What’s your native language?
Mine is English. I added Spanish as a second language in the 80’s. I do all right, but I know that I speak it with a Gringa accent.
This week we have a friend staying with us from Brazil whose native language is Portuguese. He speaks English very well, but it’s obvious that English is not his native language because he still speaks it with an accent.
English. Spanish. Portuguese. Chinese.
They are all native languages to someone.
But have you ever considered lying as a native language? That someone lies so fluently that they can pull it off without an accent?
We’ve heard the tips to help identify when someone is lying—changed posture, diverted eyes, fidgeting. These are “accents” to the lying language because we assume that truth is everyone’s native language. We think that we can identify a liar just like we can identify a foreigner speaking English with an accent. And we usually can.
But this week I read in the book of John that Jesus warns us to beware of the devil. He lies without an accent.
“When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
That makes it tricky. We don’t hear the accent, we don’t see the clues that he’s lying, so we just believe him. He bombards us with his lies through media, cultural trends, hurtful words from the past, or maybe even through the words of a friend or co-worker. And we believe him.
“You will never be good enough.”
“A little more will make you happy.”
“You deserve it.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“There is no forgiveness for that.”
“There is no forever after.”
“Just a little won’t hurt.”
“Jesus isn’t the only way.”
“You will never change.”
“It’s okay as long as no one knows.”
His lies to us are smooth and endless without an accent that alerts us to beware. The tips to identify a liar just won’t work with the devil. He’s too good.
So how do we catch him in his lies?
Know the truth. The truth is the best lie detector.
Knowing the truth will catch him every time. If God’s truths are our native language, we’ll be fluent enough to be able to identify the lies of the devil. If we immerse our hearts and minds in his truth, then Satan won’t really have a chance.
Are you fluent enough in the truths of God that you catch Satan at his lies?
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31
