The Accuser Of The Brethren

by Prasher, C, Lindsay | Category: Satan And His Kingdom | Jun 1981

How often have we heard from gospel preachers that heaven is where no sin can enter? While this is true of the eternal state (Rev. 22:3, 15), Ephesians 6:12 speaks of" spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places", or as the NIV has it, "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". One cannot escape the conclusion that in God's infinite wisdom, He allows access by forces of evil into the heavenlies. And there are examples of Satan approaching right into God's presence.

One example occurs in Zechariah chapter 3, where the prophet's fourth vision is recounted. He sees Joshua the High Priest of Israel standing in filthy clothes before an angel of God. The angel is told to replace the dirty garments with clean ones. The reason is not hard to find. The visions followed the end of the seventy years of captivity in Babylon and the return to worship in God's re-built temple in Jerusalem. In this vision the prophet was being prepared for the re-establishment of divine worship after the long lapse. It is against this backcloth that Satan is seen standing as an opponent right beside the angel and, as the voice of God was heard by the prophet directly addressing the Adversary, it would appear that the scene is set in heaven. Satan was out to stop the return to the true worship if he could. However, God stepped in and in effect told Satan that he had fuelled the fire of departure of God's people long enough, but He had pulled out of the fire this burning stick and quenched it. God said that, though Joshua's clothes were dirty, they had now been made clean to serve Him in His new house in Jerusalem and nothing Satan could do would reverse it. Just as Satan did his best to prevent the return to collective worship according to the Law of Moses, which applied in Old Testament times, so today in New Testament times he endeavours to thwart collective worship in the house of God.

Another example of Satan's activity before God affects Christians as individuals, as distinct from their collective life, for in Revelation 12:10 our adversary is devastatingly described as the accuser of the brothers. This implies that when you or I do wrong things, Satan goes to God and draws attention to what we have done, asking whether God will own us when we do such things. So we must all be careful not to give our enemy the chance to run to God and point the accusing finger at us. The amazing feature of this situation is that, despite such accusation, if we are really sorry for our sin and tell God so, God will forgive us in His wonderful mercy. But how much

better not to fall into wrong-doing in the first place, then we don't give our ruthless foe the opportunity which he relishes.

A third and outstanding example of Satan's action in God's presence is found in the story of Job. It might be thought that, because Job was so upright and blameless and because he shunned evil, the adversary would have nothing to point the finger at. Yet such is the subtlety of Satan, his attack took the following line. He told God that it was easy for Job to be faithful because he had been given so many comforts and blessings. If these were removed, he would curse God to His face. Fully knowing what He was doing, God gave Satan permission to take away all Job's possessions, but not to touch the man himself. The story is well known, how his cattle and their herdmen, his sheep and their shepherds, his camels and their attendants and even his sons and daughters were all killed in turn In all this Job sinned not nor charged God with foolishness.

The relentless foe did not stop at this. He appeared before God a second time and said, "Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce Thee to Thy face". So God again allowed Satan to do what he wished except that Job's life must be spared. At this Satan caused boils to erupt all over Job's body. However, even when his wife said, "Renounce God, and die", Job's reply was, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" So the real trust that Job had in God shone out more strongly because of his terrible misfortunes and Satan's ploys proved quite ineffectual.

Instinctively we turn the spotlight from Job to ourselves and have to recognize that God allows Satan to afflict Christians at some time to some degree. The degree may vary from person to person, but what a comfort it is to know that God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear and will always provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Cor. 10:13). The inference is that Job must have been outstandingly strong spiritually or else God would not have allowed Satan to tempt him so sorely.

There was only one really perfect Man who lived totally to God's pleasing, and, while there is no record of Satan appearing before God in relation to the Lord Jesus, we do know he tempted Him at every turn, directly as during the forty days in the wilderness and indirectly through the action of men under the Devil's sway, culminating in the crucifixion at Calvary. Yet Calvary was the scene of Christ's triumph through suffering infinitely greater than Job's. Jesus gave up the spirit with the resounding cry, "It is finished". The adversary had certainly bruised the heel of the Seed of the woman, as God forecast to Adam and Eve, but himself received a head blow (Gen. 3.15). The truth of this was seen on the resurrection morning, when the Scripture reveals that, not only was His body raised from the tomb, but His soul left Sheol, taking captivity captive, having the keys of death and Hades formerly held by the adversary.

This is a fitting point at which to complete the Job story, for God recompensed the man who suffered so much under the hand of Satan, by giving him twice as much as he had formerly owned and prospered him with seven more sons and three more daughters, the fairest in all the land. So Christ, by His victory over Satan, at whose hand He suffered so much more, will be more than satisfied to see around His throne thousands who will be beautiful in His glory, and you and I can look forward to being among them, Praise His Name!

Prasher, C, Lindsay | Jun 1981
Satan And His Kingdom