The Lies Satan Loves to Tell: You can save yourself

This powerful message confronts one of Satan's most persistent lies: that we can and should save ourselves. Using the absurd phrase 'pull yourself up by your own bootstraps' as a starting point, we're reminded that this saying originally meant something impossible, yet somehow it morphed into celebrating self-reliance. The sermon explores how Satan used Peter to tempt Jesus away from the cross in Matthew's Gospel, whispering the same lie he tells us today. Whether we're thriving or struggling, this deception works both ways—when things are good, we think we don't need God; when we're suffering, we're told to work harder and rely only on ourselves. But here's the liberating truth: God has already saved us through Jesus Christ. Isaiah's words ring clear: 'I alone am the Lord and there is no savior except me.' Jesus calls us to lose our lives to find them, which means letting go of control and placing everything in God's hands. When we release the impossible burden of self-salvation, we discover real life—one filled with peace, hope, community, and purpose. We find freedom not in independence, but in complete dependence on the One who conquered sin, Satan, and death for us.