You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
We naturally seek to justify our reasons for seeking to cover sin. This defensive nature can help us feel better in the moment, but it will never solve the problem. We are created in God’s image and designed to reflect who He is. When we lie, we don’t reflect Him; we reflect the devil, the father of lies. When we consider our lies in this light, we see the serious nature of sin that we frequently try to downplay.
Followers of Christ have been given a new identity and are no longer bound by our sinful nature. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, “In reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Throughout our lives following Jesus, we are called to continue this process of ridding ourselves of the deceit that comes so naturally. When we are renewed in the Spirit and put on our new nature, we become truth tellers. As we live and speak the truth, it glorifies God our Father.
- What are some ways you have tried to justify your sin or deceit?
- What does it look like to put on the new self? How does this change the way we view the temptation to speak or live falsely?
- Pray and ask God to equip you to live in your new nature in Christ.
