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. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. Revelation 12:10

 

He’s an old snake that people have been fighting with in the gardens of their lives for millennia.

 

Most of us have a very limited idea of who the devil, or Satan, is. Did you know one of his names is the “Accuser?” Accusatory and negative thinking comes from Satan. Sometimes we’re so used to thinking negatively and accusing ourselves or others that we don’t even realize this is the devil’s voice.

 

Jill Briscoe explains, “I didn’t know it, but…in my garden there was…a snake…He spoke to me through people I’d known all my life; my friends who lived in the garden too, so I was not alarmed or suspicious…I’d listened to his every word and believed his lies instead of God’s truth.”[1]

 

Jesus, on the other hand, is called the Advocate because He’s always praying for us (Romans 8:34). His forgiveness, kindness, and love declare the hope of a new story for you. When we come to Jesus with our weakness, sin, and the darkest parts of our story, only Jesus can turn it into a testimony: a story of His hope and goodness conquering all!

 

When Jesus returns to earth, the Accuser will be done away with forever. Scripture says, “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. And they have defeated him by the blood of [Jesus] and by their testimony” (Revelation 12:10).

 

Kick the snake out. Throw those negative thoughts aside and ask Jesus to help you hear His call of mercy and love.

 

[1] Briscoe, Jill. “Behind the Smile.” There’s a Snake in My Garden: A Spiritual Autobiography, Monarch, Oxford, 2008, pp. 12,15.