Devices and Wiles of Satan

by C. Jones (Wales)

PAPER 2 — DOTH JOB FEAR FOR NOUGHT?

In the book of Job we can read of a conversion between God and Satan in which Satan slandered man to God. God described His servant Job as a "perfect man, an upright man," Job 1.8. Satan replied by slandering Job to God and said "Doth Job fear God for nought?", Job 1.9. He claimed that Job only served God because of the material benefits God showered upon Job and the protection from harm that God bestowed upon him, Job 1.10. Satan argued that if these benefits and protection were withdrawn then Job would curse God, Job 1.11. God gave Satan permission to harm all that Job had but did not allow him to harm Job, Job 1.12.

Here we see the absolute sovereignty of God, in that Satan, a created being of immense power, can only go as far as God permits. Another example of this is the occasion when Satan desired to have power over the disciples so that he might sift them as wheat, Lk.22.31. God controls all events and circumstances for the eternal benefit of the believer, Rom.8.28. God is sovereign and if He is "for us, who can be against us?", Rom.8.31.

Job lost his possessions and his children, and was greatly distressed, but "sinned not, nor charged God foolishly," Job 1.22. He was not sinless, for "all have sinned," Rom.3.23, but he was "upright" in the sense that men could not find fault with him. Job feared God and avoided evil, Job 1.8. Satan continued to slander Job to God and God gave him permission to hurt Job's body but not to take his life, Job 2.6. Satan then afflicted Job severely with boils. Both Job's wife and his friends discussed his situation with him and offered him advice, much of which only served to make clear that human reasoning is not always capable of understanding the reasons behind events or of providing correct solutions to the dilemmas and calamities people are faced with in life. As a result of his sufferings, we have on record those wonderful statements Job made, such as "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord," Job 1.21; "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him," Job 13.15, and "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God," Job 19.25,26. Job's friends were not correct in suggesting that Job's sufferings were because of his sins. This is not always so, because God disciplines and chastises His children and "no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby," Heb.12.11. God will not allow us to be tempted and tried beyond what we can endure, 1Cor.10.13. Job's confidence was in God. He was humble before God and said "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes," Job 42.6.

Job raised a fundamental question which can only be answered by one who knows something of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the value of His shed blood. Job asked "how should man be just with God?" Job 9.2. Believers can answer "being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him," Rom.5.9. Then again Job regretted the fact that there was no one to stand between him and God, Job 9.32-33. Believers enjoy the great blessing of knowing that "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time," 1Tim.2.5-6.

Despite the wiles of the Devil, Job came out of all his suffering glorifying God and more aware than he ever had been of his complete dependence on God. He proved Satan to be a liar in his slandering of Job to God, and after all the troubles and testings "the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning," Job 42.12.

—to be continued (D.V.)