Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Silencing Those Accusing Voices

PSALM 3:1-3 – O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah.  But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

THEME OF THE DAY:  SILENCING THOSE ACCUSING VOICES. The spiritual war God ordains for His children this side of heaven is intense, never-ending, and necessitates a continual posture of watchfulness by the believer.  There are no cease-fires, negotiations for peace, or unconditional surrenders by our foes.  This call to arms is exhorted by the Apostle Paul in the great warfare passage of scripture in the last chapter of the letter to the Ephesians – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (Ephesians 6:10-13).

In the battle, our foes are deceitful or crafty, powerful, and extremely effective. We only need to look around at the landscape of modern Christianity and see the carnage in the lives of too many believers lying slain on the spiritual battlefield.  And who are these foes?  The devil, world, and our flesh.  For our purposes today, we will identify them as “Satan, Sin, and Self.”

In addressing these foes, they share common tactics and one is implied in today’s scripture from the pen of David; the voices of accusation – O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.”  Each one comes to us with the force of accusation seeking to discourage and distract us in our walks with the Lord.  Satan is labeled “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10) and he does his work by trying to bring the believer to live in doubt of his or her salvation.  If he is successful, the believer lacking assurance is ineffective and fruitless.  Then we have the accusations of our sin.  Who has not “listened” too much to the voice of our many sins telling us, “There you go again.  Same sin. Same failure. Do you honestly thing God will forgive you again?”  Finally, we must confront the accusations of self. What does this “voice of accusation” sound like? Like this . . . “How’s that profession of faith in Christ working out?  There is no change in you.  Fruit of the Spirit in your life?  Hardly.  Notice how selfish you still are. What about patience and kindness?  Really?”

How do we silence these accusing foes?  Today’s scripture describes the Lord as our shield.  What does a shield do?  It protects.  As for the Lord? He stands as our shield between all three sources of accusation. And He does so as our advocate.  One of the most precious truths is  our Lord is ever-interceding for us and being our “attorney” representing us in heaven – My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2). When it comes to this courtroom and the prosecuting and accusing attorneys come – Satan, sin, and self – remember our Advocate the Lord Jesus, our shield.  He has never lost a case and that will include us.  He will silence the accusers of our soul to the praise of His glory!

PRAYER: “Father, thank You for making Your Son my protector and lifter up of my heart above my many spiritual foes.”
QUOTE: “The accusations of Satan, sin, and self are silenced by the protective shield of God’s amazing grace.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim