Due to the behavior of the priests, scribes, and Pharisees—men who outwardly appeared religious but inwardly rejected the truth—Jesus openly confronts them with one of the most severe declarations recorded in Scripture: “You are of your father the devil.” This statement was not spoken lightly, nor was it an insult motivated by anger. It was a spiritual diagnosis. These leaders refused to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, sent by the Father for the salvation of the world, and their persistent unbelief revealed the true condition of their hearts.
The religious leaders prided themselves on their lineage, their knowledge of the Law, and their external observance of religious traditions. They believed that their descent from Abraham guaranteed their standing before God. However, Jesus makes it clear that spiritual identity is not determined by ancestry, position, or outward religiosity, but by obedience to God and reception of His truth.
When Jesus hears these men say, “We are children of God and our father is Abraham,” He responds by exposing the contradiction between their claim and their conduct. Abraham was known for his faith, obedience, and submission to God’s will. He believed God, obeyed His voice, and welcomed divine truth. If these men were truly children of Abraham, their lives would reflect Abraham’s faith and works.
Instead, they sought to kill Jesus. They rejected the truth He proclaimed and resisted the light that exposed their darkness. This behavior made it evident that they were not acting in the spirit of Abraham, but in opposition to him. Therefore, Jesus declares that their true spiritual father was not Abraham, but the devil.
Jesus then delivers one of the most penetrating descriptions of Satan found in the Bible, exposing both his nature and his influence over those who imitate his ways:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 8:44
This passage reveals several crucial truths. First, Jesus identifies the devil as a murderer from the beginning. From the moment sin entered the world, Satan’s objective has been destruction—spiritual, moral, and ultimately physical. He deceived humanity in the garden, bringing death through sin, and he continues to promote death by leading people away from God.
Second, Jesus states that Satan does not abide in the truth because there is no truth in him. Truth is foreign to Satan’s nature. Lies are not merely tools he uses; they are an expression of who he is. When Satan speaks, he speaks from his own nature. He lies because he is a liar, and Jesus calls him plainly “the father of lies.”
This description explains why those who reject Christ and persist in sin demonstrate characteristics aligned with Satan’s nature. When people embrace falsehood, deception, hatred, and rebellion against God, they reveal the spiritual influence under which they live. Scripture teaches that everyone who practices the works of darkness walks under the deceit of the devil.
The world often downplays the reality of spiritual warfare, but Jesus makes it unmistakably clear: there are only two spiritual families. One belongs to God, characterized by truth, obedience, and love. The other belongs to the devil, characterized by lies, rebellion, and destruction. Neutral ground does not exist.
The murderer, the drunkard, the liar, the fornicator, the adulterer, and everyone who walks in the ways of darkness commits wrongs before the Lord. These behaviors are not merely social failures or moral weaknesses; they are manifestations of spiritual separation from God. Persistent, unrepentant sin aligns a person with the kingdom of darkness.
This does not mean that every person who has sinned belongs permanently to the devil. The gospel message is precisely that Christ came to rescue sinners from this dominion. However, those who refuse to repent and persist in practicing sin demonstrate whose influence governs their lives.
Jesus’ words were especially offensive to the Pharisees because they shattered their false assurance. They believed religious activity, heritage, and knowledge of Scripture were sufficient. Yet Jesus reveals that none of these things matter if the heart remains opposed to God’s truth.
This confrontation forces an important question upon every reader: Who is my spiritual father? Jesus teaches that spiritual paternity is revealed by conduct. Those who imitate God’s character and obey His will demonstrate that they belong to Him. Those who imitate Satan’s lies and rebellion show otherwise.
So, who are the true children of Abraham? Jesus answers this clearly: they are those who do good works, not as a means of earning salvation, but as evidence of genuine faith. Abraham’s faith produced obedience. Likewise, those who belong to God will reflect His righteousness in their lives.
True children of God follow the perfect path of the Lord. They love God above all things and seek to obey His commandments. Their lives are marked by humility, repentance, and a desire for holiness. While they may stumble, they do not remain in sin, because God’s truth transforms them.
Jesus’ teaching in this passage remains deeply relevant today. Many still claim to belong to God while rejecting His truth. Many rely on religious identity, tradition, or morality while refusing to submit to Christ as Lord. But Scripture makes it clear: spiritual identity is revealed not by what we claim, but by how we live.
Those who walk according to the will of the Lord are known as children of God. They listen to His voice, embrace His truth, and follow His Son. They reject lies, turn away from darkness, and live in the light of Christ.
This passage calls us to self-examination. Are we living in truth, or tolerating lies? Are our lives marked by obedience, or by compromise? Do our actions reflect the character of God, or the influence of the world?
The good news is that God offers adoption to all who repent and believe in Christ. No one is beyond redemption. Through faith in Jesus, former children of darkness become children of light. Lies are replaced with truth, bondage with freedom, and death with life.
Let us therefore reject the works of darkness and walk in the truth. Let us follow Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. For everyone who walks according to the will of the Lord is truly known as a child of God.