Accusations – The accuser

“Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” Romans 8:33.

The world is full of accusations. One nation accuses another; one person accuses another. There is also a multitude of accusers in God’s church. Accusations are directed at the malice in man; they are directed at his thoughts and his actions. They are directed at the purest life—such as the life of Christ—as well as against the life of the most wretched sinner.

Where do accusations come from?

The source of accusations is the accuser. And the accuser is Satan and his angels. Can we say that Christ accuses, that the Spirit accuses? No! They convict a person of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. This conviction does not include a merciless accusation, but behind this conviction we find infinite love and mercy.

An accusation is different. It is hard, brutal, malicious, but clothed in false righteousness. Accusation against people has an affinity with the flesh, but it is not the flesh; it is a spirit, a spirit of accusation.

The flesh wants to live in pleasure; it wants to live in comfort; it wants to gorge itself with passions and desires. But take note of the accusation. The spirit of accusation comes immediately when you bear a grudge against someone, and it holds long sermons inside of you. It sets your memory in motion, dragging up all the evil it can lay hold of. It adds everything up into one large sum total of accusations against the other person’s life, which it aims to paint as black as possible.

This spirit of accusation is also rampant among believers. The terrible thing is that it transports people into a seemingly justified righteousness. It coldly exposes the other person’s mistakes, weakness, lack of holiness, and lack of understanding.

If you listen to the spirit of accusation, you will realize that it is not finished in one day and then stops. It comes back. It drags up the matter again, puts fresh blame on the other person, comes with new suspicions, and sees everything in the worst light. The spirit of accusation will not leave you alone. Its goal is to be firmly entrenched in you. And one day you have to let out what it has implanted in you. You go to other brothers and accuse your brother. You have become an instrument in the hands of the spirit of accusation. You raise your voice and you blacken your brother. You think that you are just and righteous, but bitter anger is flowing out from you. Others listen to it because they cannot discern the voices, and so they are defiled.

The spirit of accusation has worked so long in you that it has firmly established itself as a bitter root. And its fruits are appalling.

Just thinking of this person annoys you, and the accuser makes you think often, even very often about him. These thoughts are injected when your mind is empty. You don’t just get annoyed; you become angry, you become gossipy, you become the source of a great defilement wherever you are because you sow suspicion and get others to receive the same spirit. You become despondent yourself because your life is not pure, and then the spirit of accusation will also accuse you. When you pray, it will accuse you for your wretched life and mock your prayers. If you want to testify, it calls you a hypocrite.

The spirit of accusation has manifold objectives. Its first aim is to destroy you; then to destroy your brother or brethren whom it affects; then to destroy your surroundings so they can receive the same spirit as you, the same evil roots, the same bitterness; and in the end to destroy God’s work. In how many places has not the spirit of accusation entered assemblies and pitted the one against the other with the result that they have become separated from each other and terribly embittered, everyone thinking that he is right. Because the one who accuses must have a reason for his accusation, which is why this spirit seems to have such a solid and just foundation on which to stand.

Satan accused God and cast doubt on His word to Eve. Satan accused Job before God and cast doubt on Job’s righteousness, saying that it was egotistical. In these days, many people in the world accuse God, saying that He can be neither loving nor righteous for letting so many things happen. The accusation against God is as follows: If He is love, as it is written about Him, He would prevent this, etc.

In Revelation 12:10-11 we read the following words, among other things: “For the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Satan accuses the brethren before God, and he causes one brother to accuse another. He is busy everywhere to get support for his judgments. We notice that the essence of his being is evident in those who are apprehended by this spirit. They are busy everywhere backbiting and spreading suspicious thoughts and other evil thoughts to garner support for their judgments. And once they have gained support from many others, they are greatly strengthened in this spirit!

Read more about exposing Satan’s accusations: Lies Satan tells us (and the Scriptures that prove him wrong)

A tormenting spirit

This spirit is truly a tormenting spirit to those who are possessed by it. It continuously preaches its old and new spicy sermons into the heart. As a result, the you a bad relationship both with God and with other people. The only thing that can comfort you is more nourishment from the same spirit and from those who agree, but this comfort is solely a source of more annoyance, more pain, and more agony.

