Satan – The Hidden
Adversary
Job 19-21
The drama continues as Job persists in his request for an
audience with the Lord and proclaims that he believes a redeemer will come to
his rescue. Zophar continues to beat his drum about how the wicked suffer and
the righteous prosper. As you read this portion of the story, let’s think back
about the one who started all of this – Satan.
One day, the evil one enters the presence of the Lord and
begins his work. From the story, here is what we know about him:
- He has
access to God
- The
earth is where he roams
- He is
not afraid of God - He challenges the Lord with bold disrespect
- He can
only act with God’s permission and he his power is limited by God
- He understands
human nature and knows our weaknesses
- God allows him access to His creation – for a purpose
As quickly as he arrives on the scene, he also disappears,
leaving a trail of destruction, sorrow and pain. Since he is intimately aware
of human nature, he is able to custom design the affliction he puts on Job. He
makes some key observations about what humans hold dear:
- Protection
- Prosperity
- Health
- Comfort
- Family
The word Satan is literally ‘The Accuser”. God gave him
the power to afflict but keeps him on a leash. Satan does all he is allowed to
do and no more. Therefore, we can see that he is an entity under God’s
authority. What does that say about his freewill? He has the ability to touch
the lives of humans in the most sensitive areas that are listed above. What is
your most vulnerable area? Is there some weakness that the accuser may be able
to manipulate?
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