Advocate

Do you remember at the beginning of the book of Job how Satan came and presented himself to God? Job 1:6 says, "Now there was a day when the sons of God [the angels] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them" (ESV).

This was not an isolated incident. According to John MacArthur’s explanation of Revelation 12:10, Satan comes before God day and night to accuse believers of sin. Think of it almost as a Heavenly criminal trial. God is the judge. Satan is the prosecutor, and we’re the accused.

However, John reassures us in 1 John 2:1, that although we are unable to defend ourselves, we do have someone speaking in our defense. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (ESV).

Romans 8:33-35a explains it this way, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (ESV). That last question is rhetorical. The obvious answer is NO ONE and NOTHING!

Learning to follow Jesus is a process, just like gaining maturity is a process. We won’t always recognize our mistakes, especially as new Christians when we’re still learning how to walk the path of righteousness. When we do realize that we’ve sinned, it’s important to acknowledge it and confess it before the Father so that we learn not to make the same mistake again. The good news is that Jesus is always there at the right hand of God interceding and advocating on our behalf!

We do not have to fear Satan’s accusations because we are covered by the righteous blood of Christ! Friends, I would encourage you to read 1 John 1:5 through 1 John 2:6. It goes to the heart of how sin should be handled and viewed in the life of the believer because as imperfect humans we will sin, and while it's important not to take Jesus’ intercession for granted, what a wonderful reassurance to know that He is advocating for us!

Father God, we thank You for Your great mercy and grace! We thank You for providing Your Son as a shield and protector for us from the accusations of the enemy. We thank You for giving us the indwelling of your Spirit to guide and sanctify us. Lord, we ask that You would forgive us of all our sins, even the ones we don’t realize we’ve committed. Please help us to walk in Your light daily and to learn from our mistakes so that we may grow in faith and spiritual maturity. In Jesus Christ’s holy and beautiful name, Amen!

Diana Dodd is the founder and managing editor of the Christian blog site, Joy in Faithful Living. She and her husband Bryan, a career Army officer, have been married for 23 years and lived all over the United States. They currently reside in Kansas with their two girls, ages 16 and 10.

This piece was originally published at Joy in Faithful Living in 2020. They have graciously granted us full permission to re-publish the series here, but we would love for you to visit their site and support their ministry, as well! Check out their work at joyinfaithfulliving.com.