Did you know that the accuser never plays fair?
There is a story about a young man who went out on a cool autumn night, he dressed himself appropriately and took off for a long walk. While walking, he heard a rustle at his feet, and looking down, he saw a snake and was startled. But before he could move, the snake spoke. “I am about to die,” said the snake. “It is too cold for me up here and I am freezing. There is no food and I am starving. Put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley.”
“No,” said the youth. “I am forewarned. I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite, and your bite will kill me.” “Not so,” said the snake. “I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special. I will not harm you.” The youth resisted awhile, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful markings.
At last the youth tucked it under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it gently on the grass, when suddenly the snake coiled, rattled, and leapt, biting him on the leg. “But you promised,” cried the youth.
“You knew what I was when you picked me up.” said the snake as it slithered away.
Someone said, “The devil’s greatest trick is to make men believe he does not exist.”
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now, is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Who is the accuser? There are many names for this person. He goes by many names in the Bible. He is Satan, the Devil, the Evil One, and the “accuser of the brethren.” “Day and night,” which reveals that he makes these accusations, regularly and often, against us.
Martin Luther (a German professor of theology, priest, author, composer, Augustinian monk, ordained to the priesthood in 1507). told about a dream he had, in which he stood on the day of judgment before God Himself, and Satan was there to accuse him. When Satan opened his books full of accusations, he pointed to transgression after transgression of which Luther was guilty. As the proceedings went on, Luther’s heart sunk in despair. Then he remembered the cross of Christ, and turning upon Satan, he said, “There is one entry which you have not made, Satan.” The Devil retorted, “What is that?” And Luther answered, “It is this: the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sins.”
Romans 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore if any person is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away.
The accuser is constantly reinventing his tactics, his strategies, pulling out all the stops! Satan spends a great amount of time and effort seeking to damage and if possible destroy God’s children. An example of his tactics is in the book of Job. Satan makes the accusation that the only reason that Job serves God is because of the blessings he receives. He claims that if the blessings are removed, Job will curse God.
John 10: 9-10. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Satan has no power to take your mind or your heart. But he can squat on any territory you willingly surrender, and when you do, he gets a foothold, an opening, you surrender an area of your mind or life to him.
When we accept the Lord in our heart and mind, we get a new nature and a new mission. We are to take possession of our hearts and minds and bring it under the rule and reign of God.
Satan, the former inhabitant of those footholds, that territory which you surrendered, has no intention of being forced out without a fight. So, Satan establishes footholds in your life. The areas where you give him an inch, where you open yourself to sin without any long-range thoughts. Once Satan has a foothold, he knows when the Holy Spirit is lurking around bringing you closer to God so he fortifies his footholds and they become strongholds.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour.
When you become a believer, Satan loses your soul but not your mind or flesh. These footholds in the mind and flesh are what Satan uses. He knows the Holy Spirit is going to convict you to get rid of these footholds.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Satan loves to bring up these footholds, the past. Don’t let him throw them in your face. We need to look towards the future, our best days are ahead of us, not behind us! We need to learn to let go of the past and never revisit it again. Jesus cannot forgive us anymore than we have been forgiven. God is not interested in your past. He doesn’t remember it. The moment you take Him in your heart, your past is forgotten never to be remembered. Don’t let your past keep you from your future. Sometimes, we have a hard time letting go of the past. But remember. It’s dead as a doornail. Quit trying to resuscitate it. The past cannot be changed but the future can.
Test pilots have a litmus test for evaluating problems. When something goes wrong, they ask, “Is this thing still flying?” If the answer is yes, then there’s no immediate danger, no need to overreact. When Apollo 12 took off, the spacecraft was hit by lightning. The entire console began to glow with orange and red trouble lights. There was a temptation to “Do Something!” But the pilots asked themselves, “Is this thing still flying in the right direction?” The answer was yes. It was headed for the moon. They let the lights glow as they addressed the individual problems, and watched orange and red lights blink out, one by one. That’s something to think about in any pressure situation. If your thing is still flying, don’t let Satan flip you out.
“In the west during the torrential spring rains, the rivers frequently rise and flood the lowlands. There was a little girl who lived in the valley of one of these mighty rivers. One weekend she was going with her parents to visit friends. As she was packing, she placed her dearest possession in her suitcase—a little rag doll. She had made it with her own hands and cared for it with a mother’s love. But her mother told her she could not bring it with her because it was too dirty, threadbare and falling apart. Reluctantly, she left it home.
Over the weekend, a sudden storm hit the valley and the river reached over its bank and flooded all the homes. The little girl stood on the hillside looking down into the flooded valley. All she could think of was her little rag doll. When she could return home, she rushed into her room, and her worst fear was realized. The flood had washed away her little rag doll.
One day while she was in town, she happened to pass a salvage store where objects found in the muddy debris were sold to raise money for the flood victims. To her surprise and overwhelming joy, there was her little rag doll with a price tag on it—25 cent. She had no money of her own. She went back home and helped her mother clean up. She earned a few pennies, she also helped the neighbors and earned a few more pennies. Finally, she had her 25 cents. She rushed to the store and placed her little sacrifice on the counter and claimed her doll. As she walked from the store clutching her treasure in her arms, she was heard to say, “I made you, I lost you, I bought you back and now you are really mine!”
Remember, you are His.