“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. 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 (context, vv. 42-47)

Satan, Lucifer, Adversary, Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, Accuser of the Brethren, slanderer, Antichrist, father of lies, troubling spirit, angel of death, the serpent and the Great Red Dragon in the book of Revelation. He has lots of names and titles, all pretty descriptive of his character; and the extensive empire of evil and hate.

Beelzebub means, “Lord of the Flies,” which is really descriptive when you think about it. All that he does is a big pile of caca.

Jesus starts this particular passage with the stark issue of the Pharisees–Jesus said point-blank that they were in league with Satan, that they are only serving up evil. It seems that there something spiritually dark in everything they touch–often it’s hidden. They are Satan’s emissaries to the lost sheep of Israel.

The second part of this verse deals plainly with the devil and his character, Key ideas express his twisted ministry–murder, falseness and a father of lies–a terrible litany of death. This satanic trickery from the Pharisees was two-fold: The first attack was directed at the divinity of Jesus. The second is a bit unsavory; it points at his illegitimate birth. They’re calling him a bastard.

“The religious leaders brought up the issue of parentage by insulting Jesus in John 8:41. Jesus replied by litany their spiritual parentage – they were the spiritual children of the devil. This was evident in that their desires matched the devil’s desires: the desire to kill and deceive.”

David Guzak, enduringword.com

We have to know these things as his disciples. Whether we like it or not.

“There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan.”

C.S. Lewis