We have a real enemy, Satan, who is a liar and a deceiver. In John 8, Jesus tells some Jews…

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. John 8:44

Satan has deceived millions from believing in Jesus Christ. But even for us who believe in Jesus, the devil wants nothing more than for us to believe his lies to harm us and undermine our faith.

There are a number of areas Satan lies to us about. He lies about God, about sin, and he lies about us.

Lies Satan wants us to believe about God

Lie #1: God doesn’t love you.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God loves us. But God has told us in his word that he loves us.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

We don’t always feel God’s love for us. Especially when we’re going through hard times. But our feelings, though true feelings, are not always the truth. And God has demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son to die for us while we were still sinners. Don’t believe Satan’s lie that God doesn’t love you. Nothing can separate us from his love – our failures, our lack of love for him, even our unbelief. God loves you.

Lie #2: God will not be faithful to you. He won’t keep his promises.

Satan tells us God won’t meet our needs. God won’t work in our lives. God won’t save our children. But God promises in his word:

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, Deuteronomy 7:9

who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 CO 10:13

God will keep every single one of his promises to us. He won’t forget to keep them. He won’t change his mind. He is faithful.

Lie #3: God is not going to answer your prayers

Satan will point out situations where it looks like God didn’t answer prayers. He reminds us of people we prayed for who died. He points out people we have prayed for to be saved who have not yet responded to the gospel. “God won’t answer your prayers. Don’t bother praying for this.” Yet God tells us:

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. James 6:16-18

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:7-11

Lies Satan wants us to believe about sin

Lie #4: Nothing will happen to you if you sin

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:2-5

Satan will tell us we can commit sin with no consequences. He will tell us we can commit sexual sin, or we can lie or steal or harbor unforgiveness. He will lie to us and tell us that to do something just once won’t hurt anything. He will tell us no one will find out. Yet God warns us again and again:

For the wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23

Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die. Proverbs 11:29

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15

Every one of us has sinned and deserves death, both physical and eternal, yet God is so merciful, when we believe in Jesus, he delivers us out of spiritual death and gives us eternal life. Yet we don’t want to believe Satan’s lie that we can sin and suffer no consequences. When believers willfully sin, they often suffer horrible consequences. Marriages suffer, families suffer, churches suffer, individuals suffer.

Lie #5: Sin will satisfy you

Sin would not be tempting if it didn’t promise us pleasure or satisfaction. After Satan lied to her, Eve looked at the fruit on the tree and it looked promising….

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6

Sin may “satisfy” us temporarily, but in the end it leaves us unsatisfied and unhappy. We must remember that the only one who can satisfy us is God:

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6

For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. Psalm 107:9

who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:5

Only Jesus Christ can satisfy us. God fills us with his joy, peace and contentment. Sin can never satisfy. Don’t believe Satan’s lie that sin will satisfy us.

Lies Satan wants us to believe about ourselves

Lie #6: Your sins have wrecked your relationship with God

God calls Satan “the accuser of the brethren”:

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Revelation 12:10

Satan accuses us day and night. He reminds us of our sins and failures. He wants us to focus on our sins, rather than our Savior. He wants us to forget the incredible truth that Jesus paid for every single one of our sins and that now…

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Romans 8:34

For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Romans 5:10

Satan lives to accuse us. If he can’t prevent Jesus from saving us, he will try to prevent us from enjoying what Christ has done for us. He is like a prosecuting attorney in a courtroom, who continually brings our sins up to the Judge. But every time he accuses us, our great Defense Attorney, Jesus, says, “Objection! Your honor, I paid for that sin on the cross.” To which the great Judge slams down his gavel and says, “Objection sustained! The defendant is not guilty!”

Lie #7: You will never change

Satan will lie to us that we can’t overcome our sins. That we will never change. That we are hopeless. But God’s word tells us that we can change and we will change.

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:17-18

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

When we trust in Jesus Christ, he makes us new creations. We are no longer slaves of sin, but slaves of righteousness. He begins a good work in us, the good work of transforming us into his own likeness. He will not fail to complete this work. We must not believe Satan’s lies about who we are in Christ.

How to combat Satan’s lies

#1. Read God’s Word, pray, and fellowship with the Lord

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:16-18

Counter Satan’s lies with God’s word, the shield of faith and sword of the Spirit. When Satan tempted Jesus, he countered with God’s word, “It is written…”

#2. Realize there is a tempter out to destroy you

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

#3. Fear the Lord

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:7

And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” Job 28:28

#4. Flee temptation

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

Satan lies to us about God, about sin, about ourselves. Let us fight those lies with God’s word and his Spirit.