Touch not the Lord's anointed

“But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives,’ he said, ‘the Lord himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.’” 1 Samuel 26:9-11
‘Touch not the Lord’s anointed’ is a phrase we often hear touted today by Christian leaders, usually in response to some criticism on their ministry, or when they feel their leadership is being challenged. It seems, the more un-Biblical things they say, the more they like to use this phrase. It’s used as a magic word to ensure their safety, like children playing tag and calling out ‘Safety!’
David used the phrase ‘the Lord’s anointed’ to refer to Saul, since he was the one that God had anointed to be king over Israel. However, when he refers to ‘touching the Lord’s anointed’, in every instance it refers to killing him. Twice (that we read about in Scripture) David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but both times he declined, saying ‘the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed’. Then, when someone came to David with the news that they had killed Saul, he executed them for having ‘destroyed the Lord’s anointed’ (2 Sam. 1:14-16).
In the Biblical sense, we should not ‘touch the Lord’s anointed’ – in killing anyone. However the phrase does not refer to exposing or reproving a self-appointed ‘apostle’. We are called to be discerning, and if what someone preaches does not line up with Scripture, we should point out their error.