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. Revelation 12:10
It is not secret that Satan accuses us. As the Bible says, he prowls about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). It is his desire to bring us down. In Revelation we are told that he accuses us before God day and night. Over and over again.
When I read this verse I wondered, Do I help him? Do I help Satan accuse my brothers and sisters by talking about them? Do I share stories that are not uplifting? Do I do it and stand behind a bunch of excuses that sound like there is a good reason for my sharing? I think sometimes we gossip or share things about others that we should not share and excuse ourselves with some trumped up guise that we think makes it alright.
The thought horrified me. The horrifying thought? That I am helping Satan in his battle against us by doing the same thing he is doing. Instead, I should be aligning myself with Christ and defending everyone against the lies that are being told.
There are three questions you can ask yourself before you repeat something about someone. The origins of these are disputed but the questions are excellent!
Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it necessary?
When I ask myself those questions before I speak, I've found that an awful lot is eliminated. It's a good reminder. I do not want to help Satan destroy any of God's kids.
The next verse in Revelation 12 says:
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. (v 11)
Satan will be defeated by the blood of the Lamb first and our testimony second. What will be your testimony? Will the words you speak reflect the Christ you know?