Have you ever encountered someone so determined to have their way that they would sacrifice another person’s reputation without hesitation? There are individuals who, driven by selfish ambition, jealousy, bitterness, or pride, will twist truth into lies if it gives them leverage. You find them in every stage of life from childhood to adulthood and in every space including families, churches, workplaces, and ministries. Yet through it all, one truth never changes. Lies may move fast, but truth always catches up, and God Himself makes sure of that.
But beyond human behavior, we must awaken to a deeper, more sobering reality, because we are not simply dealing with flesh and blood. We share one common enemy, and that enemy is the devil, the father of lies. Scripture warns us plainly:
“The devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. 1 Peter 5:8
“He is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
When slander erupts and lies begin to circulate, relationships fracture and reputations are stripped away, and what we are really seeing is the enemy working through yielded human vessels. The devil thrives on division, feeds on confusion, and succeed where discernment is absent. And when we fail to recognize his strategies, we end up fighting one another instead of standing united against him.
Slander is by no means a small mistake or a harmless habit. It is a violent act of the tongue that leaves spiritual casualties behind. As the saying goes, “Slander kills three people: the speaker, the listener, and the one spoken about.” In other words, it wounds the innocent, corrupts the hearer, and ultimately destroys the one who speaks it. What many fail to realize is that when we participate in slander, either by speaking it or queitly entertaining it, we step into spiritual agreement with darkness.
The Word of God exposes the seriousness of this sin:
“A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin”. Proverbs 26:28
Understand that a lying tongue carries the weight of hatred because it does not simply misrepresent the truth, it crushes it. And a flattering mouth, wrapped in false sweetness, quietly works destruction beneath the surface. Slander is rarely loud or openly violent. For the most part, it sounds concerned and justified, even like “innocent sharing.” But its fruit is always destruction.
Like many others, I have personally experienced what it feels like to be misrepresented. I have lived through moments where simple misunderstandings turned into accusations and half-truths presented as fact. In one instance, something completely untrue was spoken about me to someone else. The listener did not pause to seek clarity, prayerfully discern, or verify the matter. Instead, they accepted the report and allowed it to shape their behavior toward me. Suddenly, there was distance, coldness, and unexplained tension, while I remained completely unaware of what had been said until the words eventually found their way back to me through another person.
Scripture in Proverbs 26:22 describes this exact danger:
“The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body”.
My dear friends, slander is enticing. It feels like inside information and it feeds both our curiosity and our insecurity. But once it is swallowed, it sinks deep into the heart and slowly begins to poison how we see people, how we judge situations, and how we relate to one another. Before long, it starts to erode trust, damage relationships, and break the unity God desires for His people.
My natural instinct in moments like these was always to defend myself, to explain what really happened, to confront the situation, and to clear my name. Everything in me wanted to set the record straight. But the Holy Spirit taught me a higher way. He taught me to be silent, forgive quickly, and commit the entire matter into God’s hands through prayer. Every single time, God has proven faithful. He brought truth into the light, He exposed what was hidden, and He defended what the tongue tried so hard to destroy. Proverbs 26:26 says:
“Though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.”
Remember this: truth does not need help. Truth has a Defender, and His name is the Lord.
What makes slander even more dangerous is when it teams up with flattery. Flattery lowers defenses while slander does the damage. We see this clearly in the story of Queen Jezebel and King Ahab. With smooth words and false accusations, she arranged the death of innocent Naboth. Lies wrapped in authority and sweetness led straight to bloodshed. God’s Word does not take flattery lightly because it is rooted in deceit, fueled by manipulation, and driven by selfish ambition.
From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is filled with those who suffered under the weight of false accusation:
- Joseph, in Genesis 39, was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of attempted assault and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit.
- Job [Job 1–2; 4–31] was falsely judged by friends who accused him of secret sin while he was actually suffering righteously.
- King David [1 Samuel 18–26; Psalms 35, 52, 57] was slandered repeatedly by King Saul and pursued as a traitor despite his loyalty and integrity.
- Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 4 and 6, was accused of rebellion and political ambition while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, in an effort to stop God’s work.
