If you live a Christian life you will encounter the devil, and often.

He arouses the ire of his unwitting followers on earth, often those who are respected as pillars of the community, and not infrequently a dissonant member of the clergy with little faith. They secretly hate truth and direct their vile at anyone who has the wisdom and courage to speak it.

Usually this hatred is riled up when truth is spoken with regard to sexual morality, and most of all when it relates to homosexuality. It can be and often is a hostile deflection of the deep-seated hatred these people have for themselves.

The vile often comes in the form of accusation. The devil is the great accuser (Zech 3:1; Job 2:6; Mt 4:3, 27:40; 2 Cor 2:11; 1 Tm 5:14; 1 Pt 5:8; Rev 12:10). The word ‘devil’ comes from ‘diabolo’, which literally means slanderer or false accuser. If you follow Christ and witness to the truth (Jn 18:37), you will be slandered. People with evil hearts will do whatever they can to create a case to destroy your credibility, your reputation, and even your livelihood; whatever it takes to maintain the conspiracy of silence to keep certain moral truths from being exposed. They will scour your life to find a few things to take out of context, to string together a false witness account against you. Because they are in authority it will work. For now.  What they don’t understand is that they are actually destroying themselves.

Jesus tells us:

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. No slave is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (Jn 15:18, 20).

Also:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn 14:6).

This indicates that someone who hates Truth actually hates Christ. Hence, it is important to, “Pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44).

And also:

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mt 5:10-12).

So rejoice when you speak and defend the truth about the flesh resulting in the world and the devil attacking you. Rejoice and be glad!  God is smiling on you.