There are people in your life right now who are speaking in the tongues of demons and they don’t even realize it, and it’s possible that you are too. What does it mean to speak in the tongues of demons, and how do we stop it from happening?

You’ve heard the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It sounds nice, and it gives us some comfort, but it’s not true. Words really do hurt.

Did you know that satan means “accuser” or “adversary”, and the Bible calls him the “accuser of our brethren.”

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”
– Revelation 12:9-10

The word Devil in Greek is diabolos, and it means “slanderous or accusing falsely”. The definition of slander is “a false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation”. When you make false and damaging statements about someone else, you are speaking in the tongues of demons, and when you hear a slanderous accusation, you’re listening to the tongues of demons.

“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.”
– Deuteronomy 19:15-20

If someone is accused of something, there must be two or three witnesses. One witness is not enough. The accuser and the accused must both stand together. The accused is allowed to face his accuser. This means there are no anonymous accusations. It also means triangulation is not allowed. Triangulation is a form of manipulation that involves the use of indirect communication behind someone’s back to pit one person against another. This type of accusation is not righteous because the accused person is not present. If the accuser is found to be a false witness, they must receive the punishment they intended for the person they accused. This is to help prevent false accusations from taking place.

That is how righteous judgment happens, but that’s not what most people do. Typically the accuser avoids talking to the person they are offended at, and instead, they spread accusations behind their back. The people they talk to don’t handle it righteously either because they listen to the accusation without the accused person being present. If the accused person isn’t present, it’s slander.

After hearing the accusation, the listener often begins slandering that person as well.  This is one of the major ways Satan attacks God’s people. And the Bible tells us not to do this.

“You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”
– Exodus 23:1

Satan’s accusations are spoken in the mouths of people. Satan means accuser and Devil means slanderer, and anyone who participates in this type of slanderous accusation is guilty of doing the work of Satan.

It takes a righteous person to say, “stop right there, I won’t hear an accusation against that person unless they are present to defend themself.”

“It is a sign of a perverse and treacherous disposition to wound the good name of another, when he has no opportunity of defending himself.”
– John Calvin

Slander is a cowardly attack against another person because they can’t defend themself. A person’s reputation is the most valuable thing they have, and when their character is slandered it can destroy their life. When you speak badly about someone, you are committing a crime against that person. If they have sinned, the Bible says to rebuke that person to his face and give him the opportunity to repent.

A slanderer seeks to harm someone, but a righteous person seeks reconciliation.

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
– Matthew 18:15-17

This is the righteous way to deal with offenses, and the goal is reconciliation. If reconciliation doesn’t happen, then you bring two witnesses to help mediate the conversation. If reconciliation still doesn’t happen, then you get the church involved.

Don’t let satan use you as a tool for destruction. Learn to approach these situations righteously. If you have a complaint against someone, go to that person, don’t talk about them behind their back. Stop speaking in the tongues of demons.