the accuser

Have you ever felt accused, defended yourself from an accusation or come up against an adversary challenging a point of you hold? Say hello to the satan. For people in the Near East at the time of Job, people did not make the connection with the archangel you may recognize by the proper name Satan. What is missing from scripture? Perhaps, rather than understanding the function of being accused, we seek to shift and blame all negative self talk away from us and place it at the feet of the one we have been told is at odds with the God who created us — Satan. Now, I’m not suggestion that there is one named Satan, he does indeed exist. A review of blueletterbible.org reveals many if the different ways Satan works to distort and lie, just as he did in the garden. however, to gain a deeper understanding of who or what is referred to by satan in the old text of the bible, we must consider the context of the term throughout scripture. A quick search of Hebrew text pulls up a set of scripture references referring to satan, which are used to describe an adversary, opponent or function thereof.[1] One of many references can be read in the context of Job 1:6-7, where the angles of the Lord came, with satan among them, “One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and satan also came with them.” So the angles came before the Lord along with accusation. This advesarial role or functional description of the accuser is used throughout scripture twenty-seven (27) times and is associated with both human and supernatural beings.[2] When reviewed within the context of the Job, we understand that the satan (or accuser) is opposed to God’s policies of justice and righteousness. The person Job is, presented within the book of Job, as unique with respect to God’s policies, “…There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”[3] So, what we are confronted with, is righteousness the result of honor and devotion to Gods covenant and laws or is it merely the result of God’s blessings. Is righteousness the result of a mere transaction? If we are good, then good things happen and if not, then people get what they deserve? The satan is introduced to beg the question, does righteousness exist on its own? If you read the preamble discussion between God and the angels who were accompanied by the satan, we see a bit of a wager in progress, " "Have you considered My servant Job?" (Job 1:8) Now, while it is common in western translations for the satan to appear as the proper name of the evil one -- Satan, the accuser in Job 1:8 is presented with a definitive article, emphasizing the functional role. The function of accusation is to tear us down, challenge our view of things and take away our confidence. In today's world, I've watched how social media serves as the satan for so many young people. With captured moments of perfection and a tally of likes, we are left to consider why our lives are not as joyous as those we see on our feed -- introducing self accusation. While we are surrounded by plenty of negative accusation, the most insidious come from our own negative self talk. We must recognize where the satan is at work in our lives so we know how best to defend ourselves from his attacks. God's early chosen people understood these attacks for what they were and sought His wisdom. Jesus understood these ancient teachings as well. They primarily came through people, sometimes innocently and with good intentions, however, not in line with God's purposes. As we read Jesus responded to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." (Mt 16:23) We are brought face to face with a reality we all face when confronted with difficult decisions, we doubt ourselves through negative thoughts that distract us from God’s interests. Many times these doubts are introduced through well meaning friends and conversation. Knowing how the accuser functions timelessly, we must be armed with the most effective tools. A powerful reminder to follow are the words from the apostle Paul’s -- “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes 5:17)

[1] “Strong’s Hebrew: 7854. שָׂטָן (Satan) -- 27 Occurrences,” n.d., accessed October 13, 2020, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/strongs_7854.htm. [2] “Strong’s Hebrew: 7854. שָׂטָן (Satan) -- 27 Occurrences,” “Strong’s Hebrew: 7854. שָׂטָן (Satan) -- 27 Occurrences.” [3] Job 1:8 niv