TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 4:21-27
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TODAY IN THE WORD
When Sarah heard the Lord promise Abraham a son, she laughed to herself and thought, ""After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"" (Gen. 18:12). The Lord heard her, of course, and repeated His promise.

Sure enough, God kept His word in the birth of Isaac, and Sarah's doubt turned to joy. Remembering her laughter, she exclaimed, ""God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me"" (Gen. 21:6). They named their son ""Isaac,"" meaning ""he laughs.""

This background is key to today's reading. In this passage, Paul turns to a biblical illustration in an effort to separate the Galatians from legalism. He explains that those who boast of their submission to the law and claim to be sons of Abraham forget that Abraham had two sons. The first, Ishmael, was born of a bondwoman (Hagar), the secon d, Isaac, of a freewoman (Sarah).

Hagar's son was born in the ordinary way. Circumstances surrounding his birth were not ordained of God and were therefore natural. By contrast, Isaac was born of Sarah ""as the result of a promise"" (Gal. 4:23). His birth was miraculous because Abraham and Sarah were both beyond childbearing age. God's extraordinary promise was fulfilled!

Paul explains that the historical event has another meaning. The women represent two covenants--the Abrahamic and the Mosaic. The Abrahamic covenant (represented by Sarah) brought freedom, while the Mosaic (represented by Hagar) brought slavery (vv. 24-25, see v. 31). The apostle is again emphasizing the inferiority of Mosaic legalism.

Verse 26 launches into a statement about the Jerusalem above. For centuries Jerusalem had been glorified in Hebrew history and song as the capital of the Jewish nation and a place where God chose especially to dwell. Now Paul speaks of a ""Jerusalem that is above,"" one that is ""free.""
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
First with Abraham and now with Hagar and Sarah, Paul used the past to teach lessons to the present (the Galatians) and the future (us). That's a pattern we can follow in our own spiritual lives.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 4:28-31
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TODAY IN THE WORD
For nearly a century, a pair of bib overalls was handed down from child to child in the Mehder family, according to an Associated Press wire report.

As a tailor for the Oshkosh Clothing Manufacturing Co., now Oshkosh B'Gosh, Louis Mehder designed the overalls in 1901. Since then, that pair of overalls has been worn by eight children spanning five states and several generations. Amazingly, the garment has survived without a patch, buckle replacement or sewing job!

Family inheritances can range from the amusing to the life-changing. They extend beyond tangible things such as overalls, since families help determine our characters and identities. This truth is also found in the spiritual realm, as seen in today's reading.

All the children of Sarah are members of one family (v. 28). We are children of promise, living in freedom and faith. The implication is that we are children of promise and ought to continue as such, rather than trying to live as children of bondage.

Those in the line of Isaac need not be surprised when persecuted by the children of Hagar (v. 29). The one specific biblical indication of this animosity appears in Genesis 21:9. On the occasion of Isaac's being weaned, Abraham put on a banquet. Ishmael mocked Isaac, probably ridiculing his position as a child of promise and no doubt fearing lest the youngster preempt the inheritance that the older brother felt was rightfully his.

Just as in the past the child of the bondwoman persecuted the child of the freewoman, so now children of bondage (Judaizers) persecute children of promise (true Christian believers). As an encouragement to those who suffer such opposition, and as a warning, Paul deduces a lesson from Scripture--expulsion from the family, just as Abraham was commanded to send away Hagar and Ishmael.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
For four chapters, Paul has been moving through some heady theology concerning legalism, grace, faith, freedom, salvation and sonship. In chapter 5, he will turn to questions of application or lifestyle. That is, knowing these realities, how should we as Christians live?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:1-6
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Scholar W.E. Vine points out a special cultural background for the phrase ""for freedom"" in today's verse.

When a Greek wanted to free a slave, he would take the slave to the temple of a god. In order to be freed, the slave actually had to be ""purchased"" by the god. The master would pay the money into the temple treasury and draw up a certificate containing the words ""for freedom."" Technically, the slave became the property of the god, a fact which guaranteed his freedom.

Paul used this culturally familiar image as a metaphor for the believer's status: we belong to God!

Verse 1 is a ringing exhortation to maintain Christian freedom, which would be impossible without the work of Christ. He freed us from bondage to a life of Christian liberty. While we cannot set ourselves free, there is a sense in which we must cooperate with divine power in living the Christian life. Our wills must determine to keep standing firm in the hard-won liberty which Christ has made available.

