Father of Lies

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

My name is Mike Whitmer, and I title today's reading Father of Lies. Victor slowly became addicted to pornography. Many of his friends looked at porn, and he fell into it too. But now he understands how wrong it was.

He sinned against God, and it crushed his wife. He's vowed to put safeguards in his life, so he'll never look at it again. Yet he fears it's too late. Can his marriage be saved?

Will he ever be free and fully forgiven? Our enemy, the devil, presents temptation as if it's no big deal. Everyone's doing it. What's the harm? But the moment we catch on to his scheme, he switches gears. It's too late. You've gone too far.

You're hopeless now. The enemy will say whatever it takes to destroy us as we engage in spiritual warfare. Jesus said in John chapter 8, If the devil is a liar, then we should never listen to him. Not when he says our sin is no big deal, and not when he says we're beyond hope.

May Jesus help us dismiss the evil one's words and listen to him instead. We rest our hearts on Jesus' promise in verses 31 to 32. If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John chapter 8, verses 39 to 47. Abraham is our father, they answered. If you were Abraham's children, said Jesus, then you would do what Abraham did.

As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.

We are not illegitimate children, they protested. The only father we have is God himself. Jesus said to them, If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own.

God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?

If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, You died and rose again to free us from the bondage of sin. Please help us to live in that liberty today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening. My name is Mike Whitmer and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.