Throughout the centuries, the story of Job has been used to help people in times of sorrow and sickness. Many have interpreted that God was responsible for “allowing" satan to afflict Job, and therefore He “allows” sorrows, suffering, poverty, and sickness to come upon His children. However, God was not responsible for Job's calamities - satan was!
"So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." (Job 2:7 KJV)
Job accused God of bringing about the evil in a conversation he had with his wife about all that had befallen them, “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10 KJV) The reality is that Job did not know it was the devil alone that had made him sick. The people of that time did not know that the devil existed, so they attributed everything to God - including evil.
Job was a man who was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil,” but he had to repent for speaking things about God that were not true (Job 1:1 NIV). He lived a morally pure life, but his understanding of the character and nature of God was distorted, and way off base.
Job was blessed and financially secure, but he walked in constant worry. He offered sacrifices in the event his relatives did something wrong without even knowing for sure that they had actually done something wrong! This can be seen in the numerous "insurance" offerings he made on behalf of His children (See Job 1:5). Job was the only one in the Bible who did this.
The Hedge of Protection
Fear is trusting-faith running in reverse gear. It opens windows of opportunity for the enemy and energizes him to terrorize and inflict harm. Job did not know that he needed to repent of his fear. The accuser took advantage of that and began afflicting him with many trials. However, God restrained the enemy. He did not “allow” satan to do all he desired to do, even though fear had opened the door for him to do what he did.
God did not commission the enemy to afflict Job! (See Job 2:1-10; 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalm 91) The enemy had the power to afflict Job because he was already the “god of this world” and Job was under the hand of his power (2 Cor 4:4; Job 2:6 NIV). The enemy arrogantly tried to have God put “forth thy hand” against Job (Job 2:4-5), but he cannot command God to do anything, let alone something evil to His children. The enemy’s hand is not the hand of God.
The enemy accused God of unfairly placing a hedge of protection around Job even though he was not under a covenant with God - which every Born-Again Christian is under -that excluded satan from causing affliction (Job 1:10).
Job didn’t have the Old Covenant promises, let alone the New Covenant promises, to stand on. He did not have any promise he could claim to keep the enemy away because the promises of protection were not yet given to God’s people.
The Egyptians afflicted Israel with cruel servitude for many generations, yet the Law of Moses said that an Israelite did not have to be a slave of another nation if they served the Lord (See Deut 28). During the time the Israelites were under bondage in Egypt, the Law had not yet been given, so there was no promise of deliverance they could stand upon.
The enemy had the authority to afflict Israel in Egypt. However, once God gave His Law through Moses, satan’s rights were restricted. He could only bring Israel into bondage if Israel forsook the Lord. God promised that if Israel walked uprightly before Him, they would not be brought into subjection like that again.
Extraordinary Patience
The real story of Job is that he was a man of genuinely remarkable patience who honored God even though he did not understand the why(s) of what happened to him.
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11 KJV)
One of the great lessons of Job is that God does honor patience, but nowhere in the Bible is Job commended for being a man of great faith. He is not the perfect example of patient suffering. The book of Job teaches that sickness does not come from God, for He is the one who heals.
The enemy afflicted Job in many ways for a season (See Job 7:30). His sickness and troubles were just a fraction of his life, perhaps lasting only seven months. Job never asked God to heal and restore him. However, this simple fact remains - even though Job didn’t ask to be delivered, God healed and delivered him completely! There is no record of him ever getting sick or afflicted again for the rest of his life up to the day “he died, an old man who had lived a long, good life” (Job 42:17 NLT).
The Redeemer Lives!
Job did not know the Mediator - the great Redeemer.
“If only there were a mediator who could bring us together, but there is none. The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.” (Job 9:33-10:1 NLT)
The Bible speaks of only one “mediator” between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5). Job believed that if he had a “mediator”- if he could just meet his “redeemer” - he would be free from his troubles.
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” (Job 19:25 KJV)
Jesus Christ is the great “redeemer.” He has promised to deliver, heal, and restore. God has placed a hedge of protection around every Born-Again Christian that is made impenetrable by the shed blood of Jesus. He will never “allow” the enemy to terrorize His children with sickness and disease, or heartache and sorrow. Jesus is faithful and true to His promises!
