Satan is the liar

Scripture identifies Satan as fundamentally dishonest—a being with no connection to truth who speaks deception as naturally as breathing, earning the designation “father of lies.” (John 8:44) This foundational character shapes everything Satan pursues, including his assault on the church.

Satan’s primary objective toward the church centers on fracturing it through internal division, achieved not through direct supernatural combat but through the breakdown of reconciliation and unresolved grievances within Christian communities.[1] His deceptive strategy involves reframing God’s character as untrustworthy and self-interested, suggesting that God’s wellbeing and human flourishing exist in opposition.[2] When applied to the church, this manifests as suspicion, conflict, and the erosion of unity.

Operating as the ruler of the present evil age alongside other anti-God cosmic forces, Satan disseminates corrupted ideologies, perverted mindsets, and selfish patterns of life throughout human cultures.[1] Pastors and church leaders become particular targets, as Satan concentrates opposition against those most instrumental in building up God’s people spiritually.[3]

The church’s defense against this agenda involves concrete practices rather than abstract spiritual combat. The church battles Satan through peacemaking, gracious confrontation of conflicts, confession of sin, and mutual forgiveness modeled on Christ’s forgiveness.[1] Resisting temptations toward self-seeking and refusing to foster judgment and division constitutes genuine resistance to Satan’s destructive agenda, while cultivating humility and church unity represents submission to God.[1]

Jesus described Satan as the father of those who reject truth and embrace deception (John 8:44), while Revelation portrays Satan as the deceiver who leads the whole world astray. (Rev 12:9–10) Paul warned the Corinthian church that Satan’s cunning could lead believers away from sincere devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3), underscoring the vulnerability of even mature believers to divisive deception within church communities.

[1] Timothy G. Gombis, Mark, ed. Scot McKnight and Tremper Longman III, The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), 143–144.
[2] Eric L. Johnson, God & Soul Care: The Therapeutic Resources of the Christian Faith (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2017), 221–222.
[3] Leland Brown, “The Standard-Bearer: Pastoral Suffering in the Theology of John Calvin,” Themelios (2022), 47:2:326–327.