What Are the Limits of Satan's Reach in Our Suffering?

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If a friend told you someone cut open her chest, you would likely want to call an ambulance and then perhaps the authorities. However, if the friend then explained that the person with the knife was her surgeon, who opened her chest to repair her heart and save her life, your perspective would likely change. The difference is in the details.

Unfortunately, when it comes to our earthly suffering, we often don’t have all the details. We might feel pain or confusion and question God’s goodness or power. I wonder if suffering has left you with questions lately, whether from the world in general or in your personal life.

Job, a man in the Bible for whom one of the wisdom books is named, had many questions regarding his suffering. He followed God with sincere devotion but endured many trials. The book of Job not only helps us find a greater story in our suffering, but also gives us a glimpse into a divine council meeting in heaven. Through the interactions between the Lord and Satan, we discover that God allows earthly suffering but not without heavenly purpose.

Insights from the Story of Job

As we consider the identity of the “members of the heavenly court” (Job 1:6) or “sons of God” or “angels” depending on your translation, we discover the Hebrew term ben elohim. Ben means “son” and elohim is a name for God used throughout the Old Testament. One commentator explains that this “refers to these supernatural beings who are above men but created by God… The author of Job applies the term to the beings the Hebrews otherwise called the Lord’s messengers.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary Gaebelein 880)   

It may be a little disconcerting to think of Satan appearing in the heavenly court. He is the accuser and adversary of God and His people. Yet the Lord allowed him not only to appear before Him with the rest of the heavenly court but also to afflict Job. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew language uses an article before Satan’s name so he is “the” Satan throughout Job 1 and 2. Some scholars have noted that Satan should be considered more of a title or role rather than a personal name. Whether it is his title or name, Satan challenged God and His servants.

Satan believed that Job would curse God while in suffering saying to the Lord, “But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” (Job 1:11) Instead of cursing God as Satan predicted, Job praised God, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away.

Praise the name of the Lord!” Here we discover a play on words in the Hebrew language—the book’s author wrote using opposite words in Job 1:11 (curse) and Job 1:21 (praise) to show us the contrast. Job didn’t know what was going on behind the divine curtain, but he held onto his faith even in a season of great loss.

Job praised the Lord in the midst of suffering, but he wasn’t without questions. Much of the book of Job contains conversations between Job and his friends as they try to sort out the reason for his suffering. His friends claimed sin was the source, and Job pushed back against their accusations.

While Job’s account doesn’t give logical explanations for all earthly problems, his story does give us some insights into the God of Angel Armies. We find through Job’s encounter that God allows the testing of His servants; God sets limits on Satan’s reach; and God strengthens His servants through suffering. 

God Allows the Testing of His Servants

In Job 1, we learn that the Lord allowed Job to be tested. He lost his children and his possessions. Yet Job responded with faith. I can’t help but wonder why the Lord would allow someone He considered the finest man in all the earth to endure such loss. However, if we believe the Lord is sovereign over all things and has our best in mind, we can see God’s allowance of Satan’s testing as an expression of God’s total confidence in Job’s faith. The Lord valued Job’s long-term character over his short-term comfort. 

As I look back over the course of my life, I see a direct correlation between spiritual growth and difficult seasons. I don’t know many people who would say it was during a time of ease when they experienced profound character development. What we see happening with Job is consistent with many other accounts in the Bible. We know the Lord never tempts us (James 1:13), but He does test his servants. The Lord tested many great leaders to develop their character—Abraham (Gen. 22:1-19), Moses (Exodus 17:7), and Joseph (Psalm 105:17-22), to name just a few—and He allowed Satan to test Job.

God Sets Limits on Satan’s Reach

In the midst of an account where the enemy is oppressing Job, we can take heart that God limits Satan’s reach. The Lord commanded Satan to spare Job’s life. (Job 2:6) The suffering of the innocent can be difficult to wrap our minds around - seeming unjust according to our human understanding. Job’s book deals with Satan and suffering without giving his readers neat or even logical solutions. We can’t overly define how suffering works, but we can rest in the truth that Satan is limited while our sovereign God is not.

God Strengthens His Servants Through Suffering

When we read the Bible, there are times when we will have more questions than answers, and that’s okay! Our intent should be to embrace the tensions of the text and set our sights on knowing God better.

From Job 1 and 2, a few lingering questions include: Why did the Lord allow Satan – the accuser – to come before His throne along with the rest of the heavenly court? Did other fallen angels also stand before Him? Does Satan still patrol the earth and dialogue with God regarding His servants? Why did the Lord allow Satan to test Job… or us? 

Maybe your questions are totally different than mine. Job asked questions and debated with his friends while he grieved his losses. God didn’t answer his questions about the cause of his suffering but revealed Himself as the God who reigns over both heaven and earth (Job 38-41)!

In response, Job stuck to his choice to praise God and accept both good and bad from the hand of the Lord (Job 42:1-6). He found strength through his suffering as he grew in his knowledge and experience of God. I don’t understand everything about how God’s interactions in heaven take place, but I’m glad I serve a God who sets limits on Satan’s reach and strengthens His servants.

The relationship between Satan and suffering can be difficult wrap our minds around. We don’t understand why this life includes so much grief and pain – especially when we are personally walking through it. We may not get a glimpse behind the curtain like Job did regarding his suffering, but we can trust that God is present in the midst of ours. From Job’s encounter, we can hold onto to truth that grief and questions are normal, and that time often reveals a greater story in our suffering.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Roadtripwithraj

Melissa Spoelstra is a women’s conference speaker, Bible teacher, and author who is madly in love with Jesus. She is passionate about studying God’s Word and helping women of all ages to seek Christ and know Him more intimately through serious Bible study. Melissa has a degree in Bible theology, and she enjoys teaching God’s Word to diverse groups and churches across the nation. Melissa is the author of many Bible studies, including “Angels,” “The Gospel of John” and “Isaiah.”