Are Spirits of Deception and Lying Real?

Healing Ancestral Wounds

By Gena Barnhill @BarnhillGena

I grew up thinking the devil and spirits of deception and lying weren’t real. Instead, I assumed they were a fabricated excuse people used to place blame outside themselves when they did something that caused shame or embarrassment. Comedian Flip Wilson reinforced this belief whenever he jokingly said, “The devil made me do it.”

The Devil is Real 

In my adult years, I learned the devil is a real entity. The devil and his fallen angels attack us through temptation, accusation, or deception. John 8:44 states he is a liar and the father of lies. The devil (See Revelation 12:9) is also referred to in the Bible as:

  • the prince of demons (Matthew 9:34)
  • the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)
  • the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)
  • the accuser (Revelation 12:10)
  • the deceiver (Genesis 3:13)
  • the great dragon (Revelation 12:9)
  • the ancient serpent (Revelation 12:9)
  • Satan, who leads the whole world astray (Revelation 12:9)

We do not need to fear the devil (our enemy) because Jesus said in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

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Do Not Be Complacent

We need to be aware of the enemy’s tactics, so we don’t fall prey to them. The devil and his demons lie to deceive us. They aim to destroy us and separate us from God. These deceptive spirits use lies and partial truths to create doubt about God’s promises. The devil convinced Eve in the Garden of Eden God was holding out on her.

By choosing to ignore that the devil exists, we set ourselves up to fall victim to his ploys. In Hosea 4:6, the Lord said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” We must arm ourselves with knowledge and stay close to the Lord and His protection. The more we draw close to the Lord, the more we recognize His voice, and His truth will set us free.

Spirits of Deception and Lying Are Real

In Chronicles 18:22, we read about God putting a lying spirit into the mouth of the prophets. God does not lie, and He abhors lying. The Ten Commandments address lying by stating we are not to bear false witness against our neighbor. God punished Ananias and Saphira for lying in Acts 5. Matthew 24:24 warns us that false prophets and messiahs will arise in the latter days to lead us astray. First Timothy 4:1 says there will be a release of lying spirits in the last days.

How can we recognize the spirit of deception/lying?

They can manifest in the following behaviors:

  • Cheating
  • Confusion
  • Deceptive business practices
  • Deceit
  • Scams
  • Family secrets
  • Gender Identity confusion
  • Fraudulence
  • Dishonesty
  • Infidelity
  • Minimizing or maximizing
  • Trickery
  • Secretiveness
  • Treachery
  • Self-deception
  • Justifying
  • Untrustworthiness

Have you met people who frequently lie? News programs bombard us with reports of scams, fraudulent activity, and dishonesty. I often hear people say, “What is this world coming to? Who can I believe?”

The good news is we do not need to be weighed down by corruption and negative events. The Lord never promised an easy, conflict-free life, but we can live a life full of joy when the Lord is at the center of our lives. James 4:7 says, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

A Word of Caution

Understanding that negative spiritual forces are working to separate us from God and each other is essential so we can discern when spirits of deception and lying are operating. However, we do not need to be overly focused on demonic forces. Not everything bad that happens to us is the result of demonic activity. Sometimes we make bad choices, and we need to take responsibility for our behavior. Our enemy would love for us to be overly focused on him, so we remain paralyzed in fear. But Jesus came to set us free!

Spirits of deception and lying also work with other negative influences, such as fear and shame, to cause harm. Again, seek the Lord daily, and ask Him to guide you in truth.

Solution Steps

S– Stay close to the Lord so we can discern His voice from the world’s distractions and the enemy. Stay away from people who habitually lie and deceive. We may sense the Lord’s voice as a whisper, a thought that comes to our mind, through a dream or vision, or from another person or the Scriptures.

T– Test what we hear and see. First John 4:1-6 tells us not to believe every spirit but to evaluate them. John warns us there will be many false prophets, so we must assess if they are from God. If what they are saying does not line up with the Scriptures, discard it.

E– Examine our hearts and minds. Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts? Are our minds alert? The enemy takes a kernel of truth and twists it, so we need discernment to recognize when truth has been distorted and disregard it.

P- Petition the Lord for His truth. He never lies. If we have lied, we can ask the Lord for forgiveness. If others have lied to us, we can forgive them with the help of the Holy Spirit.

S– Surround yourself with others who hear clearly from the Lord and seek wise counsel. Put on the full armor of God described in Ephesians 6 each day. Our battles are not against other people as the enemy would have us believe, but against spiritual forces.

 

What thoughts do you have regarding spirits of deception and lying? Be sure to share them in our Facebook Group Healing Prayer Discussion.

We are all stronger when we learn from each other. Looking forward to your input.

Blessings,
Gena

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on November 21, 2022, and was revamped for comprehensiveness on December 29, 2024.

In case you missed the rest of the Ancestral Influences Series, here is the link to the Archives:

https://simpleeffectiveprayer.com/category/healing-ancestral-wounds/