I saw an instagram post that said, “Don’t you wish that liar’s pants really would catch on fire!” There would certainly be a lot of flaming pants if that were true. Let’s talk today about how to respond when “the father of lies” speaks his native language.
We were in the fictional town of Amity Island, NY, where Jaws the man-eating shark, lurked below the surface of the still waters and terrorized vacationers who dared go there. Twenty tourists piled into a small boat at Universal Studios and drifted quietly in the “river” until the waters began to stir, and our greatest fears were realized.
The giant man-eating shark erupted from the water and attacked! He gnashed his teeth and lunged at the side of the boat. Women screamed, babies cried, and one overall-clad, hefty man in the back just burst out laughing. Soon his contagious laughter caused an avalanche of giggles throughout the boat and we all began laughing hysterically!
After much chomping at the boat, Jaws withdrew his fearsome fury and disappeared below the surface. But would he reappear? Were we safe? No! A few moments later, the mammoth shark emerged and lunged at our helpless vessel again and again. And each time, the laughing man in the back of the boat had the same effect—contagious, side-splitting, rip-roaring laughter. Tears streamed down my face in uncontrollable cackling. I’m not sure the tour guide had ever seen anything like it.
See, the man knew that the shark was a fake. He wasn’t real. To him, the attack was … well, funny.
Oh, that we would do the same when the devil tries to attack us. Yes, he is real, but he has no teeth and is no threat. He is a defeated foe who lays bloodied and beaten in the boxing ring still shouting, “I’m the greatest.” But he isn’t.
Even though the devil is defeated, the Bible tells us that he still roams around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), but he has no teeth. And I’ve never known anyone to be gummed to death. The only weapon the devil has is lies.
Jesus said, “When he [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies,” (John 8:44 NIV). The father of lies means that all lies began with him.
The meaning of the word lie is “a falsehood with the intent to deceive,” He deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and he continues to try and deceive us as well.
Why did that silly man in the boat laugh when Jaws attacked our boat. He knew it wasn’t real. Why should we laugh at the lies of the devil? Because we know they aren’t true.
Picture this. Cue the Jaws music. Ta-da. Ta-da. Ta-da. The devil attacks with lies.
You’re a loser. Nobody loves you. You can’t do anything right. You’re worthless. You’re a failure. You’re not good enough. Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.
And you bust out laughing. Why because that’s not true.
I’m a loser? That’s not true. I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves me. (Romans 8:37)
I’m unloved? That’s not true. God loves me so much He gave His only Son for me. (1 John 3:16)
I can’t do anything right? That’s not true. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
I’m worthless? That’s not true. God has chosen me to be His treasured possession. My worth is not based on what others think of me, but on what God thinks of me—and He thinks I’m priceless. (Deuteronomy 14:2)
I’m a failure? That’s not true. I am a child of God who sometimes fails, but that’s not who or what I am. God has given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
I’m not good enough? That’s not true. Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His Spirit in me, I am deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, and totally accepted by God. Click & Tweet! I am empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit to do all God has called me to do.
Ha, ha, ha.
I’ll never forget that trip to the imaginary town of Amity Island, NY. And if I remember the story correctly, that shark gets his in the end.
Dear God, sometimes I worry about the silliest things. Help me to stand firm on Your truth and not to listen to the lies of the enemy which cause nothing but fear and condemnation. Help me to recognize when the jaws of the enemy are chomping at my boat and simply laugh at the days to come! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Consider this verse: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future,” (Proverbs 31: 25 NLT). Why do you think the Proverbs 31 woman can laugh without fear of the future? Why can you laugh without fear of the future? Click on comment and let’s share our thoughts.
Do the voices in your head tell you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or just not enough, period? If so, it’s time to stop listening to the lies that sabotage your confidence and start embracing the truth of your true identity in Christ. In Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence, Sharon Jaynes exposes the lies that keep you bogged down in guilt, shame, and insecurity. By recognizing the lies, rejecting the lies, and replacing the lies with truth, you’ll be able to
- silence the voice inside that whispers you’re not good enough.
- accept God’s grace and no longer allow past failures to define you or confine you
- be preloaded with the truth to fight insecurities
- walk in the surefooted confidence of God’s unconditional love
Comments 41
This was so timely!!! I was up most of the night with these thoughts that just spiraled out of control… you are an outsider now, you will have no friends bc you chose to do something different, they all are talking about you. Finally at 5am the spirit spoke and said this is Satan trying to attack you. I check my email and read this devotion!!! No lie 😂!!!!! God is good all the time and Im grateful He used this to speak to me! Thank you Sharon!! Now if I can only have my daughters start to put on their armor and realize who the real enemy is!!!
