A few weeks ago, I read an excellent book titled “The Gospel According to Jesus.” I thought it would be fitting to follow it up with The Gospel According to Satan: Eight Lies about God that Sound Like the Truth by Jared C. Wilson. Don’t be fooled by the title; it is a Christian book!
About the author
Jared C. Wilson is an assistant professor of pastoral ministry at Spurgeon College, an award-winning author in residence of Midwestern Seminary, general editor of For the Church, and director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri.
About the book
If Satan could write his version of the gospel, what would it look like? Jared Wilson answered the question in The Gospel According to Satan. The book examines eight popular beliefs in modern Christianity that sounds like the truth, but are lies advanced by the enemy.
The devil’s best method of deceiving people is mixing truths with lies, making them appealing and even seem beneficial. He started it in the garden with Adam and Eve, and he continues to do so with us today. Sadly, many Christians still fall for the devil’s tricks, and they confuse his lies for God’s truth.
So Wilson’s goal in this book is to “expose the devil’s lies, examine how they work, explore why they are so compelling, and explain how to overcome them with the truth.” It’s intended for everyday Christians so they can grow in their awareness of the devil’s tactics, and dispel his lies with the truth of God’s word.
The Gospel According to Satan has eight chapters each addressing a lie: God just wants you to be happy, you only live once, you need to live your truth, your feelings are a reality, your life is what you make it, you need to let go and let God, the cross is not about wrath, and God help those who help themselves. He starts the book with a section titled “The anatomy of a lie,” and concludes it with a section the autopsy of a lie.
My thoughts
The Gospel According to Satan was easy to read. It featured several popular lies that many Christians at some point have believed or still believe. Wilson took each of those lies, ripped it apart using the Word of God, and provided a biblical alternative.
I particularly liked Wilson’s lengthy explanation of the origin of the lies, its allure, and adverse effect on us. Though he only addressed eight myths, he provided a solid blueprint to equip the readers to recognize other lies the enemy might have had us believe or will try to make us believe.
The Gospel According to Satan is quite interesting but not too original. There are several other books in the same format. Wilson actually got inspired to write this book after perusing Paul Young’s Lies We Believe About God. His review of Young’s book was, “If the devil wrote a book about God, it might read just like this.”
I was a bit disappointed that The Gospel According to Satan didn’t have more gospel related lies as the title implied. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read and provided some excellent material on avoiding deception.
My recommendation
I think Christians of all levels would enjoy reading The Gospel according to Satan. But I primarily recommend it for new believers and non-Christians.
“Thomas Nelson Books graciously gave me a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review*
Favorite Quotes
The devil is good at making sin look good.
Introduction
Sin is in fact very much about how we’re wired. Sinful actions are simply the outward expressions of our sinful nature.
Chapter 1: God Just Wants You Be Happy
God is much more concerned that we be holy than that we be happy.
Chapter 1: God Just Wants You Be Happy
Joy is the music that plays when our hearts are tuned to the frequency of God’s glory and our connection to it.
Chapter 1: God Just Wants You Be Happy
The only thing more stupid than not thinking beyond death is not thinking about death at all.
Chapter 2: You Only Live Once
It is wisdom to make the most of the time that is given to us, yes. But it is wisdom to know that the time given to us is a lot longer than we think it is. The stupid think that you only live once. The wise know that we only get one life, and what we do with it matters because of what comes after. Seize the day, yes, but seize it in light of what comes when you run out of days to seize.
Chapter 2: You Only Live Once
Satan is not only a master of deception but also a master of deflection.
Chapter 3: You Need to Live Your Truth
The best way to rattle your assurance is to keep measuring it. And the best way to undermine your confidence in your justification is to begin holding your sanctification up to the imaginary light of the super Christian.
Chapter 6: Let go and let God
Let go and let God makes a claim at selflessness —at getting ourselves out of the way —but it actually gets us focused on ourselves and our performance rather than on the powerful cross and in the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work.
Chapter 6: Let Go and Let God
