How satan speaks 2: Book of Job - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 9, 2023

Most of us struggle to distinguish between the voice of the Lord and that of satan. This is a problem because believers must learn to dismiss the devil's voice and listen to God alone. Failure to do so could lead to the same mistake Eve made in the Garden of Eden - momentarily forgetting God's instructions and succumbing to the serpent's words instead. The consequences of that interaction continue to bear unfortunate fruit today. By the grace of God, none of us will listen to the enemy and thereby leave behind fruit that causes future generations to suffer, IJMN, Amen.

Today we consider what the devil said in the Book of Job so we become more aware of evil communication and the need to avoid it.

In Job 1:7, satan tells the Lord that it had been "roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” What these words fail to reveal is the reason why the devil does indeed roam the world. However, the Lord does not leave us in the dark on this because 1 Peter 5:8 instructs that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour. Also, John 10:10 tells us satan's objective is to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

And yet, knowing that the devil was in need of a challenge, God recommended Job. Why would God do this to someone described as a "blameless and upright" man who "feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1)? It is likely that since Job had these very qualities, the Lord knew he would not be crushed by whatever the devil threw his way. Indeed, by the end of this encounter, satan's return on interest for bothering Job was zero. It gained nothing, while Job had everything he'd lost restored doubly (Job 42:10).

While in the presence of God, satan tried to manipulate Him into doing its dirty work, saying in John 1:11 - [b]ut now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” Notice, satan wanted the Lord to hurt Job with His own hands. This is something it does well, manipulate others to do evil. Thankfully, the Lord in His unlimited understanding didn't 'strike' Job, but only allowed satan to trouble him for a while.

The statement reveals one more thing: that satan wanted Job to curse God. This remains an objective of the devil. It wants you and I to slander and blaspheme God. Blaspheming the Creator is to speak irreverently and insult Him. To do so is to create problems, for the Bible warns in Exodus 22:28 - “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

At a later encounter, the Lord boasted of Job's faithfulness because despite all the trouble he'd experienced, he hadn't turned from the Lord. This triggered the enemy and it reacted in Job 2:4 - “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. Rather than accept defeat, satan dismissed God's words, unable to hide its hate. It did the same thing to Eve in the garden. Although that technique didn't work on God, the devil continues to dismiss God's words as irrelevant so others will do the same and run afoul of the Lord.

Therefore, children of God must be aware of these tactics and watch out for when the devil uses them. It could pretend to be the voice of God while in fact, it is a counterfeit. It could speak through a human being, maybe even someone near and dear. No matter what form it takes, it is imperative to become familiar with God's voice and His word. It is also crucial to receive the Holy Spirit, whose job it is - as the Spirit of Truth - to reveal deception. Knowing God's voice, His word, and aligning with His Spirit becomes easier the more the Bible is studied. The Lord will help each of us to hold firmly to Him, His ways and His word, so that we don't fall prey to the schemes of the enemy, IJMN, Amen.