A Greater than Satan

James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

Job 1:8 "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?"

The context of this verse was the beginning of the book of Job, in a conversation which took place between God and Satan regarding Job. Job was an Old Testament saint who lived more than 2,000 years ago before Christ was born the Son of man. As with every born again believer, he feared God and eschewed evil. God calls him "a perfect and upright man", and there was none like unto him in the earth. God knew exactly what Satan would say when he posted the question to him, to which Satan replied in the following passage:

Job 1:9-11 "Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 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."

Satan is an angelic being, and angels could see things that our physical eyes could not see. Notice in his reply to God "Hast not thou made an HEDGE about him..."? This goes to show that there was an invisible "hedge" that God has made about Job, and about this house, and about all that he had on every side. What is a hedge?

Isaiah 5:4-7 "What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry."

A hedge is like a fence that surrounds a vineyard to protect it from intruders. What happen when God remove his "hedge" from about the life of a born again believer? Notice in verse 5 of Isaiah 5 that when God remove his hedge from about the vineyard, the grapes in the vineyard were no longer protected, and they were now vulnerable to intruders who shall come and destroy the whole place: to eat up the grapes, to break down the walls, and to trod down the vineyard so that the whole place shall be laid to waste.

Job 1:3 "His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east."

In Satan's estimation of Job, if God were to put forth his hand and touch all the physical substance that he had on earth: the seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, Job would curse God to his face. Now, this would be the response of a natural man who receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, but as a born again believer, Job was no "natural man", as in:

1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The things of the Spirit of God were not foolishness unto him, because he knew how to discern them. Job was a spiritual man, as in:

1 Corinthians 2:15-16 "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

He had the "mind of Christ" according to Paul, and the mind of Christ is the mind of the Lord that the Lord may "instruct" him. The word "instruct" comes from the word "instruction", which is found exactly 33 times in the King James Bible. Instruction is a reference to the word of God (Proverbs 6:23). Jesus Christ came as the Son of man and at 33 years of age, he was crucified as the Lamb of God for the sins of the whole world. The word "Shiloh" which is a reference to Jesus Christ (Genesis 49:10) was also found exactly 33 times in the King James Bible. Therefore, the mind of Christ is one that understands the word of God, and one that may be instructed by the Lord thereof.

1 Peter 3:4 "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

One of the things that Satan could not see in a man is the "hidden man of the heart". He could not discern the difference between Job - a born again believer, and a natural man who "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God". All he saw in Job was a natural man who would curse God in his face should God remove his blessing and protection from round about him. Of course, God knew what was in the mind of Satan, and to prove his point, God put Satan to a challenge:

Job 1:12 "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."

So God removed his hedge about Job and about all that he had, and allowed Satan to destroy all his substance on earth, and even to kill all of Job's children. Satan then wreck havoc with the permission that he had been given, and sent Job into a state of misery. BTW, this also goes to show that apart from God's permission, Satan could do nothing in the life of a born again believer. But the sad truth is that God will put every believer to test, and for a reason of course. So after Satan destroyed Job's substance, and was eagerly anticipating that Job would curse God to the face, notice what Job did in response:

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 not only did not curse God to the face, but he blessed God instead, saying "... the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD". Satan certainly did not anticipate this reaction. In his beastly mind, he could not understand how Job could still bless God even though God took away all that he had on earth. Satan could not see the "hidden man of the heart" in the earthen vessel of every born again believer, and neither could he understand it. Still unconvinced, the Devil did the second time to Job:

Job 2:4-6 "And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life."

And just like how he allowed it the first time, God allowed Satan to wreck Job's life the second time. But this time, it was a little different, in that God allowed Satan to destroy Job's health and to inflict pain in Job's body so that he may curse God to his face according as what the Devil had anticipated that Job would do. And so the Devil went off with God's permission and did what he thought would give him the victory over God. He smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown still thinking that Job would curse God to his face.

Job 2:9 "¶ Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die."

He even incited Job's wife to do his will. Nevertheless, notice Job's reaction in all of these:

Job 2:10 "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."

Job maintained his integrity despite the evil that he has received. Job cannot be moved, not even by his wife, who thought that he had the legitimate right to be angry with God. Satan certainly did not anticipate that response from Job. He could not understand how Job was able to prevent himself from cursing God to his face despite the evil that he has received from the hand of God.

James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

Job's supernatural ability to endure was beyond what Satan could comprehend. Well, more than 2,000 years later, Satan still thought that he had the victory when he crucified Jesus on the cross only to find out later that it was God that had the victory. He could not understand the will of God concerning Jesus Christ who willingly came as the Lamb of God to be led for the slaughter. The will of God was a mystery even to the Devil. In his beastly mind, he could not perceive the things of the Spirit of God nor the workings of God in the life of a born again believer. These things are hidden from him. While it is true that man was made a little lower than angels (Psalms 8:5), but in the same verse it also says God "hast crowned him with glory and honour". A born again believer is a king, and there is a greater than Satan in the earthen vessel of every born again believer.