Satan’s Strategy for Your Life #1: Your Stuff

“Then Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘Does Job fear God for no reason? Have You not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face."—Job 1:9-11

Outside of the book of Genesis, the first book where we gain insight into Satan is in the book of Job. Job is one of the oldest books of Scripture, and within the first two chapters is found more information about Satan than in any other book in Scripture except the books of Genesis and Revelation. Job describes Satan appearing before God on the day “when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them”—Job 1:6. While there, God tells Satan about the righteous Job, and while doing so angers Satan. Satan maintains that God has misjudged Job and has placed a hedge around him so that Satan can’t get to him. If God were to withdraw His protective hand and let Satan have a shot, then surely Job would not be so righteous. God allows Satan’s request, but does so with a caveat—he can’t harm the man himself (Job 1:12). Satan leaves the presence of God on a mission to destroy Job’s life and get him to turn against God.

The Bible says that Satan is prowling “around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”—1 Peter 5:8. And that he has many “schemes” (Ephesians 6:11) and “designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11) to make us sin and turn away from God. One of his greatest weapons against us can be seen in his first temptation of Job, when he attacked his possessions and career. The first chapter of Job states that Job had  

“seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east”—Job 1:2-3.

His possessions were great and perhaps it was his wealth that enabled him to be so blessed. Perhaps if his possessions were taken away he would turn against God and curse him as Satan surmised. Finally the day arrived and Satan’s strategy for Job was set in motion,

“…and there came a messenger to Job and said, ‘The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you"—Job 1:14-17.

Satan destroyed Job’s possessions and his livelihood in a single day. He killed his oxen (v. 14), donkeys (v. 14), sheep (v. 15), servants (v. 15, 17), and camels (v. 17). In reading the account of what took place we must ask ourselves, “What would we do?” What would we do if we realized that we were fired from our job, our house was being foreclosed on, all of our stuff was being sold, and our car was being repossessed? I would venture to guess that most of us would be asking “why?” And we would probably say, “God, why is this happening? You know how much I love you and how much I go to church. You know that I tithe and attend a Bible study. I do all of these things for You. Why, then, am I in this situation?”

For many of us, we don’t know how much comfort means to us until it is all taken away. Once all of the “things” in life are gone the reality of our walk with God is revealed. We either turn to trust in the Lord or we turn away from God altogether. Most of us get angry with God, demanding that our godliness be rewarded with comfort. We want a "return" from God for our “spiritual investment” and get angry when there doesn’t appear to be any. We fail to realize that suffering is a spiritual discipline in itself, and God’s rewards don’t always come as material possessions or creaturely comforts.

Job didn’t turn from God. He sorrowed and wept, yes, but he did not turn away from God, nor did he charge God with sin (Job 1:22). He maintained his integrity and his trust in God when most others would have given up.

What about us? What do we do when Satan attacks us by destroying, stealing, or confiscating our stuff? Or takes away the comforts of life? Or when we lose our job? Or when we suffer the loss of possessions or status within society? Do we turn from God or to Him? I pray that all of those who read this will turn to the Lord and then worship Him as Job did (Job 1:20). I hope that each of us will see Satan’s strategy for what it is—an attempt to turn us away from God. God receives great glory when we turn to Him in the midst of difficult times and we receive joy and peace because we know that He is our soul’s sole satisfaction. When we turn to Him He becomes our greatest joy and we experience the delight of knowing Him in an even greater way that we never have known before. May we cling to God when Satan attacks and may God’s name become more sweet and precious to us as we trust and cling to Him. Amen.