Lies as old as time

Popularized by President Donald Trump and other politicians, fake news is now a well-recognized and relevant cultural term. Americans battle daily to decipher fake news from factual truth, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) often makes the difference between the two almost indiscernible.

In his latest book, The Devil’s Newsroom: Muting Satan’s Fake News & Tuning in to God’s Truth, Dr. Jeff Schreve differentiates fact from fiction by first defining fake news as “journalistic propaganda consisting of deliberate misinformation spread in print, broadcast, or social media with the intent to mislead in order to gain financially, politically, or in some other way.”

Schreve, pastor of First Baptist Church of Texarkana, Texas, founded From His Heart Ministries (fromhisheart.org) and hosts Real Truth for Today, heard weekdays on American Family Radio (AFR). He recently spoke with The Stand about his new book and mainstream media’s affinity for fake news. It’s a trend that is anything but new, he says, and one that dates all the way back to biblical times.

Ancient falsehoods

Schreve recounted the moment when the serpent mysteriously appeared in the Garden of Eden and boldly questioned Eve by twisting God’s words: “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1).

“We need to remember that the devil is a liar, actually the father of all lies,” said Schreve. “We basically get a look into how that serpent, the devil, came to be in Ezekiel 28 – and how he came to be the source of fake news in today’s world.”

Schreve noted that the devil still propagates the same doubt and lies. That’s why The Devil’s Newsroom aims to alert readers to the false reports of the world’s oldest fake newscaster and offer the only effective strategy to battle those lies.

“Satan is in the business of spreading fake news to deceive us all,” Schreve explained. “But once we recognize the deception, we can mute the lies and combat them with the truth of God’s Word.”

Schreve stressed the importance of fully understanding the Enemy’s strategy; the devil does not spread deception simply for deception’s sake. Instead, Satan’s objective in spreading the lies of fake news remains the same as it was with Adam and Eve – to separate mankind from God and ultimately lead them straight to the gates of Hell.

Eternal strategies

But God’s plan directly opposes that of the “World’s Biggest Liar,” as Schreve labeled Satan.

“Ultimately, God wants to save,” declared Schreve. “We see that clearly in Ezekiel 18:32, ‘For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, declares the Lord God. Therefore, repent and live.’”

Schreve added, “But if we refuse to accept the truth of His Word, He will give us over to a reprobate mind.”

He also discussed cultural evidence of this reprobate mindset, including the current tendency to pervert truth and fully justify actions historically recognized as immoral.

Schreve mentioned the Bible’s forewarning of this perversion in 2 Timothy 3:13, “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

The Enemy’s present-day tool for dissemination of this “bad to worse” deception may be fake news, but Schreve used the following words to counteract those growing lies: “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Though fake news might dim that light, lies can never extinguish it. Consequently, Schreve urges believers to walk confidently in that light, fully identifying as children of God.

Brighter light

But he cautions believers to do a whole lot more shining than arguing, as they walk. To shine brightly in a culture inundated with fake news, Schreve advises Christians to walk in love and develop a “deeper faith built on the
biblical foundation of who God is – not who culture or Satan says He is.”

“To take our place in this culture,” Schreve stated, “we first need to understand there’s nothing we can do to get God to love us any more, and there’s nothing we can do to get God to love us any less. He just loves us!”

Yes, man is inherently sinful by nature, and yes, that sin forever separates mankind from God. But despite the hopelessness of sin and the despair that the Enemy continues to propagate with his fake news, God’s truth trumps the lies, and His love will prevail.

“What we need to do,” Schreve said, “is stop elevating our sin over God’s Son. Our sin, no matter how great, is never greater than the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.”

He pointed to the biblical story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15 as proof of God’s love for His children – and as the perfect tool of truth to mute the lies of the enemy.

The story began as the Prodigal Son dishonored his father by demanding his inheritance. The father consented, and the prodigal took the money, left home, and promptly wasted his entire inheritance on wine, women, and song.

Then, a famine hit the land, and the son took the only job he could find, working for a local pig farmer. Near starvation, pig slop started looking good to him. And in that dark moment of reckoning, he saw the light.

Greater love

“While feeding those pigs,” recounted Schreve, “the Prodigal Son finally came to his senses. He realized he was wasting his life. And he knew that back home, even his father’s hired men got three square meals each day. So, he decided then and there to go home.”

On his way home, the broken and starving Prodigal Son prepared a speech to deliver to his father upon his arrival: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son,” (Luke 15:21).

But his loving father saw the repentant prodigal from afar and ran to him with open arms, calling for a robe and ring to adorn his long-lost son and preparing a celebration in honor of his return.

“That is the heart of God,” declared Schreve, “to seek and save His beloved sons and daughters.”

But there’s still a crossroads where a choice must be made to either accept the lies of the Enemy or follow God’s way of truth.

“If there is breath in your body,” concluded Schreve, “it’s never too late to come to Jesus, receive forgiveness, and know that your eternity is secure.”