It’s very obvious that Satan can’t do all he wants against us or we’d all be dead! God doesn’t allow that, but He does allow him to do some things in his attacks on us. Sometimes they seem more than we can bear and that Satan can do whatever he wants but that isn’t true. Just what does God allow and where does He draw the line? The book of Job is a good place to go for the answer.
Not only does the book of Job give insight into suffering, but it also shows Satan’s role and God’s limits on Satan. If you haven’t read the first couple of chapters recently, now would be a good time to do so.
The story starts by assuring us that Job was a righteous man who didn’t do anything to deserve suffering (Job 1:1-5). In fact, in God’ sight he was the greatest man of His day (Job 1:3). At the very start of the book, we are told that Satan presented himself before God regularly and they communicate (Job 1:6-12). Who would have thought that ever happened! The narrative tells of this as literal, not figurative.
Satan accused God of showing favoritism to Job and paying him off so of course he’ll love God and serve Him. He accused Job of having selfish motives for his devotion to God (verse 9-10). He challenged God to allow him to bring misery into Job’s life to prove his motives were selfish. It seemed Satan truly believed Job was only in it for himself. Since pride and self-centeredness is behind all Satan does, he would assume others are that way as well.
Surprisingly, God agrees to let Satan test Job’s faithfulness. But He sets limits. Satan can’t do anything to Job’s body (Job 1:12). He can, and does, take away all his wealth and kill his children. But instead of cursing God, as Satan said he would (Job 1:11), Job praised God through it all (Job 1:21). There is a play on words in the Hebrew language—the book’s author wrote using opposite words in Job 1:11 (curse) and Job 1:21 (praise) to show us the contrast. Job didn’t know what was going on behind the divine curtain, but he held onto his faith even in a season of great loss. He had no idea he was being used as an experiment of true devotion to God. His response to it all was: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (v 21).
Satan used local bandits to kill and steal, he sent fire from heaven to destroy and even a strong wind to blow down the house Job’s children were in, killing them all (Job 1:13-19). Clearly Satan has power over nature and people to bring about his evil will. But he couldn’t, and didn’t, attack Job’s body.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Satan came again with the same accusation about Job’s self-centered motives for faithfulness. It’s the old “as long as you have your health” refrain. Take away Job’s health and he won’t feel so great about God any more (Job 2:1-5). God gave Satan permission to do anything he wanted to Job but kill him (verse 6) so Satan gave it his best shot (verses 7-8). He is an expert on pain and suffering so he didn’t hold anything back. He sent terrible physical pain to every inch of Job’s body. Still Job held firm in His love for God, even when his wife encouraged him to blame God who surely could have prevented it but didn’t (Job 2:10). His response is classic: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said (Job 2:10).
What we see happening with Job is consistent with many other accounts in the Bible. We know the Lord never tempts us (James 1:13), but He does test his servants. The Lord tested many great leaders to develop their character—Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19), Moses (Exodus 17:7), and Joseph (Psalm 105:17-22), to name just a few—and He allowed Satan to test Job. These tests were an opportunity for them to trust God and grow in their faith. God promises to never tempt us beyond what we are able to withstand with His help (1 Corinthians 10:13) so we are without excuse when we give in.
However, God did set limits on what Satan could do (Job 1:12; 2:6). We can rest assured that all our trials are “Father-filtered.” They must come through Him first. He knows our limits and what we can endure with His help. Often we complain and blame, but He would never give us too much (1 Corinthians 10:13). Anything negative that happens to us must come through our loving heavenly Father. He loved us so much He left heaven to come to earth and died on the cross for us. We cannot doubt His love. And we know He is in sovereign control of everything (Romans 8:31-39). What we go through here is nothing compared to what He has for us in eternity. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
The book of Job answers some of our questions but leaves others unanswered. The suffering of the innocent is partly dealt with – it brings glory to God when we stay faithful and it won’t be anything more than we can endure. But what about those who don’t know Him or are too young to trust in Him? What about Job’s children who lost their lives? What’s with that? Again, all we can do is fall back on the fact that God is love and He is sovereign. That covers it all.
But, still, why does a holy God even allow evil Satan to come into His presence? Does Satan still prowl the earth and accuse us to God? Could that be one reason God allows some of the things we deal with to happen? It sounds very possible. But then how are we doing in showing our faithfulness to God despite it all? Is our response like Jobs: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10)
Job had questions for God, that’s the rest of the book of Job. But God didn’t defend His actions to Job. Instead, He challenged Job to just trust Him – read Job 38-41 to keep your troubles in perspective. And remember that at the end of the book God gave back everything Job lost, even doubling it. You can’t outgive God!
Angels and demons are watching you in your daily life as well. What do they see?
What can Satan accuse you of before God? Confess it and turn from it.
Do you trust God enough to let Him use you as an example of faithfulness before angels and demons?
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India, Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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