“It must be that time of year again,” I muttered as I muted the TV during the political ad. “Whatever happened to the maxim, ‘If you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all’?” I asked Lynne.

She shrugged her shoulders as we waited for the diatribe to cease.

Political vitriol has been around as long as politics, but “trash talk” didn’t originate with a politician. Satan, the prince of this world, has been trash-talking God and His people since the Garden of Eden.

Ever since the serpent bad-mouthed God in the Garden, we’ve had the ongoing battle of truth versus deception.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, ESV)

Sadly, the enemy has successfully used the “Did God actually say” line on many Christians to keep them from realizing their God-given potential as disciples of King Jesus. Just like Eve, we listen to the trash talk of the enemy telling us the promises of God are not ours because of our sin, and there is enough truth in that statement to cause us to hold back in our service and commitment.

The enemy’s trash talk comes in the form of condemnation. This is especially effective when 1) we are struggling with some area of sin in our life, and 2) we are not familiar with the many promises given to us in Scripture.

The Apostle Paul tells us, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

The Apostle John tells us, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

The enemy of our soul does not want us to be overcomers. When we fall short of what we know in our hearts to be true, the enemy is right there bringing accusations against us. If that isn’t bad enough, he brings his “trash talk” allegations to our Father in heaven.

In Revelation 12:10, we see him referred to as “the accuser of our brothers … who accuses them day and night before our God.”

The enemy’s accusations have no impact on our righteous standing before God.

The Apostle Paul asks us this question: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 6:15)

When God looks at us, He sees His Son because we are “in Christ” and His prefect righteousness has been given to us.

Paul tells us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

So, what is our “action plan” to deal with the enemy’s condemnation?

Let me give two recommendations.

First, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8) Second, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [‘handling,’ ESV] the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV)

If you do these things, you can send that trash-talking devil back from whence he came.

What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!