Satan’s Secret Playbook: Deception

Text: John 8:42-44

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but He sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 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.”

31,102 verses in Scripture, yet only 100 of those address the devil directly or indirectly. The Bible only gives 0.32% of its time to the devil. Stop giving him so much credit in your life!

When you’re easy to predict… you’re easy to defeat.

“…so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11, NLT).

Four Schemes of the Enemy:

• Deception – attack on truth

• Accusation – attack on identity

• Temptation – attack on righteousness

• Opposition – attack on fruitfulness

3 Things Jesus Teaches Us About the Devil’s Tactic of Deception:

1. Deception is the Devil’s Deadliest Scheme

“…you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning…” (John 8:44).

Question: Who did Satan murder, and how did he do it?

Genesis 3:1 “…the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field.”

“Crafty” means cunning, clever with a focus on evil treachery.

Genesis 3:13 (ESV):

13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me…”

Deceive (nāšāʾ) – to delude, to cause someone to depart from correct behavior by craft and trickery, to seduce or lead astray.

Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

• What did he steal? Truth

• What did he kill? The spirit of man

• What did he destroy? Man’s freedom in God

2. Satan Isn’t Just the Deceiver; He Is Self-Deceived

“…and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

Myth #1: “Satan knows the truth.”

Satan may know the words, but he does not know the Word.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV):

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Remember: If he is speaking… He’s lying. That’s his nature!

Myth #2: “Satan already knows he’s lost.”

• He knows that time is short! (Revelation 12:12)

• He knows there is a God (James 2:19)

• He knows he’s been openly shamed (Colossians 2:15)

Yet he also believes:

• You can become like God (Genesis 3:5).

• That he can become like God (Isaiah 14:14).

• That the kingdoms of this world are his (Matthew 4:9).

The most dangerous liar is the one who believes his own lies.

Myth #3: When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.

He will not believe you… instead, remind yourself of his future and don’t forget yours.

3. Every Lie Has a Father

“When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

When we fall prey to the lies of the enemy, we “run away” from home.

“But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2–3, ESV).

Another use of (nāšāʾ): to become a debtor, to owe tribute and honor to a superior.

• We become servants to what we believe.

• We are either born into lies or reborn into truth.

How Do We Overcome?

Through the process of Metanoia – a change of mind that results in a change of life.

• Re-Label (call it what it is: a lie).

• Re-Attribute (name the source: the father of lies).

• Re-Focus (set your mind on what is true).

• Re-Value (value wisdom).