Satan's 5 Lies

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Genesis 3:1-7 (NLT)

3 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”  (Lie 1) 

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 

3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 

(Lie 2) 

5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 

(Lie 3 & 4)  

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 

7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 

(Lie 5)

1. The devil gets us to question God's Word.   

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT)

13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.

2.  The devil scoffs at the negative consequences of sin.  

Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

¹¹ You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

3.  The devil accuses God of evil intent.  

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

We can't change God.  We must let God change us. 

4.  The devil advertises sin as beneficial.  

Proverbs 14:12  (NLT)

¹² There is a path before each person that seems right,
    but it ends in death.

5.  The devil uses sin to create shame that destroys our future relationships.

Psalm 34:5 (NLT)

⁵ Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

How to respond.  

1. We must not be defensive.  It's not about our will, but God's will.  

Luke 22:42  (NLT)

42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 

2.  God doesn't want remorse.  

John 3:17 (NLT)

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

3. God wants repentance or for us to turn from our way to His.   

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT)

10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

Repentance is a moment of pain.  Being unrepentant is a lifetime of pain.

Genesis 3:8-10  (NLT)

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

Where are you?

Are you hiding from God?

Are you hiding from others?

People hide.  

God pursues.   

Luke 6:6-10  (NLT)

6 On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. 

7 The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

8 But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. 

9 Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

Jesus knows what we are thinking.  

God wants to heal what we have hidden.