When Christians accuse other believers, they are doing the work of Satan. We become deceived by the enemy, since the accusation sounds true to us because we are already trying to find fault with that other person, especially if they did something against us.
Even though we are not to accuse, God commands us to rebuke sin in other believers. So what is the difference between a rebuke and an accusation?
- A rebuke is when you see someone sinning, and you love them enough to treat them with honor and kindness as you point out their sin. If you see someone sinning and do not rebuke them, you are accountable before God for their sin (Matthew 18:15-17, and Ezekiel 3:18-21). When you rebuke, you love that person and know that they are a person of integrity except for the one sin that they are blind to.
- An accusation is when you malign someone as a person. Who they are is despicable, or they are a liar, etc. If you are saying these things against a believer, you are being used by Satan to accuse. You have hatred for that person, and your face contorts when you think of them. Accusation brings death. It never brings repentance. It has the appearance of truth because the accusations may be technically true with backed up facts, but you are saying that a true believer is evil, and that is not possible. All true believers are a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Satan’s Strategy: Accusation
Here are some of the main points about Satan and accusation:
- Satan is called the accuser of the brethren, who accuses us night and day before God. (Revelation 12:10) (Zechariah 3:1-3) Satan enjoys hurting the people of God; by hurting the church, he hurts Christ.
- Satan is the tempter, and when we fall, he then turns around and is our accuser. He also keeps bringing back to mind sins that have already been repented of. If you have been forgiven by God, He removes the sin as far as the east is from the west. It’s gone. If you can’t tell the difference between conviction and condemnation, read True Guilt and False Guilt.
- God wants us to choose what is right so that He can reward us. Satan wants us to choose evil so that he can accuse us and ensnare us and keep us in bondage.
- “He is called the accuser of the brethren because he does not believe that even a child of God has a higher motive than self-service.” – Neil Anderson (& the book of Job)
How do you overcome accusation?
If you are the one being accused, you must be silent. Do not defend yourself because everything you say will be twisted and used against you. Fast and pray for the believer who is under the clutches of Satan. Feel sorry for the person who is accusing you because he is sinning and is harming the body of Christ. Ask God to defend you and clear your name. I have seen over and over again, God restoring falsely accused people.
If you are the one doing the accusing, stop. Ask God how you can make restitution for the wrong you’ve done to another believer. Go to the people you gossiped to and repair the reputation of the believer. This is one way to make amends. Just telling God you’re sorry is not enough. You need to humble yourself to your enemy and ask for forgiveness that you believed the enemy in taking a position against them. Even if that person sinned, the way you went about accusing them was wrong. Because you were vicious, you made it impossible for them to repent, and you hardened them in their sin. This is why accusation is so wrong and why rebuke is so much better when you find sin in another person.
Stay tuned for the next installment: “Satan’s Strategy: Temptation.” If you don’t want to miss this series, follow my Prayer page and subscribe to my monthly newsletter below.
