“(The devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
If I were the devil, I would do everything in my power to keep you from the Word of God. I would say anything I could think of, anything I thought you would believe, anything that works, to get you to read other things.
As Paul said, “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). We know how he works. And here are some of the lies we have noticed pouring out of his factory, all geared toward destroying confidence in God’s Word.
One. “You already know it, so don’t read it.”
He’s lying to you. You do not know it. I’ve studied the Bible all my life and in no way could I say I “know” it. I know a great deal about it, but there is so much more. For the typical church member to shun the Bible because “I’ve been there and done that” is laughable.
Two: “No one can understand it, so don’t read it.”
He’s lying. Even a child can understand a great deal of Scripture. Meanwhile, the Ph.D. will find plenty to challenge his thinking. Only a book from the Almighty could touch so much at every level of their existence.
Three: “It’s boring. So don’t read it.”
He’s lying. The Bible is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them. We’re boring, and that’s the problem.
Four: “It’s better left to the professionals. So, don’t read it.”
He’s lying, using a lie he once sold to the Catholic church during the Middle Ages. By keeping the Holy Scriptures in the Latin (and not in the language of the people) the church could give it whatever slant they chose. Some hardy individuals paid for the right for us to own Scriptures in our own tongue with their very lives. We must not take lightly the privilege we have to own a copy of the very Word of God in our own language.
Five: “You need Greek and Hebrews to know what it really means. So, don’t bother reading it.