READ: Romans 1:28-30
“…God gave them over to a reprobate mind…backbiters, haters of God, despiteful…“ – Romans 1:28-30
Backbiting means “to be bitten in the back”. That is, to slander someone in his absence.
The Bible teaches us in Ephesians chapter 6 about the protective armour of God. However, you will notice that there is no armour for the back parts of the Christian. That is why backbiting is so painful.
A true friend is someone who says the same positive things about you, whether you are present or absent. Wherever there is backbiting there is no trust, and strong relationships cannot be built. You see, people get to know the things you have said about them with time, any very few things are secret. Backbiting, is very common in divided, strife-filled churches. Pastors need the operation of the gifts of the Spirit to identify backbiters.
Years ago, there was a young lady who would minister beautifully before I preached. I trusted her as one of my loyal and dedicated church members. Once, the Spirit of the Lord gave me a dream in which I was fighting with her. We were trading punches like common street fighters. Suddenly , I awoke and couldn’t believe what I had just dreamt about. The Spirit of the Lord told me, “This seemingly loyal lady is a slanderous backbiter. She joins others to speak much evil against you. But when she sees you, she is full of smiles and encouraging words.” That is backbiting! A painful bite in the back! Within the next few days, what I had seen in the dream came to light. The Lord had revealed this to me to protect me from the poison of this person’s tongue.