The Cosmic Tattletale and Overcoming His Accusations
Still half-asleep, I stumble to the kitchen to turn on the Keurig. I hear the boys’ bedroom door open followed by a miniature stampede of pattering feet running my direction. The two youngest stop and look at me, but I’m not prepared for anything but coffee. Immediately, my five-year-old points at his brother and proceeds to tell me all his morning transgressions: calling people names, shirking responsibility for his morning chores, and not taking his turn sharing the piano. It’s too early for a trial, but the preschool prosecution won’t rest its case.
Parents face these scenarios often. A rule has been broken, a misdeed has occurred, yet the motive of the tattletale usually isn’t pure. Instead of love seeking to help the disobedient sibling, the tattletale sees the opportunity to inflict pain through the avenue of self-righteous justice. They did break one of Mommy and Daddy’s rules, therefore they deserve discipline of some sort, and the tattletale is glad to bring this to his parents’ attention. Justice can’t be denied even though I recognize the slimy schemes of the accuser.
The Cosmic Tattletale
In Revelation 12, Satan is referred to as a great dragon who accuses believers before God day and night (vv. 1–10). We see a glimpse of this in Job where Satan goes before God and accuses Job of worshipping for all the wrong reasons. In Zechariah 3, Satan accuses Joshua the high priest by pointing out the filthiness of his garments.
“Satan is too crafty to accuse us based on arbitrary laws that have no standing before God.”
Satan is too crafty to accuse us based on arbitrary laws that have no standing before God. Instead, he accuses us based on God’s law while emphasizing the wages of such sin that God himself has declared. Despite Satan’s hateful motives, we are guilty and stand condemned before God according to his own holiness and justice.
Thankfully, because of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, Satan is no longer able to accuse us before God (see Rev. 12). The good news of the gospel reminds us that justice has been satisfied and Satan’s accusations no longer have merit before God. Instead of Satan accusing us before God, now we have Jesus who is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Rom. 8:34). Therefore, who can condemn us?
The Power of Accusation
Being defeated by Christ, Satan has been kicked out of heaven and thrown down to earth. He comes down in great wrath “because he knows that his time is short” (Rev. 12:12). In his anger, he wages war against the people of God: “Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (v. 17).
One of Satan’s schemes is to incapacitate Christians through accusation. He wants to bury us in shame and guilt until we stop living in the freedom of the gospel; we become fruitless Christians who don’t make disciples. He does this by reminding us of our past sin. He’ll constantly tell us we’re not good enough, not worthy enough. Whenever we think of studying our Bible, he’ll tell us we’re not smart enough. If we try to pray, he’ll tell us we’re not spiritual enough. If we try to serve, he’ll remind us of our sin to convince us that we are not “holy” enough. When we try to rest in God’s love, he’ll tell us we’re unlovable.
“Satan will constantly tell us we’re not good enough, not worthy enough. ”
And sometimes we believe him. His accusations have no hearing in God’s ears, but he still whispers them to us, and we too often let them disable us. Though the penalty has been paid, we feel the weight of the accusations and allow them to paralyze us.
My dog, Oreo, is bound to our yard with an electric collar and he knows the boundary lines well. However, when I take the collar off he still won’t go past the lines. Even though he’s been freed, he still walks as if he’s bound.
Christians can sing on Sunday about God being a chain-breaker, then live all week enslaved by the chains of guilt. We listen to Satan’s accusations and let them hinder us from worshipping and serving in complete freedom. We cower down in fear and terror of who we are and what we have done. Christ has removed our chains, but like my dog, our freedom remains limited by shackles of condemnation that no longer exist. Instead of walking in forgiveness, we are restrained by guilt and shame.
True Gospel Freedom
Revelation 12 tells us that those who withstand Satan’s schemes and see victory do so “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (v. 11). The reason Satan’s accusations work so well is because they often have some truth to them. We have transgressed. We are guilty. We deserve condemnation and Satan knows it!
However, believers no longer bear the weight of our guilt because the blood of Christ has been shed to cover us! If it hadn’t been shed, we would have no defense and the weight of condemnation would crush us. However, if we do not preach these gospel truths to ourselves every day, we will be liable to listen to Satan’s accusations rather than resting in God’s forgiveness. When that happens, we are no longer a threat to the darkness and our light has been hidden under a bushel.
Christian, you have been freed from your sin. Christ has taken your condemnation, shame, and guilt. Now you can walk in gospel freedom! When the accusations come, respond by acknowledging your guilt (we don’t have to hide it), yet plead the blood of Christ that covers us.
Then, go out and fight the dragon and push back the darkness with the good news of the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Share the good news that will free other sinners from condemnation and lead them to gospel freedom. No Christian is perfect, but we are forgiven.
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us (Romans 8:33–34).
James Williams serves as Associate Pastor at FBC Atlanta, Texas, and as a GCD staff writer. He and his wife, Jenny, are blessed with four children and are actively involved in foster care. He is passionate about beholding the beauty of our Lord and helping others do the same. He enjoys writing, running, and gardening. You can follow James on Twitter or his blog where he writes regularly.