Many of God’s children live under the influence of this spirit with its deep, bitter roots. Read about Esau in Hebrews 12:15-17. He sought the blessing, but was rejected, because he found no room for repentance. There was no room in him for repentance. There was a bitter root in his heart (Hebrews 12: 15), without room for blessings. That is why he was rejected. Many believers are rejected from receiving a blessing for the same reason, even though they seek it with tears as Esau did!

When we acknowledge that the accusation comes from a spirit, we will also understand James when he says, “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” James 3:6. We realize where the spirit of accusation comes from. You who bitterly accuse your brother—your tongue is set on fire by hell and its spirits. James continues: “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men [accuse and judge their life as something evil—that is what we curse] [...] My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” James 3:9-10 [emphasis added].

Paul asks, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” Romans 8:33. God be praised, He who is a Judge above all the accusing judges both in heaven, on earth, and in hell.

If someone with the spirit of accusation comes to you, do not fear! It is God who justifies. You should not give account to this accusing spirit. It will heap scorn on your evidence. It refutes you with fresh accusations. The spirit of accusation is arrogant and proud. Its whole desire is for you to confess and acknowledge that it is right. Then it can claim to be “the spirit of truth;” then this spirit is honored.

Refer your case to God. “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died [for my sins], and furthermore is also risen [for my justification— in order to defend my righteousness by His death], who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:33-34.

Paul calls out: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution [...]?” Romans 8:35

Should the spirit of accusation have a case, but you have been convicted by the Spirit of God about some wrongdoing, which has been cleansed away by Jesus’ death and vindicated by His resurrection, and  what is more, for which Christ also intercedes for you, then you can safely reject the accusing spirit whether it approaches you directly or through people.

Read more about overcoming Satan and his accusations: How to cast Satan the accuser out of your life

The contrast between the spirit of accusation and the Spirit of Christ

The spirit of accusation is bitter and judgmental without salvation; the Spirit of God convicts, judging the thoughts and intents of the heart for salvation. The Spirit of God is forgiving; love does not become bitter and does not remember the evil, whereas the spirit of accusation remembers and hoards the evil. The Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of intercession, whereas the accuser rightly bears his name. The Spirit of intercession goes to God with the brethren’s mistakes and deficiencies, whereas the spirit of accusation spreads them out both before God and in all directions.

The Spirit is our Mediator, our Defender (Advocate) before the Father; Satan is our accuser.

Salvation

If you have opened yourself up to a bitter spirit of accusation, how can you get rid of this tormenting spirit?

You have to investigate where it has its source and the reason for having received it. As long as this spirit is present, you will not experience any cleansing. You must utterly deny this spirit. You must curse it out of your life. You must refuse to listen to its accusations when it paints everything as black as possible, but be willing to forgive as Christ forgave. You must be willing to remember the evil no longer. Only then can all the sins you have committed be cleansed away in Jesus’ blood.

However, this will become a fight for your life. You must acknowledge that it is in fact a spirit of accusation, and then you must take up the battle against it. Begin by praying to God against this spirit. Pray, because it is a matter of life and death. You know that whoever does not forgive his brother from the heart cannot expect forgiveness, either. If you begin to pray against this spirit, it will begin to rage more than ever. If possible, get someone who is pure of this spirit to support you in prayer, and endure until the victory has been won.

Someone who associates much with believers ought to be careful and discern the spirits, whether they are of God, because it is easy to agree with someone who has been defiled by this spirit. Even though his words may be correct, his spirit is still bitter. Believers who are under the influence of this spirit must be treated with love, even though their accusation may pertain to you. They are to be pitied in spite of their bitterness, for they do not know that Satan has deceived them. You can pray them free by praying against the spirit that has laid hold of them, or if you are strong and sufficiently pure, drive it out. “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons [evil spirits] [etc.]” Mark 16:17.

Satan may attack you with accusations when you pray for these souls, such as: “Just watch yourself; you are not praying hard enough; you will never be heard; this is too hard; you may just as well give up,” etc. This is how Satan’s voices will mock your prayers. God doesn’t do that.

Just look at the value your prayers have. You can use that against Satan’s mockery. “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3-4. See, God attaches values your prayers so highly that they ascend to the golden altar before His throne.

Therefore do not let Satan rob us of any of these treasures of faith. Let us resist him in all areas, and He will flee from us. (James 4:7.)

More materials on this topic:
No time to listen to the accuser (Testimony)
Victory over Satan the accuser!  (Podcast episode)
30 Bible verses the devil doesn’t want you to know about (Using the Bible as a weapon!)