Children of the Devil

Reflections on John 8:44

In John 8:44, Jesus told the Jewish leaders that they were the children of their father the devil, who was a murderer and liar from the beginning. Since the Fall in the Garden when Satan deceived Eve and brought death on mankind, there has been continual enmity between the woman’s seed and the Serpent’s seed. The Serpent has convinced his seed that the way to exercise dominion over the world and subdue the woman’s seed is by deception and violence. Within a short time, the leaders to whom Jesus was talking would confirm that the devil was their father by bringing false charges against the Jesus and crucifying him.

From Cain and Lamech to Nebuchadnezzar, and from Caesar to Napoleon and Hitler, men and governments have sought to extend their power using deception and violence. That is why abusive world powers in Revelation are pictured as a Beast which is the mirror image of the Ancient Serpent, the devil. No ruler or nation is immune to this temptation. Great Britain abused its power with deception and violence during the Opium Wars in China. The founders of our nation understood the danger of this abuse of power so they limited the power of the Commander-in-Chief by reserving for Congress the power to declare war. Nevertheless, even our nation used deception and violence to displace the native tribes of North America, and in recent years has allowed several Commanders-in-Chief to conduct war without a declaration of war from Congress.