The apostle now turns to a major example of entanglement in the bondage of the law: circumcision. For Gentiles like the Galatians, to submit to this rite could only signify a legalistic attempt to seek righteousness by works (v. 3). Depending upon works to achieve righteousness alienates us from Christ. It is as though His provision of salvation is not really sufficient (vv. 2, 4).

In grand contrast, Paul describes the experience of the true believer (vv. 5-6). We ""eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope."" Paul elsewhere described it this way: ""Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God"" (Rom. 8:21).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Galatians teaches some complex truths, many of which cannot be explored completely in these daily devotionals. This book is worthy of additional Bible study, concentrated time that will allow you to dig deeper into God's Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:7-12
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, claimed to have received a divine revelation from golden tablets inscribed with ""reformed Egyptian hieroglyphics."" In 1830, Smith discovered these tablets in Palmyra, New York, and took upon himself the job of ""translating"" them.

No one has ever heard of ""reformed Egyptian hieroglyphics."" Smith claimed that his ""translation"" was accomplished supernaturally, one character at a time. He also said the Book of Mormon was ""the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion."" Clearly Joseph Smith was a false teacher, with many of his ideas in direct contradiction to the Bible.

Today's Scripture passage is directed against false teachers and erroneous doctrine. Attention seems to focus on a leader of the false teachers rather than on Judaizers in general. This individual had led the Galatians away from the truth of the gospel, which involved justification by faith and a life of Christian liberty.

""That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you,"" Paul warns (v. . In other words, whatever voice the Galatians had been hearing, it was not the voice of God!

Verse 9 introduces a proverb (also quoted in 1 Corinthians 5:6). Leaven is a symbol of spiritual and moral corruption. The proverb indicates that the legalistic infection, once admitted, will spread. Apparently the heresy had not yet spread widely and Paul was trying to eliminate the already existing leaven.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In today's verse, Paul asks the Galatians a heart-stopping question. They needed to return to gospel basics in order to continue in their walk with God. Christ accused the church at Ephesus of a similar fault: ""Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken your first love...Repent and do the things you did at first"" (Rev. 2:4-5).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:13-15
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1992, mission director David Shenk told a Hong Kong church about the plight of Christians in Somalia, suffering from war and famine. The Chinese believers immediately prayed and collected a love offering for their brothers and sisters in distress.

A few months later, Shenk delivered that gift to a Somali church. As the letter of greeting was read to the congregation, the pastor remembered a time when his church had similarly helped a Vietnamese church. He continued: ""Now when we are experiencing extremity, God has heard our cry through the generosity of our brothers and sisters in Hong Kong whom we have never met. Sometime we will meet them in heaven. Then we can give a proper 'thank you.'""

Such loving service is one of the keys to Christian fellowship. As Paul now turns to a discussion of Christian liberty, he points out that liberty must not be allowed to degenerate into license but should be governed by love and consideration for others.

Freedom is an essential element in the Christian life. But, Paul warns, do not make your liberty an opportunity for giving way to carnal passions (v. 13). Do not make your liberty a ""base of operations"" for the flesh in its war against the spirit. In such a case, a man may be brought into bondage to corruption.

If one wants to be in bondage, let him serve others in the bondage of love. The Galatians had been looking for a bondage. So Paul recommends a real and worthwhile bondage for them to subject themselves to: one of mutual love. What follows in verse 14 justifies this. To ""love your neighbor as yourself"" presupposes love for God, because we cannot begin to love our neighbor unless we first love God and the love of God is flowing through us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
""Serve one another in love"" is an exciting command (v. 13). In obeying it, we follow the example of Christ Himself (John 13).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:16-21
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Life in the Spirit, Scripture tells us, is a rich and satisfying experience. The brilliant Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards, who found this to be true, once wrote:

""I have many times had a sense of the glory of the third Person in the Trinity, in His office of sanctifier...God in the communications of His Holy Spirit, has appeared as an infinite fountain of divine glory and sweetness; being full and sufficient to satisfy the soul: pouring forth itself in sweet communications, like the sun in its glory, sweetly and pleasantly diffusing light and Life.""

