His first actual communication with mortal man indicated his pattern of activity. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).
The inference is that God is being a bit unreasonable. Here is the suggestion that God might be expecting too much from her. Eve, you might be in a position where God is sort of taking advantage of you. He places doubt in her mind as to the authenticity of God’s plain statement of command. Notice how he dwells on the prohibition. This is a common presentation of Satan in his lying, especially to young people.
Since when can we get away from absolutes? Who wants to? God says absolutely NO to adultery, fornication, stealing, coveting, etc. This declaration is in both the Old and New Testaments. Stretching morals to suit the situation is what is meant by the new morality. Every young person should know in advance when and where he or she is going to say, “no,” or be at the mercy of subjective momentary emotion that will scar him or her permanently. Without the absolutes that are rooted and grounded in the heart, being guided in advance by God’s commandments, conscience itself is footloose and free in the heat of the battle. The pressures of the moment will overpower us unless we have prior commitments and standards. No young person will be an exception to this fact!
SELF CONTROL
While still being young, are you entertaining the lies of Satan? Somewhere there is a lie that has a great deal of attraction for you. Will you recognize it if I mention it? Honesty in your appraisal is vital to understanding Satan’s avenue of attack. His lie will always come through your own fleshly appetites. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14,15).
Satan always presents his lies through one of three mediums and he can use more than one at a time. Pick out the three in I John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
YOUNG ONLY ONCE. Right! And now is the time when your greatest mistake can be made. Don’t allow a happy life to be ruined with dreadful guilt because of a few moments of pleasure during youth. If doing wrong is a pleasure to you, that should be alarm sufficient for you to flee youthful lusts. While you are young determine to have a clean mind and body. This is no time to allow the devil to contaminate you. “Flee also youthful lusts; but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (II Timothy 2:22).
EVERYBODY DOES IT. What a lie! You must be the only one out of step. This lie demands a choice between the crowd and your conscience. Better listen to the right voice! Everybody is not doing
it. The three Hebrew children saw everybody else doing it. They obeyed God anyway. Read about them in the third chapter of Daniel. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).
YOU’RE CHICKEN. Calling me a name does not make me the thing! What do you mean a chicken? Suppose I say “no” to your proposition? A chicken because I refuse to harm my health and reputation? It takes more courage to say “no” than to allow injured pride to lead me astray. Moses said, “No!” (Hebrews 11:24)
NOBODY WILL KNOW. Don’t you dare believe that lie. The expression on your face will tell. Your doctor bill will show it to you. If a young man or young lady gets into trouble, everyone will know. Any habit will become evident both physically and mentally. You know! That should be one too many. “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH. Stop and think! This is another way of urging you not to listen to your conscience, your parents or your church. If this lie appeals to you, it should awaken within a question: Are you are old enough emotionally, socially, and intellectually, to consider the price you pay for such evil privileges. I would remind you that the price is too high. You are never old enough to commit sin. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Notice this verse starts with training as a child.
NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME. Poor little me! I am a misfit; and of course, it is not my fault. You see my psychologist pointed out that my parents loved my sister more than me. Now I am so alone. If you are a young lady, and this lie comes your way from a young man, don’t give in to his desires. He is playing on your sympathy to seduce what you would not normally give him. God understands and informs us of the real problem and solution. All of this is in His Word, the Bible. “For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Psalms 103:14).
YOU WILL IF YOU LOVE ME. Here is the oldest lie in the book. “Prove your love.” Drinking and petting (and many other sins) are not signs of love or friendship. All you are doing is satisfying the passions of uncontrolled youth or giving in to the foolish thrill of the moment. If he really loved you or wanted you to be a true friend, he would not ask you to do anything that would harm your health or lower your moral principles. Being happy ever after in your marriage is based on your behavior before marriage. It will take more than a big church wedding to break up established patterns of misconduct.
Never forget that the young man has a way of finding and falling for the kind of girl he deserves. The question comes so often, “How far should I go?” How far did you want your wife to go with someone else before marrying you? How would you feel about your father and mother going that far with someone besides each other? How far do you want your little sister to go?
Love does not get nervous, but knows how to sit still and wait its turn. It has all the time in the world, and when its time comes, it is gentle and tender. (I Corinthians 13:4-7)
Love does not insist on its own way and never hurts or contaminates another. Love never generates a situation that later produces shame.
YOU’LL BE POPULAR. Popular with whom? It will be only with the less desirable crowd. Who wants to be popular with the crowd that demands wrong doing? What do we see in this world that attracts us to secure their approval? “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
YOU LIVE ONLY ONCE. Stop at this flashing light! Is pleasure your only goal in life? One wrong act today will assure you of tomorrows that are perfectly miserable. You do not live only once. You have years ahead of you. You will be alive in all of them! Turning down wrong things leads to happiness found in the right things. “.. .It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but-byevery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4).
