“’I will hear your case myself when your accusers arrive,’ the governor told him. Then the governor ordered him kept in the prison at Herod’s headquarters.”
Acts 23:35 (NLT)
Paul made it to Caesarea before his accusers did. Felix read the letter, asked where Paul was from, and then said he would hear the case when the accusers showed up. That detail matters. The enemy had accusations, but he did not have the same speed, power, or authority as the God who had already carried Paul forward.
Acts 24:1 tells us it took five more days for Paul’s accusers to arrive. God provided an army, a cavalry, and a swift arrival for Paul. He did not provide the same for the ones trying to destroy Paul. Maybe the accusers were walking instead of riding a horse like Paul. Maybe the accusers were busy planning the lies they would say in court. Either way, the accusers were way behind God’s messenger.
I wonder how often we give the enemy too much credit. Satan is our accuser, but he is not all-powerful. He is not all-knowing. He is not God and he’s not on the throne. Satan tries to attack, accuse, and bring harm, but he does not go before us like God does. God goes before us, goes with us, and comes behind us. But the enemy is just trying to catch up.
So if you want the enemy to remain five days behind you, or even further, pray at all times with all kinds of prayers like Paul says in Ephesians 6. Prayer goes out before us. It attacks the enemy from afar. It keeps Satan from getting close to us. Pray to the God who has defeated the accuser, this enemy who has fallen like lightning and is under our feet.