The Devil
I was fighting a cold for several days. Well, two days ago, I asked my wife if she thought I should go to the doctor. I told her that I wasn’t feeling good but not bad enough that I wasn’t getting my tasks done. She replied that waiting for myself to get “sick enough” to see a doctor was probably not wise since, by then, I would have to stop doing my tasks for several days. The next day I broke down and went to the doctor only to be told I probably had a virus and I had to wait it out.
After I got back from the Express Care, I felt bad enough that I didn’t do anything the rest of the day. This morning when I woke up, I argued with myself trying to decide whether to go to church or not. I decided to go.
In my imagination, I created a made-up discussion between God and the Devil along the line of the Book of Job. It went something like this: “God, if you let me make that cold just a little worse, he’ll stay home and not go to church.”
“Satan, what would that do?”
“Well, if he stays home this morning, he may like using the time not to worship you and find other excuses to use that time either by not going to a Bible study or skipping church next week.”
“Satan, go ahead and let’s see what he does…”
I hope at this point in my faith walk, I would pass the test and not be tempted to find excuses to stop feeding myself. Unfortunately, Satan has used that strategy before in my life with much better success.
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” - Job 1:6-12
In my assessment, the lesson of the book of Job isn’t that Satan is trying to fight God over Job’s favor with God. I think the lesson of Job is the part where God tells Job he created everything and has a plan for the universe. Then and only then does Job repent and acknowledge God’s sovereignty.
“Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” - Job 42:1-6
To be clear, I have no idea the spiritual warfare that goes on around me and whether I’m the focus of it or not. Thank God, I know that he ultimately wins and I’m assured salvation in him in heaven.
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:12-14
