THE ACCUSER | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 1, 1899

THE ACCUSER.

ONE of the titles of Satan is the "Accuser." "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." Rev. 12:10, 11. In this text Satan is not only called the "accuser of our brethren," but it is said he "accused them before our God day and night."

The evil one does his work through human agents. He employs men and women to do this accusing for him. And he arranges matters for them so that it is not such very hard work to accuse one another. In fact, his plan is to have people really enjoy his work of finding fault with their neighbors and acquaintances. To make it perfectly easy, so that one will feel free in accusing another, he sees to it that it is made convenient for the accusation to be made when the accused is not present. Then the wily adversary sets the tongue of accusation and slander to going. And how many words find utterance then that would be left unsaid if all this talk had to be in the presence of the one talked about!

Now it should not be lost sight of that all this accusing is simply and solely doing Satan's work for him. There are very few if any who would be willing to hire themselves outright to the devil to do his bidding, but when he comes slyly along with his temptations and gets persons to accusing and finding fault with others, he entraps them into his service just as effectually as tho they had deliberately and premeditatedly hired out to him. The work that he gets his deluded victims to do is the same precisely as if he had hired them at so much a month.

But the worst part of it all is that the pay he gives his servants is personal and complete ruin. Indeed, his object in getting one person to accuse and backbite another is that he

may injure the one doing the accusing rather than to injure the accused. For he who is really finding delight or any form of satisfaction in defaming another is doing it to build up self. By casting suspicion upon the fair name of another it is always with the thought, either conscious or unconscious, of making ourselves appear in a better light. Our supposed virtues, so the wily foe through the carnal mind gets us to believe, will shine with a brighter luster when contrasted with the failures of some one else.

Still there is a deeper purpose than this in the mind of the accuser. Satan knows full well the power of the scripture which says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18.

If we behold "the glory of the Lord," we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory." It is a never-changing and an unvarying law that whatever the mind continues to "behold" fashions the character. It is what we think about most that we love to talk about most. And what we think and talk about is that which shapes our characters. Says the Master, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32.

The character of Jesus commands the admiration of all. No Pharisee could find any fault with the Redeemer's perfect life. No skeptic has arisen who has not seen the matchless charms in the life of the Nazarene. There was nothing but beauty, and goodness, and grace, and love, in their infinite perfections, in all that Jesus said or did. And when that perfect life is kept before the mind, the individual is being drawn toward the same divine goodness.

Satan sees this, and would fain have men looking at him instead of Christ. He does not want the principles of righteousness that appear so clearly in the life of the Son of God to be reproduced in mankind. And he knows that unless he can keep men from beholding Christ, his cause is completely lost; for the Master's life draws men whenever and wherever it is permitted to shine out. But Satan can not get men to look at him direct. His life record is too hideous and repulsive. So he exerts all his powers in getting men to dwell upon the faults and failings of each other. And this serves his purpose perfectly; for all he desires is to keep men from looking at the virtues of Him who is perfect.

In the verses quoted at the beginning of this article, we not only learn of the work of the "accuser of our brethren," but we read of those who "overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." Then in this vision which John had of the closing struggles of the church of Christ he saw those who did not yield to Satan's temptations and join the ranks of accusers. "They overcame him." And it is "by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony" that this overcoming is accomplished.

Satan tempts this company of "overcomers" to accuse the brethren. But they do not yield. They rely upon the blood of the Lamb. They are looking to Jesus. They are beholding Him, and consequently the "word of their testimony" speaks forth the praises of God and not the accusations of Satan.

Men have faults, and we can find plenty to accuse and complain about if we once set out for it. But this accusing and fault-finding works no good for any one. It is not the road to take if we would seek to reform a person. There is just one way to work reforms, and that is for us to fix our eyes steadfastly upon the perfection of Christ's life, and then seek to turn the attention of every one else to the same object. T.