God does not create horrible circumstances so that He can provide “opportunities” to prove He is faithful or so that people can prove they trust Him during hard or trying times or grow spiritually! Nor does He use or allow suffering as ‘loving’ correction of His children. He does not cause or allow bad things to happen so that He can test or try one's faith to make them a “better” or “stronger” person or to discipline or punish them.
The word “allow” is defined as “to forbear or neglect to restrain or prevent.” God desires only the best for His people whom He calls His Bride because He is head over heels in love with her (Revelation 21:9)! He desires to pour out (not restrain!) blessing upon blessing to those who trust Him with their entire being. He will never neglect His Bride or prevent her from experiencing deep intimacy when she cries out in desperate longing for more of Him. He has blessed her with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). He only gives her gifts that are good and perfect (James 1:17). Pain, suffering, and tragedy are diametrically opposed to good and perfect.
The Results of Job’s Repentance
Job made many foolish and untrue accusations against God, but he did not accuse God of wrongdoing. God rebuked him, and Job had to repent (See Job 38:1-41:34; 42:1-6). God said that Job had "darkened counsel without knowledge" (Job 38:2, 42:3).
Job experientially understood that terror, hardship, trials, and tribulations could overtake a person like a flood and that they can come suddenly like a hurricane and knock them off their feet, carrying them away against their will (Job 27:20).
It is most often when a person is IN the whirlwind of trials and tribulations that God speaks as He did to Job (Job 38:1, 40:6, 42:5-6; Luke 5:8). Head knowledge and experiential heart knowledge of God are often in antithesis (Job 29:11; Psalm 18:8). God will reveal His presence in the veil of darkness of storm clouds as things are spinning around, seemingly out of control (Job 38:1).
In the midst of His trials, Job finally repented and acknowledged his sin and lack of trust in God. He admitted to having only a prideful hearsay head knowledge of God that was passed down from his ancestors. When He did that, His eyes were opened, and he saw his Redeemer God, the Logos, in His majestic divine glory as He really is (Job 4:16).
As a result of the humility of repentance, Job’s spiritual eyes were opened, and he suddenly understood God’s providential sovereign grace, goodness, wisdom, and justice in the affairs of fallen humanity, and he fully submitted to it, which changed everything. Just as with the prophet Isaiah, Job saw God with his eyes, and was “ruined.” As a result, he learned to live his life daily before God in the “dust and ashes” of repentance (Isaiah 6:1-5; Job 42:6). Every Born-Again Christian who learns to live in the humility of repentance and trusting-faith before God, will also be “ruined” and will discover a growing longing for nothing else, and no one else, but Jesus.
It is by the written Word, the Bible, that the Father reveals the character and nature of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, who illuminates it so that a person can come to know Him personally and intimately. He justifies and changes them into His image, rather than they always trying to justify themselves (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 1:16; Romans 5:1).
The True Source of Suffering
The enemy of humanity is determined to terrorize and destroy every human being. He is the “accuser of the Brethren” and is continuously seeking divine permission to tempt every Christian (Revelation 12:10 NIV). Pride is what gives the enemy permission to attack because "God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6 NIV). The ability to resist the enemy is contingent upon walking in humility.
Suffering is as much a part of this life as air and water because humans live in a sinful world. The Creator doesn’t cause suffering. Only the archenemy of Heaven can be accused of tormenting Christians. God is not the author of pain and suffering.
The devil, Jesus said, has been a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44 NIV). No one else would do such terrible things but the liar, deceiver, and accuser himself, who comes ONLY “to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10a NIV).
It is time to give the blame where blame is due! God is not a tormentor! God doesn’t put sickness and disease, or great suffering, on a person to teach them something, or because they sinned! He doesn’t kill loved ones or sabotage their life with calamity. Jesus came that people "may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10b NIV). Jesus is a GOOD God!
The Bible says that when Jesus walked the Earth, He healed all those who were under the power of the enemy (See Acts 10:38). The enemy has NO authority over a Born-Again Christian to oppress them. In the Greek language, the word ‘oppressed’ means to “exercise dominion (rule/authority) against.”
