When the Devil Tries to Undo What
SCRIPTURE
Acts 21:20b–22 — And they said to him, 'You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.'
COWBOY WISDOM
Any cowboy who's ever worked a good stretch of range knows that the moment things start going right, something's going to try to go wrong. A calf finally puts on weight and a coyote shows up at the fence. A pasture comes in strong and a drought blows in from the west. You can set your watch by it. The same is true in the kingdom of God. Any time the Lord does something extraordinary, you can rest assured the enemy will ride in to try to undo it.
Paul had just given a glorious report — thousands saved, Gentiles and Jews alike coming to faith in Jesus Christ. And right in the middle of that celebration, the enemy slipped in through the back door with a rumor. They'd been told Paul was teaching Jews to abandon the Law of Moses. It wasn't true — but gossip doesn't need to be true to do damage. Proverbs 6:19 tells us that one of the seven things God hates is 'one who spreads strife among brothers.' Gossip is the devil's favorite tool precisely because it tears down without ever throwing a punch.
Jesus himself told us who is behind this kind of destruction. In John 8:44 He said of the devil, 'He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.' When rumors start flying in a church, in a family, or among friends, recognize the source. That's not just careless talk — that's spiritual warfare.
Scripture calls us to be vigilant: 'Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour' (1 Peter 5:8). Don't be caught off guard when the enemy counters God's work with lies. Stay sober, stay watchful, and don't let a rumor travel any farther than your ears.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Have you ever seen gossip or a false rumor damage something good that God was doing in a church or relationship? What was the result?
What is your typical response when you hear negative information about someone? Do you pass it on, or do you stop and consider the other side of the story first?
According to 1 Peter 5:8, we are to be 'on the alert.' What are some practical ways you can guard your heart and your tongue against becoming a tool of the enemy through gossip?
PRAYER FOCUS
Father, help me to recognize the enemy's schemes before I fall for them. Guard my tongue from repeating things that tear others down, and give me the wisdom to seek the truth before I accept a rumor as fact. Protect my church, my family, and my friendships from the destruction that gossip brings. Let no corrupt word come from my mouth, but only what is good for building others up. In Jesus' name, Amen.
