The Common Attacks of the Devil (Part 2B)

(Part B)

The Common Attacks of the Devil

Today, the devil's methods are still the same but disguised in various forms. Before our Lord returns to take us to His heavenly home, we are still in the midst of this spiritual conflict. We are exhorted to be vigilant and take on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:11)

1 Corinthians 10:13     There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The devil’s method against Christians has not changed since the time of Adam. The book of Job reveals the devil’s comprehensive strategy to tempt men and cause them to sin against God. The final destination of man’s transgression is not against another man— but against God. In Gen 39:9, when Joseph was tempted, he knew that if he committed adultery with the woman, he would first sin against God and then Portiphar. Please take note of his statement carefully: “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God”? This verse is our ‘spiritual food’ and needs to be ingested as most people would think it is not too dangerous to sin against another man but to sin against God is definitely more serious. Robin Hood’s justification for robbery will not be so appealing if he is aware that he has sinned against God. 

In Satan’s attack on Job, we can clearly see him afflict Job in a methodical process. The five common areas of his attacks are economic matters, children, our health, spouse and psychology. All of these five areas,  in Satan’s views, will be able to break a person down and get him to sin against God. I will elaborate on these five common attacks of Satan.

Christians should not underestimate the power of each Satanic attack even when he attacks us in one area only.  If a Christian is not strong in the faith, even a small economic set back like losing one’s job may cause him or her to blame God.

Economic Matters (Job 1:14-17)

The major part of our lives is mostly spent on our economic pursuits. It is not always about the love money but more so, the majority of the people are engaged in their economic pursuits to earn money to survive. The lockdown in the Covid-19 pandemic shows how serious it is when we stop work or business; our Government has to intervene to distribute cash to the lower-income workers. Satan is well aware of man’s dependence on money and he reckons that if Job’s assets and business are destroyed, Job will likely sin against God. Accordingly, Satan caused the Sabeans and Chaldeans to rob Job of all his oxen, asses and camels. They also killed the servants that were in charge of these animals. Furthermore, Satan also brought forth a natural disaster by sending down fire from heaven to destroy all the sheep and the servants responsible for them. The tense situations illustrated in these few short verses show that all of Job’s material possessions and belongings were completely destroyed. The impact of these economic disasters on Job was intensified since they do not happen gradually— but all within a day.  

Children (Job 1:18-19)

I am quite intrigued by Patek Philippe’s advertisement slogan: You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation. It brings out a lot of truth that our children are the prime consideration in our lives. When I visited New Zealand many years ago, I was introduced to a friend who emigrated there in 1996. He left a cushy job in a bank in Hong Kong and emigrated to New Zealand with his wife and daughter. He told me how he went through all forms of inconveniences, including uprooting his career, home and friends for his only daughter. I marvel at his herculean sacrifice for his daughter  Satan in his vicious attack on Job, killed all of Job’s children in a great wind. No one could understand the depth of Job’s grief when he suddenly lost all his ten children.   I do not know of anyone who has encountered such a tragedy. 

The extreme calamities that fell upon Job truly reveal the face of evil. With lesser mortals, as mentioned earlier, even a small economic set back like losing a job will be enough. Satan literally wanted to prove to God that Job will be in a wreck after these losses and blame God. However, Job indeed has a sound God-fearing spirit. With his God-fearing spirit, God granted him wisdom (Prov 9:10). His utterance in verse 21 (Job 1:21)is worth committing into memory: “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”. 

Our health (Job 2:6-8)

A friend sent me an article indicating how long I can live on earth. In that checklist of ‘indicators of long life’, those who socialise a lot would be able to prolong their lifespan. Another friend sent me an article to promote the goodness of bitter gourd for our health and the list goes on. 

Man is never tired of learning how to maintain good health. It illustrates the desire of man to prolong one’s life. Sadly, in their euphoria over health, they forget that we have been given eternal life with no tears and pains (Rev 21:4). Man’s tendency of loving the present life and putting aside eternal life is fully exploited by Satan.  Satan tempted  Job by afflicting him with loathsome diseases that even his friends could barely recognize him. Job, nonetheless, being a steadfast believer was still able to accept his sickness and never blamed God for his wretched state.