❤️
thank you.
The devil lies about my marriage.
He says “it’s never going to work out, it’s never going to change!” “You don’t have to put up with this.”
Which he tells many others, that’s why our divorce rate is so high.
The Bible says
“Mark 10;9- what God has joined together, let no man separate”
Everyone has stronger and weaker times in their marriage. Especially when raising kids. What we ALL need to remember is that God can mend the drift, it didn’t happen over night and won’t go away over night. We just need to
“psalms 46;10 Be still and know that I am God” Keep our head up and keep breathing and let him take care of it.
Thanks Megan, I needed that today. I’ll be in prayer for your marriage today while praying for mine.
Thank you so much…. I really needed to read your comment. We sometimes forget this. Even after 41 years of MARRIAGE, I am reminded Satan would still like nothing more than to destroy this and if he gets in my head he could quite possibly succeed. If I stay focused on Jesus he can’t.
Megan, thank you so much for sharing this. This season in my marriage has been so difficult. I almost never read the comments after reading the devotional but today I scrolled through and your comment refreshed my soul. The devil is telling me the same lies that he is telling you. I believe what God promised me but what I see on a daily basis does not fall in line with His promises. Most days, I shift between being a faithful believer to recycling old lies from the devil. Some days I don’t know if I can stand in faith any longer. Your comment gave me fuel for today and reminded me that God has not forgotten when He spoke to my heart. I’ll be printing out your comment for my journal as a reminder. Thank you again for sharing.
Sometimes we have to encourage ourselves, and just like David, remember to speak God’s word out loud and with conviction. Yes, liar, liar, and the victory ours. Every person should know that God’s grace and mercy is available to them.
The devil casts a big shadow, but the shadow of the Almighty is bigger & covers us !
Yes!!!!!! Thank you for this insight!
Thank you Sharon!!
The battle has already been won!
The lies of the devil can be abundantly clear to those who remain in communion with God. Let’s pray for discernment of spirits so we can recognize the Truth when we see it.
Thank you for this timely word from God. It gave me the desperate truth I need to hear again this morning! Greater is HE that is in me than he that is in the world. Thank you Jesus for the victory!!
A friend and I were just talking about 1 Peter 5:8-9a yesterday…”Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him and be strong in your faith.”
Thank you for this timely devotional. I’m going to share it with my friend, too:)
I needed to hear this today. I have been getting these feelings of I just can do anything right or meet up to others standards….I know I can do all things thur Christ. But why do I keep having this feeling? When someone else points out every little thing you say or do wrong.. It makes me doubt myself. So God reminds me with messages like today that he is in control. For me to come to him and he will walk me thur it.
Thank you, Sharon! This is SO rich. I love the verses directed at specific lies. I have been trying to help 2 young men in my life who struggle with anxiety. What has helped tremendously when each begins spiralling downward is to point them back to TRUTH!! Reminding them each of who they are and whose they are. These verses will be powerful in those moments. Thank you again. 😊
This article was straight from the heart of God to us, beloved. Absolute truth. Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. Resist the devil and he will flee. Listen only to God’s voice, which is pure, gentle, peace loving, compassionate, gracious, loving and kind. Expose the enemy of evil thoughts and laugh. I heard one say that evil, as it tries to take God down, can be compared to those who believe throwing snowballs at the sun will put out the light. Ha ha ha! Ridiculous!
thank you
I really needed this. Thank you!
This is a wonderful message. May the Lord touch many hearts through your messages, books & your life. God Bless
Yesterday was another trying day in my life as a caregiver. Today I awoke and walked through the dark morning telling myself “not today Satan”. Now that I can put a shark attack on today’s events, I, too, can smile and stand firm. Thanks for reminding me that I am equipped for today’s events.
Thank you for sharing this very timely message! God is good, all the time.
Thank you for this! I am teaching a group of girls, middle school girls, and we are using Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book “Lies Young Women Believe”, and this will be a good one to supplement with. I will read it to them in our next meeting. I’m trying to show them enter member myself that we don’t need to fear because we have a marvelous Sovereign God his name is El Shaddai The God Who is enough! Blessings to you!
From my own experience I would have to say the roaring lion does have teeth. His lies can hurt when we believe them. Adam & Eve for example lost the garden and I’m pretty sure parents of children addicted to drugs would say the father of lies has teeth. Even when we don’t believe them but others do he hurts. Believers whose reputation has been tarnished or ruined by falsehood & innuendo will tell you. A strong believer knows that God wins in the end and the struggle in this world makes us stronger- see the apostle Paul for example. We can “laugh at the days to come” (Prov. 31:25) because we know the final outcome but we may have scars from the battle.