YOU WON’T GET HURT. Who says so? Look up the statistics. Cancer is no longer debatable for the smoker! Social drinking is measured in terms of highway deaths, unwed mothers, unstable homes, and many acts of violence. If there is a question of your getting hurt by wrong doing, mark it down, for you will get hurt. Sin always takes a dreadful toll. “Vengeance is
Satan’s Lie to Youth - continued
mine...saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Only repentance and absolute assurance of the forgiveness of sins will set us free from the horrible consequences of doing that which is wrong in the sight of a Holy God.
YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL. This is a real line that most girls fall for. Today’s sophisticated look, without natural eyes, hair, etc., one can hardly tell whether the girl is beautiful or not. It is difficult these days to determine which sex is walking by because of the long hair and sloppy clothes. If you are so easily swayed by this lie, you had better measure up to his expectations. If the young man really cares, you will not need green eyes, tight and short dresses and a wild hair do to draw his compliments. This lie should grant no special privileges. “Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompense” (Job 15:31).
YOU WILL BE RELAXED AND HAPPY. For how long? When you begin to feel this way because of liquor, other people are already laughing at you, not with you. Relax with the foul smell of weeds and sour grapes on your breath? Relax with the slurred speech, sloppy posture and squinty eyes? What a lie. Always remember! The enjoyment of sin is short-lived. “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25).
ONLY HARMLESS FUN. Here is the line of false security. Just a “friendly get together at a friend’s house.” Who is going to be there? What is this fun that is classified “harmless?” Why is such an adjective used? Better be careful! You might end up with a big surprise you will never forget instead of harmless fun. God tells you who to keep company with and who to depart from. You better obey Him. “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).
SO AND SO DOES IT, WHY NOT YOU? Just because others do, it is no valid reason for your doing it. Turn this question around. Since you do not do it, why do they? Are you going to be an imitator? A follower? Sin will always make you less attractive and healthy. The mental institutions are filled with guilt-ridden people. Do you think for one moment that the intoxication of the moment will not rob you of devastating consequences during the rest of your life? Young man, you will be no exception!
WE’LL SHOW THEM. Who are you trying to get even with? Do you think by hurting yourself that you will get back at your parents, a boy or girl friend? Revenge is a poor motive for doing anything. This lie is such poor reasoning, that it is childish. Don’t play the fool! You will have to live with the consequences for your display of wrong motives. No one else will be responsible for your action. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
JUST ONCE. It is not easy to stop on the slide half way down. Before realizing, you have gone too far and now must live with the memory. Just a little bit! The pleasure of impulse has a real impact. Better keep your guard up. “Once” places you in just as much guilt
in God’s sight as if it were a hundred times. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilt of all” (James 2:10).
THINK YOU’RE TOO GOOD FOR US? In other words, “Who do you think you are?” This lie comes from a guilty person. By your evident standard of conduct, you place him in a position of feeling guilty and jealous of your high ideals. In his frustration, he tries to strike back by challenging your position. It’s true! You are too good to stoop to his level. Don’t be concerned about a little name-calling. God’s records are accurate. “For his eyes are upon the way of men, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. Therefore, he knoweth their works, and he overthroweth them in the night, so they are destroyed” (Job 34:21,22, 25).
NOBODY’S PERFECT. Well, so what! Does this give you any right to disregard the plain direction of God’s Word? Are you to be measured by any one else? Jesus Christ is your judge! You will answer as an individual in His Holy Presence. Don’t allow this pack philosophy to produce a feeble excuse for your own wrong doing. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
IT WON’T WORK FOR ME. Who says so? It is not a matter of “can’t do,” but it is “won’t do.” God’s direction is always accomplished by Divine enablement. You can and must obey. Any lie to the contrary is motivated by Satan, who is a liar. “I can do all things through Christ which stengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).
I WILL SOMEDAY. This line keeps us from confession, Repentance, restitution, and faith in Christ to change our heart. Procrastination is our worst enemy. How many times have we decided to stop? How many times have we planned at some distant future to get right with God? Until our transgressions and commitments are, by the volition of our own will, moved into the “NOW,” we will continue in our same deplorable condition. This moment let’s call upon the Lord! “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2).
FORGIVENESS. Have a mentioned a lie that the devil is using on you? Don’t be a victim of improper values and wrong logic. If one of these lies has penetrated your heart and life, as a Christian you can have forgiveness and cleansing. Find a place of prayer and tell on yourself to the Lord. Remember His direction and promise. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
If you do not make Heaven, then you can rest assured that you will be in Hell for all eternity. God’s direction in His Word is very plain. You must acknowledge your sin and turn to Him in Repentance. “I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
Trust Christ on His Cross as your own deserved place and His death as the one that is rightfully yours. Believe Him to take away your sin and place you in His family. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house” (Acts 16:31). “But as many as received him (Christ), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).
Radio Message by Dwight Porter, D.D. (http://thehourofgraceandpower.org/Docs%20and%20Literature/Youth/Satans%20Lie%20to%20Youth.pdf)
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