Dharius Daniels - The Devil is a Liar

Matthew chapter 4, verse 1 says this: «Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' I want to stop the reading of Scripture there. We are talking from this subject here at 12:30: 'The devil is a liar.' I thought I was at the 12:30 service! The devil is a liar. Family, I want to ease into this introduction with this axiom for my note-takers: There are things that we can’t see that affect and influence the things we can see. In other words, just because something is invisible doesn’t mean it’s not impactful. You and I can’t touch the flu, but the flu can touch you. Just because it’s invisible doesn’t mean it’s not impactful. And as this is the case in natural things, it is also the case in spiritual things. There are things that we cannot see that influence and impact the things we can see. I want to take this introduction and use it as an opportunity to audaciously articulate to all of us who are in this place and watching online that we are all facing an invisible adversary who is aggressively attempting to inhibit us from experiencing life as God intended. We can call his existence unintelligent; we can say it’s unnecessary; we can dismiss him as if he does not exist. But the truth of the matter is that to question his existence is to call into question the credibility of the Bible itself. You cannot even open the Bible without running into him: initially, when you open it up in the Book of Genesis, he appears as a snake in the Garden of Eden. And when you close the book in the Book of Revelation, the snake has become a dragon. You cannot open the book or close the book without running into him. We should not be obsessed with him, but we should be aware of him. The Apostle Paul put it this way: if we are ignorant of his devices, then he gains an advantage over us. The Apostle Paul, talking about spiritual warfare, says in Ephesians 6 that we need to be prepped and prepared to stand against the wiles, which are the methods and strategies of the devil. Jesus himself juxtaposes his mission and ministry to that of Satan. He says, 'The thief comes, come on church, to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.' Understanding his existence is so essential that when Jesus is mentoring his apprentices, his disciples, he gave them more than principles; he gave them power. He said, 'Oh, my Pentecostals should have quickened to something right there! ' He gave them power over all the power of the enemy. He realized and recognized that even if people got revelation from teaching, they were still going to deal with warfare when it came to execution. So he gave the disciples power to overcome the opposition that gets in the way of executing the word that we receive. He gave them power over all the power of the enemy. He is real; he has wiles; he is relentless, but he’s a defeated enemy. He is a roaring lion, but he is toothless, and his primary weapon is a weapon of mass destruction called deception. The devil is a liar. That is not just some religious rhetoric; that’s not just some church colloquialism; that’s not just some cute saying. That is a significant theological statement that describes the dominant attribute of the enemy: above all else, he is a liar. Jesus called him the father of lies, the one in whom lies originated. It is his weapon that he uses to deter us, to discourage us, to destroy us. But I just came today to tell you that the devil being a liar isn’t a reason to have a pity party. The devil being a liar is a reason to have a praise party! Because saying that the devil is a liar isn’t just saying that the devil doesn’t tell the truth; it’s saying that the devil can’t tell the truth. This means that whatever the devil is telling you, God is going to do the exact opposite of that. So when the devil says you’re not going to make it, you ought to praise! When the devil says you’re going to stay here, you ought to thank him! When the devil says that this weapon is going to prosper, you ought to give God glory! Because if he says you’re not coming out, you’re on your way out. If he says you’re not getting up, you’re on your way up. If he says you’re not getting in, God is getting ready to get you in through the door, through the window, through the roof, whatever he has to do. The devil is a liar! And I don’t know who the devil has been speaking to, whispering to, discouraging, or lying to. I just need you to give the devil some agitation by praising God in spite of the lies. Take that, devil: I will make it! Take that, devil: I will recover! I know one thing you don’t want me to do: you don’t want me to praise God! Because every time I praise God, it reminds you of the job you…