Sickness is part of the devil's kingdom and in the fallen nature of humankind. Through the shed blood of Jesus, every Born-Again Christian has already been “rescued”… “from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14 NIV).
The heavenly Father does not “put” or “allow” suffering in a person’s life to punish them, or teach a lesson, or test their faith, nor does He guarantee deliverance from the suffering of this world. Suffering is inevitable while living on this planet.
Job questioned God about this when he asked, "Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” (Job 21:7 NIV) Job shows later on that he acquired a greater understanding of God’s mercy in suffering when he wrote,
"But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.” (Job 36:15 NIV)
A great deal of suffering that people experience is actually brought upon by themselves. The adversary and his minions cannot indwell the spirit, mind, and body of a Christian, but they can motivate them by whispering in their ear. No one can really say, "The devil made me do it," but rather, “I allowed the devil to persuade me to do it."
The mind is the devil’s playground. It is there that he can talk a person into doing something they should not do, and it is there that he can talk them into not forgiving themselves, as well as others. Poor choices and sin cause more suffering in this world than anything else. No one wants to take responsibility for their actions, so they find someone else to blame. The result is that people tend to look to either God or satan to blame, when; in fact, it is most often the wrong actions taken on their part, and by their own free choice, which cause the problems.
Controls and Limitations
The Lord determines the limits of those things that happen to people. He is not the one who causes evil!
"For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:16 NIV)
When Job was going through his terrible ordeal, the LORD did NOT give permission to satan to touch Job even though he had control over the earth because of the Fall.
"The Lord said to Satan, ’Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.’ Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD." (Job 1:12 NIV)
Note that it is the Holy Spirit who restrains the evil of sin from taking its full toll on the Earth.
"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:7 NIV)
The enemy can’t escape or circumvent the sovereignty of God. In all cases, God remains in control - even when the devil is attacking. God monitors every temptation and assault. This is made clear when God said to satan; "you incited me against him (Job) to ruin him without any reason" (Job 2:3). Even though Job was being attacked by satan, God retained His sovereignty over the situation.
The devil can only tempt up to a point. The accuser does NOT have the authority to circumvent God’s will. He must submit to God’s overall sovereignty. He can’t exceed God’s limitations on temptation;
"And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:15 NIV)
Faithful or Fearful
Almost every book in the Bible has a "fear not" in it. The enemy uses fear, but God would have His children to have trusting-faith in Him. Although Job was a righteous man, and would not speak evil, he opened the door through thoughts of fear for the enemy to work in his life.
"For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came." (Job 3:25-26 NIV)
In other words, Job said, "I did what was right, but I was afraid that God would not take care of me." In contrast, Jesus challenges Christians to trust Him;
"I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:21-22 NIV)
The Bible also says that;
“God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” (2 Timothy 1:7-9 NIV)
God provides tools that every Christian can use to combat fear. God's provision can empower them to defeat the influence and power of the enemy in their life. Through the power, love, and sound mind that God offers, they can find freedom from fear and help others find comfort, encouragement, and help them to grow in their trust of God.
”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)
Conquering fear is not a matter of self-determination. It is a matter of dependence on what Jesus has done and belief in His words, His promises, and His gifts. It is also a matter of recognizing the enemy’s attempts at immobilizing a person with fear, and then trusting in God’s glorious grace to give power, love, and a sound mind.
Jesus came to destroy the "devil's work" (1 John 3:8). His shed blood destroyed the works of the evil one.
The heavenly Father knows each person intimately.
"Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30).
God only desires what is in our best interest. Here are just a fraction of His promises:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17 NIV)
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 NIV)
“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber." (Psalm 121:3 NIV)
The Born-Again Christian can rest in God’s promise,
"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
Nothing, including the enemy or his minions, can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37-39). In the end, the enemy and the father of lies will be defeated, and his power will end forever! (Revelation 20:10).
Job was not under the New Testament promise to every Born-Again Christian nor did he have the Holy Spirit living within Him. Job’s story happened before Moses wrote Genesis and received the law under God’s covenant (Genesis 46:13)
If a person chooses to believe that God did allow the tragedy in Job’s life and still allows it in today in the life of a Born-Again Christian, they can still trust in the promise that is given to them NOW:
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:7-9 ESV)
