John 8:44. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
People are unhappy because of their broken spiritual identity. According to Scripture, all humanity is born spiritually dead, separated from God and trapped in the devil’s deception. We are enslaved by self-reliance and self-centeredness (Genesis 3), drawn to corruption and worldly pleasure (Genesis 6), and blinded by pride and the pursuit of success (Genesis 11).
Rather than loving God and worshiping Him alone, we have become lovers of ourselves, money, and achievement, only to find our hearts lost in formlessness, emptiness, and darkness. Beyond that, we are born into a system bound by the devil’s framework—held captive by the forces of politics and authority (Acts 13), enslaved to materialism and economy (Acts 16), and consumed by the culture of darkness (Acts 19). Instead of enjoying the abundant life God intended, we conform to the ways of the world, which ultimately lead to destruction.
Worst of all, Scripture reveals that every person is born as a child of the devil, having turned from God’s way to follow their own (John 8:44, Isaiah 53:6). From the beginning, Satan has lied to us—offering false happiness, empty promises, and counterfeit hope. Caught in his traps and confined by his frames, humanity lives a life that fulfills the enemy’s desires, not God’s. And what does the devil desire? Only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). No matter how hard we try or how much we accomplish, nothing within us can change our spiritual identity or our eternal destiny.
But thanks be to God! In His eternal love, He sent His Son Jesus as the Christ to bring us back to Himself. The price of our redemption was not silver or gold, but the life of Jesus poured out on the cross as a ransom. By His death, Jesus paid the penalty of sin. By His resurrection, He destroyed the power of the devil, who holds the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). Through faith in Jesus Christ and by believing in His name, God gives us the right to become His children (John 1:12). In that moment, our spiritual identity is forever changed.
You no longer belong to the devil. You no longer need to listen to his lies or carry out his desires. Through Christ, you have been completely set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). You have been made new. Your position in Christ is eternally secure—God has sealed you with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of your salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Now, by the Spirit, you can cry out, “Abba, Father,” and the Spirit Himself testifies with your spirit that you are a child of God (Romans 8:15–16). Because of who you are in Christ, your heavenly Father hears you whenever you pray in Jesus’ name (Matthew 7:9–11).
So stop listening to the voice of the accuser. The devil has no claim on you. No one can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen—it is God who justifies (Romans 8:33). Do not be discouraged by your own weakness. Nothing in all creation can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37–39). Do not worry about your life. Your heavenly Father has a perfect plan for you—plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Do not let the world define your identity. Listen instead to what God says about you:
“The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in His love He will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
Abide in His love. Delight in His love. And proclaim His love by living as a witness of Christ to those who are still living as children of the devil. The world desperately needs the truth that set you free.
Prayer. Father, thank You for bringing me back to You through Christ Jesus, my Lord. Open my eyes to see the lost condition of those still separated from You and living under the power of the enemy. Strengthen me in the spiritual battle against the devil’s schemes. Empower me by Your Spirit to devote my life to saving others with the Gospel. Keep me from unbelief and protect me from the enemy’s deception. Let me stand firm in the truth of who I am in Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.