“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.’” Revelation 12:10 (NAS).
Many people are plagued by Satan the Accuser. But our Christian life should have nothing to do with the Accuser. He should have no place in the heart or mind of a believer.
Never listen to the Accuser
Satan works in many ways. He often attacks in our thoughts and comes with thoughts of discouragement and hopelessness. We know that when we make a mistake, he comes quickly, saying, “Look, you did it again. There is no hope, you’ve tried so many times.” In those moments, what should we do?
The best thing to do with the Accuser is never to listen to him! It can be true that you made a mistake or did a stupid thing, but then the Accuser tells you it is hopeless for you. And when you listen to the Accuser, you are drawn away from God and you become discouraged and hopeless. But the spirit of God will never make you feel like this. The spirit of Christ will always also come with hope and encouragement.
What can really help us is the word of God. We should believe in the word of God even if our feelings are down. Many people don’t know the word of God that well, so they don’t know that the word of God says clearly in Philippians 1:6 that “… He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” And when we read this, there is absolutely no doubt how it will end with us.
It takes time to grow
If we became full of everything that belongs to God at one time, we would quickly become very high-minded and proud! Instead, God has planned out our salvation perfectly, and it takes time for us to grow.
Maybe you’ve fallen, something that happened many times before, an area you know about; maybe you’re working on it and you’ve fallen again. And then the Accuser comes and tells you, “See, you’ve fallen again.” And that’s a fact, you can’t deny it, that has happened. But what’s the lie he comes with? He comes with, “There you see, it’s hopeless, it won’t work out, it can succeed for others but not for you.”
The Holy Spirit also shows us where we’ve fallen, the same fact, but there is a key difference from what the Accuser said - The Holy Spirit is full of hope for victory. “Just keep going and learn from your mistakes. Be more awake next time.” And He tells you, “I will be with you, I’ll pray for you, I live here in heaven to pray for you.” We need to get contact in our mind and our heart with the unseen, eternal world.
If you just look around at the daily circumstances without this hope in your heart, it can easily feel hopeless, and that’s the reason why many people are trapped by the Accuser. They look at their everyday situations and maybe in that moment, when they made a mistake, they don’t really believe in forgiveness of sins even, and then things become hopeless.
All Christians agree that we received forgiveness without deserving it. It’s something that’s been given to us. But it can be really hard to actually accept that gift.
Therefore, speak faith to yourself. We all see our own nature, and we know where we have sinned in the past and where we’ve fallen, we know where we’re weak, and that’s exactly what the Accuser tries to use against us.
Believe what’s written in God’s word
But the word of God is much more powerful than the word of the Accuser. We read about Jesus that He died for us while we were sinners, because He loved us and wanted to save us. Now He’s in heaven praying for us, He’s an advocate for our salvation. We must fight to believe this!
Jesus, in all His love and goodness and kindness, decided to come down on earth to take a full revenge over Satan, and the result we can read in Revelation 12:10 (NLT), “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, ‘It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night.’”
And then it’s written about us in verse 11, “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.”
And then it comes in verse 12 again, that’s also very important, “Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”
So, Satan the Accuser is not in heaven anymore, and what does that mean? That means that if I, as it’s written in Colossians 3:1-2, am placed in heavenly places with God and I seek the things above, if I keep my vision and my interest and my mind in the things that belong to heaven, then Satan has no access to my thoughts and mind anymore. It is only when I seek the things here on earth, that I am in the territory of Satan.
So, I have to keep to the decision I’ve made that I now serve God. I’ve got my interest in the heavenly things and that’s something I can hold on to. That’s a real anchor and when I do that, then I can also overcome the Accuser. He will try for a long time, but he has to know every time he comes to me, that he gets the door slammed in his face. He actually gets crushed. Satan is the Accuser, and we have the promise that he will be crushed beneath our feet (Romans 16:20). It shouldn’t take long. I am in heaven with Christ, I’ve been raised with Him, and then I have to seek those things that are above. That’s the weapon I have against Satan.
