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AbideinHim
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Joined: 2006/11/26
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 Overcoming the Accuser - Watchman Nee

"John wrote to his "little children" of the assurance of the forgiveness of sins. In one sense we are always, in John's term, little children. For in this life we never advance to a point where we have left behind our need for the precious Blood. It is indeed the very weapon for the overcomer. Writing in Revelation 12 of the Accuser of the brethren "which accuses them before our God day and night," John tells us that "they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their life even unto the death". (Revelation 12:10,11).

The basis of overcoming in the spiritual warfare is always the precious Blood. No one can ever get to the place where the Blood is not necessary. Satan is a murderer and a deceiver, he entices and he attacks, but today he specializes in accusing. In a very real sense he is the Accuser of the brethren, and it is here that our Lord meets him as Priest and Mediator. Heaven recognizes Satan's work and so must every Christian. Night and day he accuses us, and his accusation is directed at our conscience, which is the point where we most feel we lack the strength to fight him. His object is to drive us to think in despair. "Of what possible use am I to God?" Why are some Christians found from morning to night reproaching themselves and crying, "I am a hopeless failure. God can do nothing with me!"? It is because they have allowed themselves to accept the charges of the enemy as unanswerable. And if he can get us to this state, he is indeed the victor, for we have given the battle away. If, instead of looking at the glory of God, we only accept his accusations, and stop there, we are certainly left with no power to fight him.

Conscience is a very precious thing, but to repeat endlessly, "I am no good! I am no good!" - that is not Christian humility. It is healthy to confess our sins, but let us never carry confession to the point where, for us, our sinfulness looms larger than the work of Christ. The Devil knows there is no weapon more effective against the Christian than the creation of this illusion. What is the remedy? It is to say to the Lord, "Lord, I am no good!" but then to look away to his precious Blood, and to add: But Lord, I am abiding in thee!"

Satan does not accuse without reason. There are, no doubt, plenty of sins to which he can point us; but the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Do we believe that? That is the answer to his charge. Sin calls for the Blood, but the Bible does not tell us that sin calls for accusation - not that is to say, if we plead guilty. Of course, if we say that we have no sin, John warns us that the door is wide open to the Accuser. But if, standing in the light of God, we confess to him our guilt, then the Blood is powerful to cleanse, and all Satan's charges are rendered ineffective. Praise God for such an advocate! Praise Him for such a Priest! Let us never, never, answer Satan either by boasting our good conduct or by bemoaning our sins, but always and only by the Blood. It is our wholly sufficient defense.

The precious Blood of Christ is our defense; the word of our testimony is our weapon of attack. By this is meant our testimony to man, but not to man alone. The victory of Christ, the fact that He reigns, that His Kingdom is near, that we have been translated from Satan's kingdom into his; all these are facts to be declared, not to men only, but to the powers of darkness. Affirm that God is King, that his Son is Victor, that Satan is defeated, that the kingdoms of this world are shortly to become the kingdom of our God, and of His Christ. These are positive divine facts, and they are shafts of offense. Satan fears such declarations of spiritual fact. For the word of our testimony can move back the gates of hell. Declare that Jesus is Lord; that his name is above every name. Declare it! Say it to the enemy. Many a time such testimony brings more results than does prayer.

Prayer has two sides: to God, and to the mountain. "Thou shall say unto the mountain, be thou removed." We can say to Satan, "Leave this place!" Peter and John said to the paralytic man, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." They dealt directly with the case, where today we would probably have called a prayer meeting. Don't neglect prayer, but counting on the efficacy of the precious Blood, speak also a word of testimony. Often times when we come to God, the atmosphere is oppressive and we cannot pray. What should we do? Don't give in, but taking God's word, turn and speak to Satan. Declare the victory of the Lord. Declare that he has given us authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and then pray!!

Alas, we pay far too much attention today to the doctrine of the gospel, and far to little to the fact. And without the fact, we have no testimony. But Calvary is history. The gospel - the good news of the fact - is with us. For nearly two thousand years the fact of the gospel has been in the earth. The Lord has given us the precious Blood, and a sure word of testimony. Let us face the enemy with these.

And finally these overcomers are men and women who know what it means to be nailed to the Cross - that is to say, to be "ruled out" altogether as men, so that whatever they accomplish, the glory is only his. We need not enlarge on this again here; but remember, it was Satan who challenged God concerning Job: "Skin for skin, ye, all that a man has will he give for his life" (Job 2:4). But now, as if in answer to this, a great voice in heaven affirms concerning these who overcame: "They loved not their life even unto the death" (Rev. 12:11). Well could that same voice proclaim: "Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ"!



Taken from: "What Shall This Man Do?"


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Mike

 2009/3/13 9:38Profile





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