Guarding Against Becoming the Devil’s Advocates in 2026 Being the Year of Christ

2 Corinthians 11:14–15 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.

Matthew 16:23 Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

This year has been declared the Year of Christ—a year of restoration, revival, and alignment with the Kingdom. But the danger is this: if we are not vigilant, we may unknowingly become advocates for the enemy, speaking his lies, defending his agenda, and opposing the very Christ we claim to follow.

Definitions

Advocate (general)

An advocate is one who speaks, defends, or promotes the cause of another, standing as their representative or supporter.

Christ’s Advocate

A Christ’s advocate is a believer who defends the truth of the Gospel, promotes righteousness, and represents Christ’s Kingdom in word and deed.

They echo Christ’s voice (John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. – the Spirit as our Advocate).

They stand for holiness, justice, and love.

Their life and speech point people toward Christ.

Devil’s/Satan’s Advocate

A devil’s advocate is someone who defends, excuses, or promotes the agenda of Satan—knowingly or unknowingly—by opposing God’s truth, normalizing sin, or sowing doubt and division.

They echo deception instead of truth (John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. – Satan is the father of lies).

They stand for compromise, rebellion, or destruction.

Their words and actions become stumbling blocks to Christ’s mission.

Biblical Contrast

Christ’s Advocate: Builds, restores, and defends the Kingdom of God.

Devil’s Advocate: Tears down, deceives, and defends rebellion against God.

In short: An advocate amplifies a voice. The question is—whose voice are we amplifying: Christ’s or the devil’s?

The Subtle Shift from Christ to Self

Matthew 16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’

Peter rebuking Jesus in Matthew 16:22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’.

Peter loved Jesus, but his words aligned with Satan’s agenda.

This shows how quickly devotion to Christ can be overshadowed by self-centred thinking, turning us into advocates of the enemy’s agenda.

The devil rarely comes openly; he works through subtle shifts.

The enemy seldom reveals himself in full darkness; instead, he cloaks his schemes in half-truths and subtle compromises. He whispers suggestions that sound reasonable but lead us away from God’s will. This is why discernment is vital—because deception often looks like wisdom until it is tested against the Word.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say…?’

When our focus moves from Christ to self—our pride, our ambitions, our comfort—we begin to echo the enemy’s voice.

The moment our eyes shift from Christ’s mission to our own desires, we risk becoming mouthpieces for the enemy. Pride, ambition, and self-preservation can blind us to God’s greater plan, causing us to defend what feels good instead of what is true. This is how we, even with good intentions, can unknowingly align with Satan’s agenda.

Philippians 2:3–4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Good intentions without spiritual discernment can make us mouthpieces for darkness.

The Danger of Compromise

Revelation 3:16 – “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

This warns that compromise and half-hearted faith place us in danger of rejection by Christ.

Compromise begins small: tolerating sin, excusing disobedience, defending what God condemns.

Compromise rarely starts with outright rebellion; it begins with small allowances—tolerating what God calls sin, excusing disobedience, or defending what Scripture condemns. These “small” cracks in our faith open the door for greater deception. What feels harmless today can become bondage tomorrow.

Song of Solomon 2:15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.

In the Year of Christ, compromise is betrayal disguised as wisdom.

The enemy often cloaks compromise in the language of wisdom, making disobedience sound practical or even loving. But in reality, compromise is betrayal—it undermines Christ’s authority and replaces His truth with human reasoning. In this Year of Christ, we must discern between true wisdom from above and false wisdom that leads to collapse.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

The devil seeks advocates who will normalize sin in the church.

Satan’s strategy is not only to tempt individuals but to recruit voices that defend and normalize sin within the body of Christ. When we justify immorality, division, or false teaching, they become advocates for the enemy’s agenda. The church must remain vigilant, refusing to let sin be dressed up as righteousness.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”

We refuse to compromise. We will stand for Christ even when it costs us.

The Devil’s Advocates in the Church

Jude 1:4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Gossip, division, false teaching, and lukewarmness are tools of the enemy.

The enemy thrives where gossip spreads, division festers, false teaching misleads, and lukewarmness weakens faith. These are not harmless habits but weapons that erode the strength of the church from within. Believers must recognize that such behaviours are not neutral—they are deliberate tools of Satan to silence truth and cripple unity.

Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”

When we defend these behaviours, we are not defending Christ—we are defending Satan’s work.

To excuse gossip, justify division, or tolerate false teaching is to stand against Christ Himself. Defending sin is not compassion—it is collaboration with darkness. Every time we rationalize what God condemns, we shift from being Christ’s advocates to the devil’s defenders, even if unintentionally.

Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

The church must rise as Christ’s ambassadors, not the devil’s advocates.

The calling of the church is to represent Christ faithfully—to be His ambassadors of truth, holiness, and reconciliation. This means rejecting compromise and boldly standing against every form of deception. In this Year of Christ, the church must shine as a beacon of righteousness, refusing to echo the enemy’s voice.

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

We are ambassadors of Christ. Our words, our actions, our life will represent Him.

Guarding Our Tongue and Spirit

Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

The devil’s advocates often speak death, discouragement, and doubt.

The enemy thrives on negative speech—words that kill faith, weaken courage, and sow despair. When we allow their tongues to echo discouragement and doubt, they become instruments of darkness instead of light. We must recognize that destructive words are not neutral; they are weapons the devil uses to silence hope.

Job 2:9 His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’

In the Year of Christ, our tongues must speak life, hope, and truth.

This is the season to align our words with Christ, declaring His promises and speaking life into every situation. Our tongues must become instruments of hope, truth, and encouragement, lifting others and glorifying God. In the Year of Christ, every word we speak should testify to His power and presence.

Proverbs 15:4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

Everyone must ask: ‘Whose voice am I amplifying—Christ’s or the devil’s?’

Every word we speak carries weight—it either amplifies the voice of Christ or echoes the schemes of Satan. This question is a spiritual checkpoint for everyone: Am I defending Christ’s truth, or am I unknowingly promoting the enemy’s lies? Our tongues reveal whose advocate we truly are.

Luke 6:45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Lord, sanctify our tongues. Let our words build, not destroy.

Conclusion

This is the Year of Christ. It is a year of alignment, holiness, and power. But vigilance is required. The devil is recruiting advocates—those who will defend his lies, excuse his works, and oppose Christ unknowingly.

Let us rise as Christ’s defenders, truth-bearers, and Kingdom ambassadors. May our lives testify that we belong to Him, and may our voices silence the enemy.

Prayer

Father, in this Year of Christ, guard our hearts, purify our tongues, and align our spirits with Your will. May we never become advocates of the devil, but bold witnesses of Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

25 – 01 – 2026