1: you must work to be saved.

John 8:33 NLT

33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

The Jews were thinking it was just by their works. They were born into the family of Israel, so naturally they thought they were good and don’t need to be set free from anything!

You think since your family has been going to church your entire life, you don’t curse or do “bad” things you think that you are good enough to get to heaven. Thats not the truth.

Truth #1: All are slaves to sin, but freedom comes from believing the truth.

John 8:34–36 ESV

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The lie keeps us from experience freedom. Freedom from the grip of sin which is guilt, shame.

Romans 8:1 NLT

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Those in Christ can live without the guilt that is produced of sin.

What other lies can we get deceived by?

Lie #2: My past defines me.

What happened in the past defines who I am now and who I will become later. The habitual sin that I continue to do and can’t give up, its just apart of me and nothing can change that.

Truth #2: You are a new creation in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Satan wants to hold you captive to your past sin. Jesus wants to set you free from your past.

Isaiah 43:25 NLT

25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

Christ died for your sins. That means they are covered and never recovered back up.

Lie #3: I can continue in sin, it doesn’t matter I got grace.

I’ve trusted in Jesus that means I can do what ever I want because I am under grace.

Romans 6:1–2 NLT

1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

Pauls answer to this is a simple, no.

“Grace is a gift. Forgiveness of sins and his salvation are gifts. Grace is not, however, a license to sin. Throughout the Bible, fathers of our faith are seen distressed, tormented by their sin.

Consider David after his adultery with Bathsheba or Peter after denying Christ (Psalms 51:17 and Matthew 26:75). They did not discount their sin as simply something atoned for. Just because the Christian’s sin is paid for by Jesus, sin is still damaging to the believer and their relationship with God.

When David tried to ignore his sin, his “bones wasted away through my groaning all day long” (Psalms 32:3). He did, however, find freedom in confession.”

Psalm 32:5 NLT

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

Truth #3: Because of grace, we have the freedom when we confess.

Some of us are still holding onto past sin or continuing to habitually sin. And Satan wants us to believe the lie that we can continue or we will never be able to experience forgiveness because of this.

But i invite you to confess and find freedom in the truth tonight.

John 14:15–17 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.