When the Devil Accuses God
Satan is sometimes called the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), but I’ve discovered he’s also an accuser of almighty God.
Satan will do anything he can to drive a wedge between you and your loving Creator. He points a finger at God when tragedy—or even just circumstances you don’t like—strikes. He suggests God doesn’t care about your problems. He blames God for not healing your sick loved one.
All of these accusations come as subtle suggestions—whispers to your soul that intend to make you bitter toward God because you feel disappointed, disillusioned or deceived. Nothing is ever God’s fault, but the devil can surely introduce doubt, ask a well-timed question or arrange circumstantial evidence to set God up.
Don’t fall for it. Satan is trying to get you to turn your back on the One who can help you through the disappointment, disillusionment and deception. And if you are holding a grudge against God, He is ready to deliver you from the gall of bitterness. He’s not mad at you, even though you’ve been mad at Him. Let’s take a look at some examples in Scripture of how the devil accuses God.
God Does Not Lie
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1)
This accusation against God, slight as it is, ultimately led to the fall of man. You know the story. Eve told the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’
“Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (vv. 2-5).
The devil accused God of lying to Adam. We know that God is not a man that He should lie (Num. 23:19). More than that, the devil accused God of withholding something good to oppress His creation. When God arrived on the scene and asked Adam what he had done, Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. But it all started with the serpent accusing God. The rest is human history. Mankind has lived in corrupted, sinful flesh ever since—because Eve believed a lie about God.
Curse God and Die!
“Curse God and die!” That’s what Job’s wife told him when he was going through an especially painful trial that saw him lose just about everything he had: his children and his property. His wife, probably struck with grief and seemingly blaming God for not protecting the children, lashed out at Job and God in one sentence: “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9).
Job didn’t fall for it: “He said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’” (v. 10). In all this, the Bible says, Job did not sin with his lips. That’s a noteworthy verse because one of the first things we do when bad things happen is sin with our lips. One of the next things we do is look for someone to blame. The devil is right there to accuse God.
Are You Angry With God?
Although God never does anything wrong and never needs forgiving, we can sometimes feel like God has betrayed our trust. We stood on His Word, believed with all our heart and still didn’t see good come to pass. That can leave us resentful, bitter and unforgiving.
So what are you supposed to do? Well, what would you do if you were mad at your spouse or a family member? Hopefully you’ll get it out in the open. I’ve shaken my fist at God once and been furiously angry with Him at least one other time. I can tell you this: He would much prefer you talk to Him about it than shut Him out. If you communicate with God, even if you are angry, He can reach you, help you and heal you.
Ultimately, we need to repent for buying into the devil’s lies and accusations against God. But often that repentance won’t come at a heart level until we’ve wrestled with God through the feelings of disappointment, disillusionment and deception. So, if you are mad at God, be honest with Him. It’s not like He doesn’t already know it. Give Him your anger, and He will turn that anger into peace and a greater revelation of His sovereignty if you will let Him. Amen.
Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
