For Sometime I Thought The Devil Was Responsible

A favourite Pastor of mine once told me the foremost reason why he chose to be baptised and join the Church. “Hellfire he said, as soon as I heard that sinners would be cast into hell fire I gave my life to Jesus.”

This may sound a bit strange but we all have varying reasons as to why we joined the church. What is the main reason why you joined the church?

Chief among the reasons why people join the church is the Devil and his evil plots that have filled the world with constant pain and suffering. People who long for peace, safety, good health, love, and prosperity have as a result turned to Christ.

Is it true that the Devil is the reason why there is suffering in the world and not God? What do you think? For some time I believed so until I came across the following bible text.

Job 1:1-12
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

This bible text is the most interesting of them all because it has a lengthy back-and-forth dialogue between God and his arch rival the Devil. Job a perfect and upright man pleases God and so is targeted by the Devil who declares Job is being so because he obtains favors. Let me pose a question, is your relationship with God merely for gain or out of reverence? What was the motive behind Job’s fidelity to God?

Job 1:10-12
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

The above text has been used by many to support a belief that the Devil is the reason why we suffer in this world. A closer look though raises some important truth. It is important to note from this paragraph that God had protected Job to a point where he was unreachable by any means. To do so Satan had to seek permission from God. If God replied NO there was nothing he could have done to Job.

To prove that the Devil’s argument was false and that Job did not fear God out of gain God released him to the Devil. What do we learn from this? The kind of suffering experienced by God’s people is not to be likened to unbelievers’ and it is not caused by the Devil. Job the main character in the story agrees with this.

Job 1:20-22
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, 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. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2:9-10
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

I like the fact that reading from the previous texts we learned of the Devil’s intentions to harm Job but the latter doesn’t acknowledge him in any way. Job believed that everything he had came from God, and that if God chose to take it away it was all good. He believed that man must be ready to accept the good and bad from God. Are you ?

This is one truth that most of us are not prepared for. We have been told that God is the giver of all things good and that the bad comes from the Devil. This is not true. The Devil only exists to the unbeliever because he is under his power.

To the believer, the Devil has no power whatsoever unless permitted by God. So next time you see a fellow believer go through tough times it is not always because they are being punished by God, but it is what God has ruled they must experience at that time.

The Devil should seize to exist to a believer because we are hedged by God and he cannot touch us. There is never a time when Heroes of faith like Abraham, Noah, Moses, Joshua, and so on spoke about being assailed by the Devil. Only God existed in their lives and by focusing their eyes on God they performed wonders and led lives that still inspire us today and will continue so forever.

If we allow or entertain this belief that the Devil exists and he has powers over us whatsoever it lessens our faith and grip on God. Many have wandered away from God after entertaining such a belief. If we could like Job realise that we are under God’s protection and nothing can harm us unless he permits it we would keep our faith and integrity as firm as Job did and God would be pleased with us.

Leave the devil to the unbeliever and cement your relationship with God and that way you will find joy and satisfaction in your life. There is nothing as pleasing and fulfilling as suffering because God says so rather than suffering for your own mistakes.

I hope this lesson will help you realise that we must not worship God for gain but out of reverence and that we should be prepared to receive both the good and bad from him. We are not to think that we are being punished because we are experiencing tough times. Good times or rough times God will still be our friend like he was with Job.

God bless you! And see you in the next lesson

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