THE BELIEVER AND THE ACCUSER

Who is a believer? Some who believes in the sacrifice of Jesus and has accepted him as his
lord and savior.

Who is an accuser? Someone who Speaks Wrongly About Others. "To put down, or to speak
badly about, someone in the assembly."

Revelation 12: 7-12 New International Version (NIV)

Revelation 12:7-12 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the

dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found

any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and

Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were

cast out with him. 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. And they overcame

him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives

unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters

of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because

he knoweth that he hath but a short time." “‘Now God has shown his power as King ... For the

one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of

heaven.’” (Revelation 12:10 GNT)

Satan is God’s great enemy, and therefore the enemy of Christians as well. Among several other
names, Satan is known as the accuser.

What is the relationship btw the believer and the accuser.

A believer loves, the devil deceives 1john 4:20

“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast
and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and
ever” (Revelation 20:10).
Satan is trying to destroy the church from within. He doesn’t need to bring in any “bad”
people. Jesus loving folks will work just fine.

His mission: to tear apart the local body of believers using believers.

He’s sly and subtle but his tactics are vintage. They’ve been around forever.

Hours before Jesus is arrested and then crucified, He prays for us. John 17 records his fervent
and intense prayers as He asks the Father to protect us in the area of unity, to help us be one.

These are some of his last words.

He also prayed that the Father would protect us from the evil one. It’s as if Jesus knew the
enemy would be continually at work among the body.

The devil is busier in the body of Christ than in the world.

For every congregation that falls apart and suffers small rips and tears, the enemy does a
victory dance.

The longer it takes for us to get our act together the more time we give Satan to keep
destroying.

Every time we let the enemy take back some ground, it’s like 5 spaces forward, 3 steps back.
God uses us despite our flesh and mistakes. How God gets anything accomplished through us is
truly a miracle. We are so influenced by our flesh that we fail to remember the grace that we’ve
received; if we did we would be quicker to forgive and love. Instead, we fall victim to the
schemes of the enemy completely unaware.

What would happen if we stayed and prayed instead of explaining why we need to find another
church family?
Imagine if churches stayed together – through prayers, fasting and forgiveness. The world
would look at Christians and go, WOW that’s real.

Love and forgiveness – that’s what sets us apart from the world.

The church is made up of imperfect people, including the pastor. We say this over and over, but
when the rubber meets the road, do we act like we believe this? Do we choose to forgive and
move forward or do we move onward?

I know God will always honor and protect us when we choose love and forgiveness.

Pray and stand and don’t worry about the rest. God is in control and He will work things out.

Will you stand and protect your local body?

Will you pray for unity?

Will you pray for wisdom and discernment?

Will you pray like Jesus did, that the Father would make us one.

Let’s not give Satan any kind of platform in our churches…

The spirit of the accuser

people who slander others and claim spirituality thinking that they are instead exercising
discernment, are only doing the work of the enemy, who “accuse[s] believers day and night.”
Such folks are opening themselves up to weakness and Satan’s attack on their own lives. Let’s
not be like the accuser of the believers; instead let’s be like our Lord Jesus Christ, who extended
mercy and grace to humanity, and said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17 NIV). Through the power of
 the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we can be God’s hand extended and show mercy and grace to
those around us. Let’s begin today.

Matthew 18:15-17 New International Version (NIV)

Dealing With Sin in the Church

15 “If your brother or sister[a] sins,[b] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If

they listen to you, you have won them over.16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others

along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three

witnesses.’[c] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even
to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Each believer in the assembly has to make sure they do not bring an accusation against God's

assembly, or against an individual, and do not listen to any such accusations. If he does, he is

saying what Satan wants to hear, or hearing what Satan wants to tell him; instead of speaking

or listening to the words of Jesus Christ, which are uplifting, comforting, and strengthening.

STRIFE

Strife is rooted in pride (Prov 28:25). (1 Cor 3:1-3) “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven

are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a
heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks

lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” Prov 6:16-19.

God hates strife! Church leaders should be quick in dealing with strife and confronting the

person(s) responsible. Strife must be dealt with very severely as it can tear a church apart (Gal

5:15). Your ears are not garbage cans. They were made to hear the Good News.

Beware of the tasty morsels of gossip and strife (Prov 26:21-25). Do not allow the guile of

gossip and strife to defile your love and respect for others. Beware of gossip, especially when it
denigrates the person and character of your spiritual leaders (Rom 16:17-18, Prov 1:8-15).

Implement the Word of God in your life and you need not fear the devil.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

12 For just as the body is a unity and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form

[only] one body, so it is with Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

13 For by [[a]means of the personal agency of] one [Holy] Spirit we were all, whether Jews or

Greeks, slaves or free, baptized [and [b]by baptism united together] into one body, and all made

to drink of one [Holy] Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one limb or organ but of many.

15 If the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, I do not belong to the body, would it be

therefore not [a part] of the body?

16 If the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body, would it be

therefore not [a part] of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where [would be the sense of] hearing? If the whole body

were an ear, where [would be the sense of] smell?

18 But as it is, God has placed and arranged the limbs and organs in the body, each [particular

one] of them, just as He wished and saw fit andwith the best adaptation.

19 But if [the whole] were all a single organ, where would the body be?

20 And now there are [certainly] many limbs and organs, but a single body.

21 And the eye is not able to say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the
feet, I have no need of you.
22 But instead, there is [absolute] necessity for the parts of the body that are considered the

more weak.

23 And those [parts] of the body which we consider rather ignoble are [the very parts] which we

invest with additional honor, and our unseemly parts and those unsuitable for exposure are

treated with seemliness (modesty and decorum),

24 Which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so adjusted (mingled,

harmonized, and subtly proportioned the parts of) the whole body, giving the greater

honor and richer endowment to the inferior parts which lack [apparent importance],

25 So that there should be no division or discord or lack of adaptation [of the parts of the body

to each other], but the members all alike should have a mutual interest in and care for one

another.

26 And if one member suffers, all the parts [share] the suffering; if one member is honored, all

the members [share in] the enjoyment of it.

27 Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body and [individually] you are members of it, each part

severally and distinct [each with his own place and function].

Philippians 4:8 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is

honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable,

whatever is kind and winsome andgracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is

anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds

on them].