I have been struggling the past month, I work in the office of a public middle school. This pandemic has been a nightmare. I live in Washington state, with very liberal views. It’s been taxing. Between the virus, the isolation , or judgment we face if we gather with family and friends, the politics, the kids wanting so badly to be in school, the amount of work- doing everything we can to reach families. Other health issues brought in by stress. Satan is just loving it. We spin out of control and get caught in his dance, not knowing how to exit.
God is there though, standing firm, for us to grab onto and place our feet upon solid ground again. I need Him! Thank you for the reminder that Satan is a liar!! No matter what our situation, Jesus saves! He had already won the world. We do not have to fear. Keep our eyes focused up, with an eternal view. Blessings to you Sharon. In it Together! ! GIG ❤️😇❤️
When life get’s busy and stress takes over, I worry about the smallest things and take comments more to heart than I know I should. Thank you for helping me to remember to stand firm on God’s truth and not to listen to the lies of the enemy which cause nothing but fear and condemnation.
This was an uplifting read for me today…especially since the devil has been in my ear for the last few days. Through my self doubt, through angry words from my husband, just whispering things that are not true. I will picture this and hear the theme song in my head from now on!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for this. I woke up worried, afraid, dejected and confused. I couldn’t even pray. I’ve felt so lost and alone for sometime now and these words are just what I need.
I may not be able to figure everything out just yet but I know that God is for me and He is with me.
I am loved, accepted and priceless.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sharon for helping us keep our focus on the promises of God. With so many voices trying to speak to us in these trying times, we certainly don’t need to be listening to another voice that lies to us, satan. Lord, help me to hear your voice only and be comforted. Amen.
Wow … thank you. This is so timely. I have been struggling with the lies that I have swallowed wholesale. Now the Lord is helping me to see each lie for what it is and He is helping me to replace these lies with His truth. He is reshaping my identity.
Thank you.
Oh my gosh This was so good! I am writing my memoir and every time I open up the Word Doc to write I get bombarded with the Devils lies. I am not just to rebuke him but now I will laugh like the man on the Jaws ride! Loved it!
Literally, His words to my heart. Almost the entire day I heard the enemy feed me lie after lie mostly telling me how most people don’t care about me, think I’m a joke, I’m not likeable, etc. The enemy knows that if you hear it enough and give it space and time to reside in your mind, then you’ll begin to believe it. I must stand firm and continue to call upon His mighty name and focus on that which is noble and lovely. Thank you again for this wonderful devotional a reminder of how much He loves us and has given us purpose.
Thank you for this word! From reading the comments, it sounds like I’m not the only one who desperately needed to hear it. Praise God, sisters!! He is for us and loves us beyond our comprehension!! 🙌❤
Thank you
Thank you for this reminder. I have struggled with the enemies lies for over a year. I am recovering from a broken marriage. My ex-spouse had an affair and filed for divorce. It has been over a year of trying to turn back to God fully and focus on His truth. I am going to purchase your book. Thank you so much.
Thank you for such encouraging words in the midst of so much negativity and political ads! God offers us peace and strength for each day! Thank you for such encouraging reminders! God is our source of peace and hope! I look forward daily to reading your encouraging words!
I thank God, for using you to bless and speak to me.
I had brain surgery last Thursday and was released from hospital pain free and minus a ? meningioma on Saturday. I have struggled for many years with fear of the future.. I went into the surgery ready to meet he Lord if his Will was that it was my time, and prayed his will be done. I was told the surgery was not challenging and that I should have no complications and a quick recovery but I still was fearful. I think because I know God’s ways are so far above our ways and that he may choose to take my like during this surgery as it was in his hands if that served his purpose and was part of his plan for me.. I trusted the promise of I Isaiah 41:9-10 asking God’s strength to trust him with it completely. I don’t know how or why He brought me through so strongly but I am thankful and look forward to serving Him in the future as He leads me. I won’t know the pathology results for a week but this too is in His hands and will be according to His will. I’m trying to come to grips with the big lie the father of lies has been feeding me for years that I need to recognise for what it is, and laugh at with the promises of the Words of scripture. God owes me no debt (I owe him all for paying mine) and his promise of Romans 8 is for my ultimate good. I believe this in my heart and soul and intellect but emotionally still experience fear. I found your devotion helpful in directing me to keep working on defining the devils lies to me. Thank you.
Reading each of these comments was a confirmation for me, and your words Sharon are just what I needed to hear today. We need God and each other to navigate in each of these circumstances, when we feel lost, when we’re struggling in our marriages, or a health crisis, whatever challenge we’re facing! I thank you all for sharing as I can relate to much of it, and am stronger today because of your courage to share your life struggles. God bless and keep you all.
Psalm 46:1-God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.