- Daniel [Daniel 6] was trapped by a subtly crafted decree designed through deception and manipulation, falsely portraying him as defiant of the king, resulting in his sentence to the lion’s den.
- Mordecai [Esther 3–7] was targeted through false political accusations intended to destroy him and the Jewish people.
- Jesus Christ [Matthew 26–27; Mark 14; John 8, 18–19] was falsely accused of blasphemy, sedition, and being demon-possessed; the greatest victim of slander in history.
- The Apostle Paul, [Acts 21–28; 2 Corinthians 6; 11] was constantly slandered, falsely accused of breaking the law, and imprisoned for preaching the gospel.
There are many other examples, but in every case, God remained Judge, Defender, and Final Authority.
SOBERING LESSONS FOR ALL THREE PARTIES
1. For the Slanderer
I say this in love: For those who engage in slander, this is not simply a personality flaw or a moment of weakness, it is sin before a holy God. Though you may succeed for a moment in damaging someone’s reputation, you are steadily corroding your own soul unless you repent. God hears every whisper spoken in secret, sees every hidden motive, and weighs every word that leaves your mouth. You cannot tear down someone whom God is actively covering without placing yourself under divine judgment. Repentance is not optional, and it should never be delayed.
The longer slander continues unchallenged in the heart, the deeper the fall becomes, and the harder the recovery will be.
Lesson to Adhere To:
- Fear God more than you fear losing control, reputation, or influence.
- Let your tongue become an instrument of truth, and not a weapon of destruction.
2. For the Listener
For the listener, understand that you are not innocent simply because you did not speak the words yourself. Entertaining slander is active participation and not neutrality. What you willingly receive into your ears shapes your spirit, influences your thinking, and affects how you treat others. Discernment is your responsibility, not the speaker’s. When you remain silent in the face of gossip and accusation, that silence becomes agreement. Every lie that goes unchallenged grows stronger through your quiet acceptance of it.
Lesson to Adhere To:
- Refuse to listen to reports that dishonor others.
- Verify before you believe, pray before you judge, and seek truth before forming opinions.
3. For the One Being Slandered
For the one who is being slandered, never forget that God sees clearly what others distort and misrepresent. Your silence in the face of false accusation may sometimes look like weakness to those watching, but in reality it is a deep act of trust in the justice of God. Vindication does not come through arguments, long explanations, or self-defense. It comes from heaven. Your reputation is far safer in God’s hands than it will ever be in your own, and when you allow God to fight for you, you place your battle into the only hands that never lose.
Lesson to Adhere To:
- Remain righteous in the Lord when lied on.
- Walk in integrity in the presence of God and men.
- Let God’s justice speak louder than your defense.
CLOSING PRAYER OF REPENTANCE, HEALING AND STRENGTH
Heavenly Father,
we come before You in humility and reverence, acknowledging that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities, and the schemes of the evil one. Forgive us for every time we have misidentified the enemy and wounded one another instead of standing united against Satan’s plans.
We acknowledge that the tongue is powerful, and too often we have misused it. Your Word tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue, and today we repent for every moment we have spoken death instead of life.
For the slanderer, Lord, we ask that You pierce the heart with godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Remove every root of pride, jealousy, bitterness, and selfish ambition that fuels the desire to destroy others with words. Wash them clean, renew their mind, and teach them to speak only what honors You.
For the listener, Father, we repent for every time we entertained gossip, believed reports without seeking truth, and allowed our hearts to be influenced by words that were not from You. Cleanse our ears, sharpen our discernment, and teach us to guard our spirit fiercely.
And for the one who has been slandered, Lord, wrap them in Your peace, restore what has been damaged, and heal every silent wound. Strengthen their heart to trust You fully and let Your vindication speak louder than every lie ever spoken against them. Let Your favor rest upon them openly, boldly, and unmistakably.
Lord, we submit our tongues to You today. Make us vessels of truth, restoration, righteousness, and grace. Let our words build what hell has tried to destroy. In the mighty and victorious name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.
Author: Kimberly A.S. Williams