Elsewhere, Edwards called the Holy Spirit ""a divine supernatural spring of life and action."" To ""live by the Spirit,"" as Paul put it (v. 16), is to allow the Spirit to be the governing principle of our lives. If we permit the Spirit to control, we will not ""gratify,"" or allow to be accomplished, ""the desires of the sinful nature.""

Verse 17 describes essentially the same struggle as appears in Romans 6-7. Within the believer are two natures: an old, fleshly nature and a new, spiritual nature. The first we receive at birth and the second by regeneration. The new nature is enabled by the Holy Spirit to overcome the downward pull of the old nature. The Spirit is the seal of our being in Christ (Eph. 1:13), and therefore we are no longer under the condemnation of the law (Gal. 5:18).

The next few verses (vv. 19-21) go on to detail the acts of the sinful nature and to show the heinousness of that nature and its potential for evil if left unchecked. Paul does not view the sins here as a complete listing, but only as examples. These sins fall basically into four categories: (1) sexual sins; (2) idolatry and magic; (3) sins of strife (conflict); and (4) sins of indulgence or intemperance, such as drunkenness.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Galatians 5:19-21 is one of the Bible's lists of what God hates. These verses make a counterweight to the famous ""fruit of the Spirit"" we'll study tomorrow.

Do you need to confess sin in any of these areas? Don't delay--when we do what God hates, we grieve our heavenly Father. As His children, we should instead be doing things that bring Him joy and glorify Him. As mentioned on Thursday, God ""is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness"" (1 John 1:9).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:22-26
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TODAY IN THE WORD
""My garden brings me great joy,"" says Maria Plichta of Chicago. For this World War II concentration camp survivor, her garden is more than petunias and sunflowers.

At the war's outset, Maria worked in a factory in Poland. During a Gestapo raid, she was accused of being a political criminal and jailed, then sent to a German concentration camp where she remained until the end of the war. In 1951 she emigrated to America.

Cultivating her garden helps her escape from painful memories. As she describes it: ""I remember things--dark, very bad things and my heart feels heavy. I cannot sleep, so I go to my garden and look at my flowers. I take care of them. I give them water and pull weeds. I keep busy and try to forget that time in my life."" Peace of mind grows in Maria's garden.

Images of gardening underlie today's classic verses on the fruit of the Spirit. If believers walk by the Spirit, the tendencies of the sinful nature (see yesterday's study) will not be permitted to grow. Instead, our lives will be characterized by key spiritual qualities (vv. 22-23). It is interesting to note here that ""fruit"" is singular, signifying the unity and peaceableness brought by the ministry of the Spirit. The acts of the sinful nature, on the other hand, are plural, indicating their disorganizing and disorderly effects on our lives.

The fruit of the Spirit may be outlined as follows. First, love, joy and peace constitute general Christian habits of mind. Second are special qualities affecting individuals' relationships with others: patience, kindness and goodness. Finally, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are basic principles which guide a Christian's conduct.

Love is the foundation, the mother of all other Christian graces. This kind of love involves self-sacrifice and self-denial without asking for something in return (cf. 1 Cor. 13).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many of you have already committed Galatians 5:22-23 to memory; but if you haven't done so, that's your ""assignment"" for today!

To ""learn by heart"" isn't just an expression. By memorizing these verses, you have them stored in your heart for future meditation or spiritual warfare. Just as meat marinated in a sauce will be permeated throughout with that flavor, filling your heart with Scripture will ""flavor"" all you do with God's Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 6:1-5
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Mary Wolf gave up a fast-paced life as an NBC News producer to teach young children about computers. From covering world politics and jetting around the globe, she moved to a job with far less money and social prestige. Why?

Says she: ""There is nothing to compare to when one of these kids hugs you and you know they mean it. It's from another world."" Her work as a journalist, she claims, ""pales in comparison"" to the rewards of working with children and helping them learn.

Helping others is a special responsibility and joy for Christians, a truth seen in several ways in today's Scripture reading.

Spiritually motivated people in the fellowship of believers have a responsibility to help the erring brother or sister (v. 1). ""Restore"" is a beautiful word, used in Greek for the setting of a dislocated or broken bone and making it useful to the whole body once more. This is to be done in a spirit of gentleness, not with a ""better than thou"" attitude on the part of those who have not fallen into sin.

If we are to restore others to full usefulness in the body of Christ, we will help bear their burdens (v. 2). This extends beyond helping those who are erring. ""Burdens"" are weights too heavy for individuals to shoulder and capable of being shared with others in the fellowship of believers.

