False Accusations, Lies and Spiritual Attack: How Christians Should Respond
There are few things more infuriating than discovering someone has been telling lies about you.
Recently, a friend learned that people had been told her that she and her husband owed money that had already been paid in full. The accusation was false, yet once a lie starts travelling, you cannot always control where it goes or who believes it.
Her first reaction was anger.
She wanted the truth exposed immediately. She wanted to defend the lie.
Then she realised she needed to pray before she did anything else.
So I prayed with her.
As Christians, we do not have to pretend that false accusations are harmless. Words can damage reputations. They can affect business relationships and opportunities. Sometimes they create confusion that seems to spread far beyond the original conversation.
The Bible certainly takes false accusation seriously.
Isaiah 54:17 says:
“No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment you shalt condemn.”
That is a powerful promise, but another part of this can be much harder.
We have to forgive the person who lied about us.
Forgiveness Comes First
When someone has deliberately harmed you, forgiveness can feel completely contrary to justice. Surely, they should be held accountable.
Yes. But accountability belongs in God's hands.
Romans 12:19 says:
“Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
Forgiveness does not mean that we are agreeing with the lie or that it is true. It does not mean allowing someone to continue damaging us without consequence. We can correct misinformation, produce evidence and protect ourselves appropriately.
Forgiveness deals with what is happening inside our own heart.
I do not want bitterness gaining a foothold because somebody else behaved badly.
Jesus told us to pray for those who mistreat us. That means you can bring the person before God and say, "Lord, I forgive them. Deal with them according to Your righteousness. Bring them into truth."
Then I can leave the judgment with Him.
Bring the Accusation Before God
There is a reason Scripture calls Satan "the accuser" in Revelation 12:10.
Accusation is one of the enemy's favourite weapons because it creates fear and division. Once accusations affect your livelihood, the temptation is to become consumed by them.
Who has heard this?
What will they think?
Has this cost us work?
Will people believe it?
Before long, the accusation occupies far more space in your mind than God does.
That is when we need to stop.
Another person's words do not determine our future. God does.
Psalm 37:5-6 says:
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him; and he shall bring it to pass. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”
I love that Scripture because it gives us somewhere to put the injustice.
Give it to God.
Ask Him to bring the truth into the light. Ask Him to correct false impressions and restore damaged relationships. Then resist the temptation to replay every conversation trying to work out how much damage has been done.
When Financial Fear Gets Attached to the Lie
This becomes harder when money is involved.
If work has slowed down at the same time that people have been speaking negatively about you, it is very easy to connect everything together and become frightened.
That fear must be brought under the authority of Jesus too.
Our provision ultimately comes from God.
Matthew 6:33 says:
“But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
That does not mean sitting at home waiting for money to fall through the ceiling. We still work. We send the email or write the blog post. We follow the opportunity God places before us.
But we stop believing that another person controls our provision.
I learned this lesson in one of the hardest periods of my life. We did not know how we would manage financially. Yet God provided, sometimes in ways I could never have arranged myself.
That experience changed how I see provision.
People may close doors. God can open another one. A payment may be delayed. God is still our provider.
Psalm 90:17 says:
“May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us, establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands.”
That is the prayer I am praying now!
Lord, establish the work of our hands.
Do Not Come into Agreement With Fear
One of the most important things we can do during financial pressure is pay attention to what we are saying.
"We are never going to recover."
"Nothing ever works."
"There is no money coming."
Those statements may describe how we feel in a difficult moment, but I do not want to build my faith around them.
We want our thinking anchored in what God has actually said.
He has promised to be with us. He tells us to seek Him first. He tells us to commit our way to Him. He tells us that He is able to establish the work of our hands.
So when false accusations come, deal with what needs to be dealt with in the natural world.
Then deal with your own heart before God.
Forgive. Refuse any bitterness and ask God for truth to prevail.
Then trust Him with your provision.
A Short Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I bring every false accusation against me before You. Search my heart and forgive me for any anger, fear or unforgiveness I have allowed to remain.
I forgive those who have spoken falsely about me and place them into Your hands. Let truth come to light and restore anything that has been damaged by lies or misunderstanding.
Lord, establish the work of my hands. Open the doors You want opened and provide everything I need according to Your will. I reject fear and place my finances, reputation and future under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Give me wisdom about what I need to do, then give me peace to leave the rest with You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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