The Truth About The Liar
by Wayne Wachsmuth.
The Truth About the Liar: A Spiritual Warfare Strategy Aimed at Satan’s True Identity, by Russell Doebler (Intermedia Publishing Group, 2010).
In this book of 191 pages composing ten chapters, we find sane reflections on the nature of spiritual warfare and a clearly proposed strategy that aims at the enemy’s true identity. Pastor Doebler seeks to empower believers to destroy Satan’s kingdom through the authority given to us because of the shed blood of Christ. This work merits careful attention, reflective reading, and thoughtful deliberation and discussion within the body of Christ.
C.S. Lewis once quipped that there are twin dangers to avoid in reference to our adversary: (1) denying the existence of Satan or (2) having an unhealthy preoccupied with his malevolence. Pastor Doebler begins with an examination of his earlier life as a practicing “Christian Sadducee,” not really expecting to encounter angels, demons or other supernatural phenomena. Far too many today are practicing atheists when it comes to genuine power encounters and the free moving of the Spirit of God. Chapter Two begins with a quote from Keith Green’s song, “No One Believes in Me Anymore” and addresses Scriptures that speak to demonic involvement in the lives of Christians and non-Christians alike. The strongest point in this chapter is that the blood of Jesus Christ changes everything. There is a helpful and correct understanding of the Greek words daimoniodes/daimonizomai (and I might add daimonzomenous) meaning demonic/demonized. It is with a smile of approval that I recommend the author’s appreciation for the struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. I especially appreciate the fact that he came down clearly on the position that a Christian cannot be demon-possessed.
A unique feature of this book is the author’s systematic attempt to dismantle the classic “Lucifer rebellion theory.” He posits an alternate explanation for the existence of Satan that I did not find entirely convincing. He makes some appeal to the Early Church Fathers (4, 89), but apart from brief mentions of Origen, Tertullian and Augustine, there is scarce treatment of the rich resources that contribute to the traditional view. Augustine’s notion of the nature of evil as privation is interesting, but there remains a wealth of data since the fifth century that needs to be taken into consideration. The reader will need to decide.
The latter portion of the book is practical and filled with pastoral concern. The reader is encouraged to delve deeply into the Word of God as our necessary food, to learn and practice the disciplines of prayer and fasting, to nurture a faith that is the gift of God and “the personality of Jesus resident in what our souls hope for.” The last section on authority is worth the entire cost of the book. Here is a sampling of some fine treasures from chapter eight:
“For example, how is it helpful for me to tell someone who is sick that if he just believes harder or finds something to repent of, he will be healed? Many people have given this advice to sick people who have remained sick. And when they remain sick, that counsel adds guilt and unnecessary self-analysis to their illness. The self-analysis often detracts from focusing on Jesus, and whatever miracle-working faith they might have had is drowned in the doubt of self-consciousness” (129).
“We must not make an idol out of faith or put our faith in our faith – that is, we should not put our trust in our ability to believe” (130).
“Control is a man-made substitute for God-given authority. We ‘take control.’ God gives authority” (141). [An earlier passage states the premise that authority is always given and never taken or stolen (76).]
“Authority is given to those self-controlled” (143).
“Submission is necessary to function in God-given authority” (147).
“God cannot give us authority when we’re hanging on to control” (149).
This book is necessary reading for anyone seriously interested in doing spiritual warfare…and winning. It holds an abundance of Scripture for serious consideration and a clear perspective for victory: (1) understand who God is, (2) understand who you are, (3) understand what you are up against. We are called to demolish strongholds, to use wisdom as we encounter the enemy, and to wage warfare prayer while also issuing words of blessing instead of cursing.
Wayne Wachsmuth is Academic Dean at Christian Life College, Mount Prospect, Illinois. He holds a B.S. in Ministerial Studies from Bethany Bible College (Santa Cruz, Calif.), an M.A. in Christian Thought from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Ill.) and is working on a Ph.D. in Education, also at Trinity.