Self-conceit is one of the chief roadblocks to our showing such forbearing sympathy for others (v. 3). If we think ourselves to ""be something"" because we have not given in to sin, we are deceiving ourselves! As believers, we are entirely dependent on God's grace, both for our salvation and for daily help (John 15:5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Carrying one another's burdens is a vital part of Christian fellowship--much more than church softball leagues or potluck suppers, as good as those may be.

If you studied the ""one another"" commands with us in February, you may remember that ""bearing burdens"" means to help other believers with circumstances that are too heavy or difficult for them to deal with alone.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 6:6-10
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Harvesting was a far more difficult task before Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical reaper. Even laboring long hours, farmhands using sickles could harvest no more than one acre per person per day.

When McCormick redesigned his father's defective prototype and presented the world with the first mechanical reaper, he revolutionized farming worldwide. The new machines could harvest more in one hour than one worker could in a whole day.

One fact remained the same, however. Whether with sickles or McCormick's invention, farmers could reap only what they had sowed. This truth, also found in the spiritual realm, is Paul's focus in today's reading.

The life of Christian liberty is a life of thinking of others, as we continue to see in verse 6. ""All good things"" refers generally to blessings of the Christian faith, and possibly to the material support of those who teach the Word full-time.

""A man reaps what he sows"" (v. 7) is a law of life, whether in the realm of nature or the realm of the Spirit. Whatever you sow you will reap; only you will reap much more, for just a few seeds will yield much fruit.

Verse 8 presents a contrast between a worldly and a spiritual sower. The worldly or carnal person sows to further his sinful nature. Such actions produce an effect on his character; the hold of sin over him increases. But the spiritual person sows to cultivate the new nature. Every time he performs an action in the power of the Spirit, the power of the Spirit over him increases. His abundant harvest is a life characterized by the fruit of the Spirit.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What seeds have you been sowing? Do you walk through life looking for opportunities to ""do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers"" (v. 10)?

For many of us, the answer is probably ""no."" We have lapses, grow selfish, forget, think of excuses, or fail to see others' needs. Ask the Lord to give you eyes to see the needs around you and the grace to do something about them. He will show you opportunities and enable you to respond as He would.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 6:11-18
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TODAY IN THE WORD
What does the cross of Christ mean to the believer? The famous preacher John Henry Jowett saw in the cross not only the reality of sin and grace, but also the reality of God's holiness. In one sermon he declared:

""If I want to gaze upon the holiness of God, I know no place like the cross...We are never going to have grand trees of righteousness until they are rooted in a rich soil of reverence, and we are never, I think, going to get the requisite reverence until we find time to contemplate God's holiness; and I do not know any place that will lead us to such a fruitful contemplation of God's holiness as when we take our place near the cross.""

The cross of Christ permeates Paul's comments as he concludes his epistle to the Galatians. After he took the pen from his secretary (v. 11), he reiterated several of his major themes.

In verses 12 and 13 Paul underscores the insincerity of the Judaizing agitators. Despite their apparent religious zeal, they were not concerned about the welfare of believers or the glory of God, only about their own safety (teaching against circumcision almost cost Paul his life on more than one occasion!) and reputation.

In direct contrast, Paul says, ""May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"" (v. 14). By means of Christ's redemption, other things have lost their power: the world system with its attractions, the flesh with its sinful desires, and other religious systems with their teaching of salvation by human effort. Truly we are a ""new creation"" (v. 15)!

Paul concludes the epistle as he began, asserting his authority as an apostle (v. 17). The ""marks of Jesus"" on his body are marks of physical suffering, there because of the apostle's faithful service to God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Congratulations! We've completed our study of Galatians!

As we prepare for a new topic tomorrow, here are a few suggested applications to end the month well: (1) Read through the entire epistle again in one sitting; this will be a good review. (2) Return to an earlier application that you meant to do but never got around to. Don't let the opportunity slip by! (3) Following today's verse, ""boast"" to someone about God's work in your life or generally about His greatness and goodness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 1:1-4
So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. - Luke 1:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
During the height of The Da Vinci Code media craze, about 10 percent of the books on Amazon.com's bestseller list were dedicated in full or in part to disproving commonly held beliefs about Jesus Christ and Christianity. The question everyone wanted answered was, “What do we really know about Jesus?”

