The Truth About Lies
“I have good news and bad news,” I told the students at Chapel. “The bad news—there is a liar on the loose who has set a trap and wants to destroy you. The good news—the truth will set you free from his snare.” There are lies that we speak and lies that we listen to. Both have the power to entangle and cripple.
The Bad News about Lies We Believe
We have all lied and been on the receiving end of a lie. Hopefully, lying is uncommon for Christians earnestly following Christ, but sadly, believing one is not. Throughout the day we are bombarded with thoughts, rooted in fear and unbelief. We listen, we ponder, and our actions and attitudes often reflect capitulation to the lie. Lies entangle us.
Like an animal caught in a trap, belief in a lie has a stronghold on us. “What was the first lie every uttered”, I asked the students at Chapel. One eager student responded, “When God asked Adam and Eve if they ate from the tree that He told them not to, and they said, no!” They were thinking! But this was not the first lie. The first lie came from Satan, the deceiver, also referred to as the accuser (Revelation 12:9-10) and father of lies (John 8:42-44). Satan’s intentions to destroy were clear. Deceit was planted in the heart of man (Genesis 3: 1-5):
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Eve listened, she pondered, and she acted based on her belief and desire for what was offered. In believing the lie, she chose to disobey God. “All humanity is now born with sin”, exclaimed a young student when asked the result of that first lie. True. The lie resulted in a broken relationship with God and robbed us of the blessing to live in a world without sin. Hard work to provide food was now required of man. Pain in childbirth was imposed upon the women. Believing the lie resulted in loss of blessing and separation from God.
Lies will rob us of joy, of peace, of friends, of the ability to succeed in school or the workplace. When we lie we hurt ourselves and others. When we believe a lie whispered to our soul, the effect is the same.
Believing a lie is destructive. “I’m not pretty.” “I have no friends.” “My teachers don’t like me.” “I’m a terrible parent.” “I’m not good enough.” “No one will know.” “I won’t get punished for my sin.” “My children are the only ones struggling with ____.” "My behavior is okay with God." When we allow these thoughts to take root, the results can be long term and devastating.
Providing a visual for the students to understand being ensnared by a lie, I had a teacher sit on the floor and wrap her arms around my leg while I tried to walk. My best efforts to drag her around only caused her to topple over. Moving was nearly impossible and walking was out of the question. This is a picture of how lies can take hold of us and limit our ability to function. We become trapped by the thoughts that possess our soul, effecting our attitudes and actions. The good news however, is that truth can break those bonds.
The Good News
There is hope in fighting the lies whispered to our soul. The truth, the Word of God has the ability to set us free, to remove the shackles, and cut loose the stronghold. Trusting in the Word to refute a lie is a practice that exercises faith. As a Christian, reading and applying God’s principles, has the power to transform our life, to renew our thinking. Although recalling scripture is not a magic pill, it will train your child to look to God for help and trust in His perfect plan. It is putting God’s Word to work by connecting truth to everyday struggles.
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” ( John 8:31-32, NASB). This freedom refers to no longer being a slave to sin. The truth is the message of His love and forgiveness. In partnership with the Holy Spirit, the Word renews our mind.
Helping children to identify a thought as a lie, capture the thought, and speak truth specific to the lie will save them from its stronghold. These steps can help to overcome the lies we ponder.