Satan’s Limitations: Satan Is Not Omnipotent Series

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Satan Is Not OMNIPOTENT (All-Powerful)

The Lord asked Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job; there is none like him in the earth. He is a perfect and upright man, who fears God and avoids evil?”

Satan asked, “Haven't you made a hedge on every side about him and his house and all that he has?” Job 1:8-9

You are probably familiar with the phrase “hedge of protection.” This passage is where that phrase originated.

Satan continued, “You have blessed the work of his hands, and his wealth is increased in the land.” Job 1:10

Satan was saying that God not only blessed everything that Job touched, but also protected him and all that he had from Satan’s power.

Satan Presented a Challenge

“Stretch out Your hand now and touch all that Job has, and he will curse You to Your face.” Job 1:11

You can almost hear the “and I BET” before “he will curse you…”

God Countered the Challenge

The Lord said to Satan, “All that he has is in your power; only don’t touch Job himself.” Job 1:12

God wouldn’t touch Job’s possessions to destroy them, but He ALLOWED Satan to take away anything Job had.

Without permission, Satan couldn’t penetrate the hedge of protection around Job. Now God ALLOWED Satan to go through the hedge.

Satan wasn’t ALLOWED to touch Job, only what Job possessed. SATAN HAD TO ABIDE BY THIS RESTRICTION GOD PUT IN PLACE.

This situation shows us that Satan doesn’t have power equal to God’s power. SATAN CAN ONLY DO WHAT GOD ALLOWS.

Satan Destroyed All That Job Had

In one day, in one hour, Job lost all that he had, all his crops, livestock, servants and even all his children. In each catastrophe, one servant survived to bring the news to Job. And while one was still talking, another came to tell about a worse event.

While he was yet speaking, there came another, who said, _________________ “…and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Job 1:13-19

Again, I’m reminded of Revelation.

Woe, woe, the great city Babylon, the strong city! because in one hour your judgment has come. Revelation 18:18

Notice that Satan used some natural events to destroy Job’s possessions.

a. Oxen, donkeys, Servants

The Sebeans attacked. Servants were plowing the field with oxen. The Sebeans killed the servants (only one escaped to tell Job) plowing the fields with swords and took one thousand oxen. They also took five hundred donkeys that were grazing in the field beside them. Job 1:14-15

b. Sheep, More Servants

“The fire of God has fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants…” Job 1:16

Only one servant lived to tell Job. These words, from the servant’s interpretation of the situation, might have given Job the impression that God had turned against him. Since the scene in Heaven is recorded for us, we know it wasn’t “of God.”

Many scholars and Bible translations interpret “fire of God” to mean lightning, another natural phenomenon. However, it would not be natural for lightning to burn up seven thousand sheep and the servants tending them.

When I was young, my aunt and uncle owned a dairy farm in West, Mississippi. After a stormy night, my uncle found twelve jersey cows dead. They were dead, lined up by the barbed-wire fence. Lightening had struck the tree with the barbed-wire nailed to it. The electricity ran down the barbed-wire. The cows didn’t move; they fell where they stood. The local newspaper published the story with a picture. It was so unusual for twelve cows to die by lightning.

Job had seven thousands sheep, all dead. If that was lightning, call the newspaper.

c. Camels, More Servants

The Chaldeans stole three thousand camels and killed the servants with swords (only one escaped to tell Job). Job 1:17

d. Ten Children, More Servants

Job’s children were all in the eldest brother’s house when a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. The house fell and they and the servants died (only one escaped to tell him). Job 1:18-19

There may have been a time in your life that you thought, “I don’t know how much more I can take! Right when I start recovering from one blow, I take another hit!” I know I have said that. But no one has ever experienced the loss in that Job experienced.

But Job didn’t curse God.

Repeat

The words of Job 1:6-8 are repeated in Job 2:1-3 with two exceptions. When the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord:

a. Satan came “to present himself before the Lord.”

In Job 1:6, Satan merely came among the sons of God.

In Job 2:1, Satan came among the sons of God with purpose. He came to present himself before the Lord.