Some thirty or so years after Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension, that question was already prevalent in the land where He had lived. If Luke saw the need to establish certainty in Theophilus, the recipient of Luke's Gospel and his book of Acts, we should not be surprised that many today still have questions about Jesus. The abundance of other attempts to compile reliable versions of events shows the widespread need for accuracy that was felt by followers of the Word (v. 1).

Luke was particularly qualified to provide us with an authoritative account of the gospel. As a doctor, he had special insight into the physical and medical details about Christ and those He healed, but more important, his close relationship with Paul gave him a thorough understanding of the teachings of Christ as well (Col. 4:14).

Luke also thoroughly investigated all the available information from written records, eyewitnesses, and authoritative teachers (vv. 2-3). Luke had absolute certainty in mind as he wrote. The Gospel of Luke isn't just one man's version—Luke compiled facts from a variety of trusted sources so that Theophilus, and all of us who read this book, could be sure that the Christian faith is based on true, historically accurate information and profoundly authoritative teaching from the life of Christ.

This month we'll study the entire Gospel of Luke, focusing on the reassuring evidence that Jesus is the Christ and that the opposition we face from the world should not shake our confidence in the eternal truth of God's Word.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many eyewitnesses to the events in Luke did not believe in Christ. While it's important to be able to defend the historical accuracy of the Bible, faith isn't solely a matter of knowing the facts. Even if we had video footage of Christ's entire life, that wouldn't be enough to save us. Faith is a spiritual matter, so pray today that God would move in the hearts of your unsaved friends and family.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:1-6
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Early in World War II, British intelligence obtained one of the machines Nazi Germany used to encode secret messages. British codebreakers and mathematicians solved the machine's coding procedures, and soon the Allies had access to German war plans. The codebreakers provided British general Bernard Montgomery with the battle plan of German commander Erwin Rommel, helping the British defeat the Germans in North Africa in 1942.

The enemy of God and His people has a code, too, one that he uses to try to confuse and outwit believers in spiritual warfare. Besides direct attacks and obvious temptations, Satan's strategy includes using the very language of the Christian faith against us.

We have a good example of this strategy in the New Age movement. Many New Agers talk about ""God"" and claim to be ""born again."" They stress the importance of ""spirituality"" and urge us to seek life's ""higher purposes."" In addition to New Agers, many different cults are out there, claiming to have extra revelation or the key to the ""real meaning"" of the Bible.

These ideas may seem new or modern, but today's text shows that the enemy has always been in the business of trying to deceive ""even the elect"" (Matt. 24:24). The devil twists the truth just enough to trip up the unsuspecting. The apostle John leaves no doubt that the deception of the world's false prophets involves more than human effort. These deceivers are under the influence of evil spirits, with Satan at the controls (1 John 4:1-3).

Satan tries to slip his lies past us; but the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, has broken the devil's code, assuring us of spiritual victory (v. 4). Because the Holy Spirit is the ""Spirit of truth"" (v. 6), we need not succumb to Satan's deceptions.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to ""all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"" (1 Cor. 1:2). We are included in this greeting! We may not be struggling with the Our topic this month is spiritual warfare, a teaching of Scripture that is gaining more attention as the lines between truth and error continue to blur in our culture. Our battle with Satan and his forces is real, but the outcome has already been decided. Christ secured victory when He died on the cross and rose from the dead.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezekiel 28:11-19
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In his classic work, Paradise Lost, poet John Milton depicts the rebellion of Satan and a great war lasting three days. On the first two days, Satan and his followers wage war against the unfallen angels under the leadership of the archangel Michael. But on the third day, God the Father sends the Son in glorious power to do single-handed combat with the enemy. The Son rides out in His Father's chariot, and the fallen angels flee heaven in terror. With the omnipotent One at work, there was really no battle at all.

Although the Bible does not detail the fall of Satan, Milton's account tells the truth about the power of God. His heavenly throne was never in danger. Ezekiel 28 reminds us of something we tend to forget: spiritual warfare began in heaven, not on earth.

When Satan exalted himself in pride, challenged God for the rulership of creation, and was thrown down (v. 17), he landed on earth as the furious enemy of God and of anyone who bears the name of His Son. He began lashing out at God and at us, bent on wrecking God's program and people.

