Think of the almost infinite resources for evil: "father of liars" does not fully justify the situation. While it is true he originated the first lie, and the lying spirit has ever widened through the stream of racial propagation; but the clearer interpretation signifies that he is the father of _lies_. "See," he whispers, "the advantages to be gained--don't be white livered--tell it; get the hush money--make the promise--swear you did not see it--tell her how devotedly you love her, etc." Who has not met these insidious pulls on the conscience? Yes, but he is only acting now as a tempter. Quite true; but when the will gives away, the oath, the promise, the false statement is made under a furious lashing of the conscience. The lie belongs to him; he originated--suggested--formulated it; then literally drew it out with quite as much pain as is felt during the extraction of a tooth by a dentist. It has been said: "The Devil will leave his own brat on your door-step, then accuse you of being its father." This is an inelegant, though a striking statement of a great truth. When he is unable to bring forth--deliver, etc.--his own conception, he at once charges us of being guilty of the thing conceived: the lie, vile imagination, or whatever it may be, quoting Scripture to prove it: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." "Now," he declares, "you are guilty anyhow; why not enjoy the benefits?" Father of lies; millions of them spawned every day and hour: big lies, little lies, business lies, social lies, political lies, and not a few--religious lies, black lies, white lies, church lies. XXIII KINGSHIP OF SATAN "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."--_Ephesians ii. 2._ "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."--_Ephesians vi. 12._ In a former chapter we discussed the origin of Satan, he being an archangel--Lucifer--a great shining leader of the heavenly hosts; now in his fallen estate he is no less a leader. A writer has said: "He seems to have been the rightful prince of this earth, but he has become the traitor-prince through being untrue to the trust; and the usurper-prince through seeking to retain control of the earth as his own dominion, through deceiving man, to whom the earth's dominion was given, into obeying him, and in utter defiance of God." The angels which kept not their first estate, but went down with his insurrection, are his subjects.