What does it mean that Satan was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44)?

In John 8:39–47, Jesus contrasts Abraham’s children (or God’s children) with Satan’s children. Abraham’s children are those who do the godly works of Abraham (verse 39). Satan’s children, however, are those who do the ungodly works of Satan. The devil was “a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (verse 44, ESV). In this article, we will examine what it means for Satan to be a murderer from the beginning.

John 8:39–47 presents a dialogue between Jesus and a group of Jews who claimed Abraham as their father. If they were Abraham’s children, Jesus says, they’d do the works of Abraham. Since these Jews desired to kill Jesus, who always speaks the truth (indeed, He is the truth), they prove themselves to be Satan’s children. In verse 44, Jesus characterizes the devil as “a murderer from the beginning” and the “father of lies.” Those who follow the devil’s lead will likewise be filled with murderous intent and falsehood.

The fact that Satan has been “a murderer from the beginning” harkens back to the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). In the garden, Satan successfully convinced Eve to disobey God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6). At the moment of disobedience, sin and death entered the world (Romans 5:12; 6:23). Satan caused sin to infect the world and deceitfully robbed humanity of both physical and eternal life. His intent was to murder the human race. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).

Jesus’ description of Satan as a murderer highlights Satan’s destructive nature. Unlike God, who is the author of life and truth (John 14:6), Satan is the agent of death and falsehood (John 10:10). The act of murder is not limited to taking someone’s physical life, such as when Cain murdered Abel (Genesis 4), but it extends to all that promotes spiritual death and separation from God.

Not only is Satan a murderer but “there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Lies and murder go hand in hand. In the garden, Satan lied to Eve: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4, ESV), although God had said, “You will surely die” (Genesis 2:17, LSB). Satan’s blatant disregard for the truth of God is why he should never be trusted. On the contrary, our trustworthy God never lies. It is impossible for Him to do so (Hebrews 6:18).

Jesus’ words in John 8:44 are more than an exposé of Satan’s character. They are also a diagnostic tool for understanding our own spiritual condition. Are we “Abraham’s children”? Or are we “Satan’s children”? These questions suggest that spiritual paternity has a moral, ethical, and spiritual dimension. We should be willing to subject ourselves to intense scrutiny to see whether we believe God’s truth or Satan’s lies (see 2 Corinthians 13:5).