Conviction vs Accusation

What's the difference between the conviction the Holy Spirit brings and the accusation the devil brings? Good question. In this post we'll distinguish the two, because sometimes it's hard to tell.

Specific vs General. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of specific sins. We feel bad because we've done bad things. The Devil brings accusations against our person. We feel bead because we're told we are bad. I've done bad is different than I am bad.

Temporary vs Enduring. The Holy Spirit's conviction of sin, if met with our repentance goes away. We did bad, we feel bad, we repent and we feel better. The devils accusation of sin, if met with our repentance does not go away. Satan says you're still bad, you'll do it again, you're just no good.

Moving toward Jesus vs Moving Away from Jesus. The work of the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus Christ. When convicted we are drawn to confess our sins to him. We are drawn to confess our sins to other Christ followers. We are drawn to church, small group, the bible, prayer. The work of the Holy Spirit draws us to Christ. The work of Satan draws us away from Jesus Christ. He wants to isolate us from Jesus, from each other, from the Bible, from prayer.

So listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but don't listen to the accusations of Satan. And hopefully these three differences will help you distinguish between the two.