Accusing others
One thing is to let myself be accused, but the Accuser also comes with accusations against other people. And that spirit of accusation has caused so many difficulties in this world. So, this is something we really have to be aware of as well.
We know that if Satan is crushed under our feet, as it’s written in Romans 16:20, it’s not by my own strength and my own strong will that I crush Satan. It’s by God’s grace and mercy. And then it’s only right for me to show mercy to others.
Jesus exhorts us very strongly not to judge the others, and the apostles speak about not meddling in other people’s affairs. If I am busy with the others, I’ll very soon start accusing them. But if I made the firm decision that the Accuser does not have power in me, then I will also not accuse the others.
If we’re seeking the things that are above, then I have to learn to see how God looks at things. God created all people - He loves them and wants them to be saved. I should be in that same spirit, that same attitude of mind.
Paul writes in Romans 8:33 (GNT), “Who will accuse God's chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us.” Think about this, it is foolish to accuse a person that Christ prays for. He doesn’t accuse them, He is full of hope and faith for them! So praying for people and accusing them don’t go together.
If you’re tempted to accuse someone, you should start praying for them. That softens your own heart and brings hope and faith for a bright future for every person that Christ has died for. And that’s everyone!
This attitude of mind changes everything. Our whole life gets turned upside down. The Accuser comes to kill and to destroy. He tries to rob us of good relationships. But Christ instead, comes with life and light and a future and fellowship.
Take a decision in faith to become a disciple
Every person, young or old, who has decided to live only for Jesus becomes a disciple of Jesus. A disciple is a learner, who knows nothing in the beginning but he wants to learn. He will make mistakes, but a good master will not accuse a learner who wants to learn. So, it’s very hopeful when you’ve taken that decision. And it’s just a matter of time before it succeeds!
It doesn’t have to take a long time to crush the Accuser under our feet (Romans 16:20), that is a decision I can take in faith in the word of God, and that can happen early in my Christian life. From the start of our Christian life, the Accuser should be locked out. I no longer have anything to do with Satan. Now my master is Jesus, He’s the One I’m serving, He’s the One who died for me and that’s my future now. I’ve turned from darkness to light: I’ve turned from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). And that takes place in a moment when I make that decision and turn to Jesus, my Saviour and my Master.
In Hebrews 10:22 it is written about full assurance of faith, or a sure faith. There is no doubt at all. When we read the testimonies and the letters of the first disciples, they knew how wretched they were. But in the midst of their trials, this sure faith was there to the very end. And we should take them as our examples. Satan had no power over them. What Jesus had promised them, that took place.
It says in Philippians 1:6 that God who has begun this work in us will complete it. And in everyone who has this longing to be a true disciple, He has begun a work. He has begun it by placing that longing there and now He will complete it.
Become a letter of faith
I can be a letter of faith to all those around me in the middle of my situations. I know what’s going on inside, I know the battles I’m going through, but that shouldn’t be what people see, they see this spirit of faith and overcoming, this fellowship with God, fellowship with Jesus. I’m a disciple.
In Hebrews 2:11 we read that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. So I can stand there and say, “I am His brother or sister; He’s not ashamed of me and I’m not ashamed of Him,” and that radiates from me. Where is the Accuser in this? Where is unbelief? And I can really be a help for those around me, at work, my family, the younger ones that I’m together with, that they can see me as this pillar of faith, and get hope for the future also through me.
Read the word of God and believe it
Read the word of God and believe it. There is no doubt at all in the word of God about the end result of your life. Start as a young person, listen to the word of God, read the word of God, and don’t listen to your own feelings and emotions. They will not tell you the truth. But the word of God remains forever. So, use God’s word as a weapon in your hand in your daily situations and it will succeed for you.
You will crush Satan under your feet. He has no right and no possibility to accuse you when you seek the things above. He doesn’t live there anymore. God threw him out when Jesus returned. Everything is paid, everything is in the right order from God’s side, so believe in that.
