Then I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the
kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of
our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast
down.” Revelation 12:10 (NKJV)
Baseball manager and word whiz, Yogi Berra, was one who could, in baseball parlance, put the ol’ English on the ball. Once asked why his team lost that day’s game. His reply was quick and pure Yogi, “We made too many of the wrong mistakes.” I’m pretty sure he did not mean to infer there were right ones.
When it
comes to the mistakes you have made in your own life, our adversary, the Devil,
is so skillful in whispering things that are so condemning as to make you cringe.
He and his angels have had thousands of years to hone those skills and with the
greatest cleverness and animus, they present your mistakes, and, for a few, murky pasts, to God, day, and night.
When they
say, “[Your name here] did [remember that one?], and certainly deserves to be
punished and forsaken,” our Advocate (one who stands up for you), Jesus Christ,
rises to your defense. He says, “Father, [your name Here] may have done that,
but [he, or she] has put their trust in Me and asked Me to forgive their sins.
That sin was laid to my charge at the cross and the penalty You required was paid
in full by My blood. There is nothing here to charge to their account. I ask
for a dismissal.” The Father will nod in the affirmative and say, “Yes, that payment
was, and is, acceptable to Me. Dismissed! You are free to go.”
When Satan
and his legions bring up our past they must surely be reminded of their future.
They will be thrown down and cast into the lake of fire prepared for them
(Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:10). They believe it and tremble (Matthew 8:29, James
2:19). Satan knows the forgiving power of
the shed blood of Christ but never gives up trying to get you to buy into his
bird with the broken wing will never fly so high again routine.
We are Created
in the Image of God (Genesis 1:27) and because of that Satan is pouring out his
worst on us to mar and destroy us. Jesus said the Devil was a murderer and liar
from the beginning (John 8:44). If he cannot murder you outright, he will try
to murder your relationship with Christ through lies meant to mislead and
discourage you.
The name ‘Satan’
is translated accuser. He is a master deceiver who will work to dishearten
you into giving up and staying away from God. But hear me, that is just the
time you need to turn to the Father in true repentance. He wants you to come to
Him!
When we sin,
we do have an advocate with the Father in His Son Jesus Christ (1st
John 2:1). When Jesus was nailed to the cross Satan is the one who got hammered
and he knows it. No mistakes, right or wrong, go unforgiven in Christ. That’s
the English on that ol’ ball and it don’t need no more claifyin’ eder.
Maranatha!
Ken
