Though times have changed since
the resurrection of Jesus, one thing remains true: Satan will not stop doing
what he can to disrupt the connection we have with God the Father and disable
us from living out our influence to further his Kingdom for his glory. I have
never heard Satan tell me to turn the rocks into bread or throw myself off a
cliff so I can demonstrate my own power to save myself. However, Satan does
come after us in other ways: lust, worry, greed, laziness, mistreatment of
those around us, pride, selfishness, jealousy. If I can just get Josh stuck,
even if it’s temporary, I could convince him to permanently walk away
from this so called ‘freedom in Christ’ he is embracing. That’s Satan’s
goal. Since he cannot eliminate God, he will do what he can to eliminate God
from our hearts and minds. A day without God is a victory for Satan, and he’s
been at work since before Jesus’ birth.
In Job 1, when Satan approaches God and challenges him, God
tells him he can put Job to the test, “…Do whatever you want with everything he
possesses, but don’t harm him physically” (v. 12). What does Satan do? He tries
to prove to God that Job will lose faith in God once all of his possessions are
gone. It’s almost as if Satan says to God, “I don’t need to make him walk away
from you, he will do that himself; watch.” All in one chapter (Job 1), Job’s
possessions are taken from him: first, the animals are stolen. Second, sheep
and shepherds are burned up. Third, servants get killed, and camels get stolen.
And, to end chapter one, the fifth thing Satan strips from Job are his kids
after the house collapsed on them. Yet, through all of this Job did not sin
against God. When Satan approached God again, God once again told Satan about
Job, this blameless man of integrity and great fear of the Lord. What did the
Devil do? He struck Job with boils from head to toe; it was so bad, even Job’s
wife told him to ‘curse God and die’ (Job 2:9).
From that moment forward, Job’s friends come to him with
their theories about why Job’s life has become an utter disaster. We know why,
but his friends are oblivious. One friend says, “Do not despise the discipline
of the Almighty when you sin” (Job 5:17), and the same friend also says,
“If God does not trust his own angels and has charged his messengers with
foolishness, how much less will he trust people made of clay?” (Job
4:18) Keep in mind, this foolish friend is still referring to the same man who
God called “the finest man in all of the Earth…”, “Blameless”, “a man of complete integrity…”,
“fears God and stays away from evil” (Job 1:8). But friend number
one does not stop there! He even calls Job out on being a sinner who God trusts
less than the angels! Job has two more friends ready to provide their own
wisdom on the matter. Friend number two, Bildad, calls Job “an ungodly, wicked man, [who] was
unjust and uncharitable” (according to Matthew Henry’s commentary/translation),
and that Job was justly punished for his ungodliness. Friend three is not any
better in his reproving of Job. Among other reproofs, Zophar theorizes that Job
is a hypocrite unless his possessions are restored. To Zophar, a wealth of
possessions meant you had righteous favor with God, so if they are removed from
Job, not to be returned, he must be a hypocrite. In addition, Zophar encourages
Job to repent, even though we know the reasoning behind Satan’s attacks.
All three perspectives shared by his three friends are
abhorrently false, and it should be noted that if they condemned Job with false
allegations and incorrect assertions, did they really comfort him in his time
of need? Worse, did they encourage Job to trust in God? At this point, Satan
must love the misinformation Job’s friends are feeding him because confusion
can often separate us from the Truth of who God is, which is Satan’s ultimate
goal. The three friends, with or without knowing it, have added to the
confusion that Job might already be experiencing, and when all is said and
done, it is Job’s conversation with the Lord that brings clarity and
understanding to the situation. Near the end of the book of Job, it is God’s turn
to respond, and he starts with this:
“Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant
words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and
you must answer them.” (Job 38:2)
Can we call a full timeout here? If you ever need a reminder
of God’s sovereignty, go to this verse. We all know God is omniscient, so he is
not required to ask Job anything. God does not answer to Job, because God does not
lack wisdom. However, do you recall Job 1 and 2? God publicly boasts about Job
in front of the angels and Satan. Job 1:6 says, “One day, the angels came to
present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.” Following
Job 1:6, God tells Satan what an incredible man Job is. So, God has his
reputation on the line too, yet he allows Job to live up to the reputation God
gave him. When Job complains and compares his present afflictions to his former
glory in Job 30, it is the opposite of the behavior God brags to Satan about. I
believe God shows Job tough love in chapters 38-42 because Job is living below
the standard that God empowered him to live! It’s almost as if God is saying, “You
are blameless and full of integrity; the finest man in the land! Don’t lower
your standards when I have empowered you to live with boldness!” Before
Job goes any further, God does not cut corners and gives him perspective on who
he is:
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”
(Job 38:4)
“Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have
you seen the gates of utter gloom? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell
me about it if you know!” (Job 38:17-18)
“Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its
ropes?” (Job 39:5)
“Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its back
with a flowing mane?” (Job 39:19)
“Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread
its wings toward the south?” (Job 39:26)
God continues asking Job hypothetical questions like these; questions
that point back to His power.
Then, the Almighty God finishes the first challenge with
this:
“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are
God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” (Job 40:2)
There is more in God’s second challenge to Job, where God talks
to him about the strength of the two colossal creatures, the Behemoth and
Leviathan, and goes on an epic monologue about only giving Job praise if his “own
strength could save you” (Job 40:14). Spoiler alert: Job’s own strength cannot
save him, and God knows this.
Shortly after God puts Job in his place, Job humbly approaches
God to verbally declare his sovereignty. Once God sees Job’s repentant spirit
and humble heart, he not only reprimanded Job’s friends and commanded them to
pay Job with bulls and rams (Job 42:7-8), but He also “restored his fortunes”
and “gave him twice as much as before” (Job 42:10).
As a result, we can look at Job’s story as a lesson in never
losing perspective of God’s sovereignty and wisdom in times of crisis; in this
case, in situations where Satan stands ready to attack. Job’s possessions were
restored to him after he recognized his position compared to God’s. When
we limit God’s power and authority, we open our heart to deception from the Devil.
Satan wants to divide us from reassurance in the true King.
The greatest shield that will protect us from the Enemy is intimacy
with and trust in God Almighty. Not only does intimacy with God give us eternal
clarity, but it gives us hope and trust in a higher power as we navigate through
troubled waters. Our faith in the power of God will remove us from any
temptation and stabilize us under the protection of His love. It is promised
that we will be given wisdom if we ask God for it (James 1:5) and that, if we “come
boldly to the throne of our gracious God…we will receive his mercy, and we will
find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16).
Will you seek our Heavenly Father first, as it
says in Matthew 6:33? Will you ask for wisdom in the midst of the darkness
where Satan lurks? Even Job’s friends could not provide Job with wisdom, yet
God is a merciful, loving Father who approached Job and restored to him all
that was lost.
We don’t have to wait like Job did; we shouldn’t whine,
complain, and wallow in self-pity before God reminds of who we are in Him. We
can boldly approach God immediately, no matter the circumstances. We can rest
in the unchanging power of God as a resource during desperate times.
If we fill our hearts with faith, hope, and praise to God
for who He is, we can overcome the attacks of Satan, because our greatest counterattack
is resting in the one who made the Behemoth strong and mighty, who commanded
the sun to set and the moon to rise, who gives the “donkey his freedom” and “horse
its strength.” Will you trust in the all-sufficient protector who keeps the “sea
inside its boundaries”, knows where “the gates of death are located”, and “sends
rain to satisfy the parched ground”?
God thinks you should. Satan may throw trouble your way, but
this God we serve is mighty to save. Go to him, and the trouble you endure will
turn to dust in the palm of His hand.