Not Just Sightseeing

“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’” (Job 1:7). What was Satan looking for; why all the walking? In this conversation with the Lord, it seems he was taking a census, looking for a target because he “jumped all over” God’s invitation for him to consider Job’s faithfulness. He accepted God’s offer, but Satan could not shake Job’s trust in God after his best efforts.

God created angels, even the fallen ones; they are answerable to their Creator as we are. Unlike God, Satan is not omniscient; he does not know all things and cannot understand our thoughts, but he and his followers learn much about people through our actions and speech. They watch for causes of our weariness, fears, doubts, frustrations, short tempers, anxieties, what angers us, always listening for what triggers us to say what we should keep to ourselves. But why did Satan want to cause Job such grief? He tried to prove Job would doubt God’s goodness, love, and provision but failed. Why does he target believers? Those without Christ in their lives are right where he wants them, separated from God. He directs his efforts toward convincing Christians in distress that God doesn’t care about their needs, to rethink their trust in Him, whispering lies that their Savior has forgotten them. He wants to destroy the testimony of weakened or fallen followers of Christ, making them think they are no longer adequate for God’s service.  

Peter warns believers to stay alert because the devil, our adversary, still prowls around, seeking to devour his targets. (1 Peter 5:8). We, who claim the saving power of God, have the Holy Spirit living within us, guiding us in wisdom and truth and strengthening us. Although God’s servant didn’t have the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence like we do or understand the reason for his life’s trials, he stood faithful, trusting God just as the LORD knew he would. When we depend on and look to the LORD God, we will faithfully weather life’s challenges like Job.