The Lies That Bind

Satan has one main strategy: deception. We tend to think that he works through bizarre manifestations, but he primarily works as a deceiver, and he’s very effective. Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44).

We’re not always good at recognizing Satan’s lies, which cause great damage.

Canadian pastor Chris Quiring has written a book to address this issue, and to help us learn how to identify Satan’s lies, trace them to their source, and replace them with God’s truth. The book is called The Lies That Bind: Exposing The Lies Keeping You From A Rich And Meaningful Life.

It was my privilege to talk to Chris about his new book on The Gospel for Life podcast. Quiring helps us understand how lies can entangle our lives and hinder us from living out our true identity in Christ. He draws a fascinating parallel to the art of forgery, where knowing the real thing — the true, pure, and authentic— enables us to detect and expose the counterfeit.

You can listen to the podcast episode below, or find The Gospel for Life podcast on your favorite podcast app.

Key Ideas

We need to identify Satan’s lies, trace them, and replace them.
A community of other believers can help us spot Satan’s lies.
We tend to make decisions emotionally, not logically. This can be a danger when we’re tempted to follow lies that feed our emotions.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is something unspiritual.

Quotes

"The most dangerous enemy is the one you can't see."

“There is absolutely no more effective weapon in our fight against the lies of the enemy than to get to know the word of God."

"What you give your attention to will ultimately determine who you become."

“Do you want to be discipled by YouTube's algorithm? Do you want to be discipled by culture at large, or do you want to be discipled by the word of God and the people of God?”

"Sometimes the answer to a lot of our problems is simply to start changing our daily habits because that will accumulate... each individual decision in and of itself is not a life-changing moment, but they add up over time."

"I've just been encouraged just to see the passion in people's eyes and hearts for a church and community, especially community. It's been really encouraging as of late to see the fire come back for some people, to see the light in their eyes, to see them prioritizing truth and community and being together and worshiping. That I think that's been a real encouragement for me in my own life."