No wonder Satan is so angry. Verses 12-15 describe him as an angelic being of great beauty and power, ""the model of perfection"" (v. 12). He was ordained by God as a ""guardian cherub"" (v. 14), that is, he served near God's throne. When Lucifer allowed pride to overwhelm him, he lost his exalted position in heaven (Is. 14:12, KJV).

One reason we may overlook Ezekiel 28 is that it seems so remote from our daily experience. After all, what does the rebellion and defeat of Satan in eternity past have to do with the struggles we face today? In a word, everything! Satan is our sworn enemy. Whatever temptations or spiritual struggles we may be wrestling with today, we can be sure Satan and his demons have a hand in them.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to ""all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"" (1 Cor. 1:2). We are included in this greeting! We may not be struggling with the In warfare, it is dangerous to underestimate your enemy's strength. But it is also harmful to overestimate your foe. This is what too many believers do when it comes to the devil. Several decades of television soaps and sitcoms, along with an endless string of Hollywood films, have convinced most people that it is useless to try to resist our inner urges.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 8:42-47
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Thomas Jefferson became so disgusted by the slander and attacks against him in the Federalist press of his day that he made a suggestion to newspaper editors. He said they should divide their papers into four sections and plainly label them: Truth, Probability, Possibility, or Lies.

Whatever the merits of Jefferson's case, he wasn't the first person in history to feel the sting of lying tongues. The first sin committed on earth was a lie delivered by the prince of liars, Satan himself, when he promised Eve she would be like God if she ate the fruit (Gen. 3:4-5).

Yesterday we read about Satan's fall from heaven. Today we are studying his character and nature. Next, we will look at his domain and his first attack on the human race. One of the cardinal rules for success in spiritual warfare is to know your enemy. That's why we're spending these few days on Satan, so that we won't be ""unaware of his schemes"" (2 Cor. 2:11).

Our Teacher today is the Lord Jesus Himself, and you'll notice that He did not mince words in describing the enemy. These verses are part of a longer discourse in which Jesus' human enemies, the Pharisees, challenged His truthfulness (John 8:13).

Jesus exposed the folly of their charge, asserting that truth is found in Him alone (vv. 31-32). Why didn't His adversaries believe in Him? Why did they spread lies about Him? Jesus exposed the reason when He linked these men with their true father, the devil (v. 44).

What a stunning picture of Satan Jesus gives us in this one verse! Because Satan is utterly devoid of truth, he can communicate only lies. Falsehood is his ""native language."" Anyone who believes him is horribly deceived.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Just as lying is natural for Satan, telling the truth should be natural for us as God's people. We shouldn't even have to stop to think about it.

Do you have a reputation for truthfulness? It's a treasure worth guarding. Take a spring walk today if possible and review your relationship with your spouse, children, co-workers, employees, fellow church members, and anyone else in your circle of influence.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 12:30-31; 1 John 5:19
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TODAY IN THE WORD
For many Americans of an earlier generation, the term ""company town"" strikes a familiar chord. These were communities built and operated by companies to house their employees. Since the company ran the town, it did not matter whether a person was paying the rent, buying groceries, or shopping for clothes. All the profits went to the same source, the employer.

As far as unbelievers are concerned, this world is Satan's ""company town."" He's the boss, the prince of this world, the ""ruler of the kingdom of the air"" (Eph. 2:2). We sing that God has the whole world in His hands, and that's true. But until Christ returns and claims His rightful throne, Satan has the unsaved world in his lap.

That fact doesn't need to keep God's people awake at night except in our concern for the lost. It's not as if the devil is going to unseat God from His throne. One of the world's prevailing misconceptions about the battle between good and evil is that the two forces are more or less equal, locked in a titanic struggle for control. But that's not what the Bible says!

But for the time being, we need to realize that the world is Satan's domain, his sphere of operation. The question is, what does this mean for the daily spiritual warfare we are called to wage?

One conclusion is that as the children of God, we are in hostile territory. But we are not defenseless. The apostle John explains: ""The Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true"" (1 John 5:20). The best defense against the devil's lies is to know the truth of God and the God of truth.

Another conclusion we can draw is that since the world is under the influence of Satan, we know what kind of influence we can expect the world to exert on us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here's another conclusion we can draw from today's lesson. Since ""the world and its desires pass away"" (1 John 2:17), we shouldn't allow ourselves to become attached to this planet and temporal things. There's nothing wrong with having possessions. But we need to hold them in an open hand, because they are merely temporary.