The spouse (Job 2:9)

Some Bible commentators are of the view that Satan did not kill Job’s wife so that she can be used to provoke Job to curse God. In Job 2:9 “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die”. This indeed is an occasion when Satan used Job’s wife to make him sin against God. Satan is aware of the power of persuasion, especially by the person closest to us. We indeed have much to learn from Job’s objectivity when he rebuked his wife for making foolish statements to entice him to sin (Job 2:10). Christian spouses also have much to learn as when Job rebuked his wife, she accepted the reproof and paid due respect to her husband (Eph 5:33). She did not raise this provocative suggestion further. 

On the subject of Job’s wife, I believe Satan does not have the power to kill her because the life of his wife is intertwined with Job’s. In Gen 2:24, it is stated: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”. Since God told Satan to spare Job’s life,  he was not allowed to take his wife’s life too ( Job 2:6). This fact does not mean that a husband and wife can only die together but that each individual’s life can only be taken back by God and none other. The subject of one flesh has much to remind us about the last days when divorce is so rampant. An inferior understanding of this subject may be the reason why divorce is handled so flippantly.  

Psychology 

The devil’s final assault was on Job’s mind. In Psalms 106: 33, Moses's mind was provoked to sin. Similarly, Satan sent Job's three friends on the pretext of comforting him — but the outcome of their statements has provoked Job to question the righteousness of God. Although the Bible did not mention that the three friends were sent by Satan, we know that in James 1:13, God will not create any situation to cause us to sin against Him.

The dialogue between Job and his 3 friends occupy 29 chapters. When we are suffering or persecuted, some of these questions and suggestions invariably arise. Accordingly, I believe these chapters are useful for our understanding of what transpired in the mind of these four people. 

The conventional understanding given during that era was that God will reward the upright and punish the wicked. Therefore, if anyone encounters misfortune, the person should consider his ways and repent from his sins. Since Job's friends all witnessed the misfortunes that fell on Job, they concluded that Job was only outwardly righteous. He must have been hiding his sins. These provocative statements made Job think that his friends were insincere (Job 13:4-5). On the other hand, although Job was an upright man, the amount of “light” known to him was similarly limited. In his confused state coupled with sickness and provocations by his friends, Job uttered some words that indirectly questions the righteousness of God. Job missed the standards of God when he made these statements. For example in the following verses below, Job implied that God was not interested in righteousness:

Job 9:22  This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 

Job 9:23  If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

The above statement is not true as in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God sent his angels so that Lot’s life was preserved (Gen 19:16). Although at times we see  the perfect and the wicked die together, we should not judge anything but be comforted to know that God is righteous and has no interest to see the righteous die with the wicked (Gen 18:25). The psychological attack on a Christian’s mind can only be parred with more divine light. In the ending chapters of Job, God revealed to Job more of his greatness and made Job see less of his own righteousness (Job 32:1; Job 40:4). Job finally realized that whatever happens, God is in total control and all His acts are for his blessings. This final realization of God’s greatness caused him to repent of his self-righteousness (Job 42:6). 

Brothers and Sisters, 

We have covered the common attacks of the devil and how Job overcame the provocations to sin. When Job faltered, God intervened to provide Job with divine understanding to help him. He cares for us very much (1 Peter 5:7). The book of Job is a historical record of man’s suffering caused by Satan. Today, the devil’s methods are still the same but disguised in various forms. Before our Lord returns to take us to His heavenly home, we are still in the midst of this spiritual conflict. We are exhorted to be vigilant and take on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:11). 

Thankfully, many of us are spared from Satan’s virulent attacks because of God’s protective hedges around us (2 Peter 2:9). Finally, we are thankful for the huge amount of divine light given to us today. We must not neglect the study of his words for his words are a lamp unto our feet. We fear not today, because   His words says in 1 Cor 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. 

“Hallalujah! What a Saviour!”

With God’s Blessings,

CL