Steve VanDyke Director, Community Servants Missions Training School, TN

Yes, God is Lord over everything, including Satan. In the book of Job, Satan only speaks when spoken to, and has to ask God's permission to do what he did to Job. Satan does not act on his own. Through all the bad things that happened to Job, in the end he never cursed God or turned away from him despite the urgings of his wife and friends. He did question God, which is not a bad thing. By doing this, Job gets answers and through it all, he comes to a deeper knowledge and understanding of God's greatness because of the work of Satan in his life.

Ultimately, Satan worked within God's divine permission to fulfill God's divine purpose. He does this today- he tempts us, and we have responsibility to stick with God and trust Him. Follow God's advice and resist the devil, and he will flee. By doing this, we glorify God and humiliate Satan.

February 19 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

JD Abshire

JOB 1

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 

9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 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. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand."

From the above passage It is obvious that God has ultimate, supreme control over his creation. Satan was "granted" permission to test Job but with limitation. 

The Temptation of Jesus

MATTHEW 4

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

4 But he answered, "It is written, 
"'Man shall not live by bread alone, 
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
"'He will command his angels concerning you,' 
and 
"'On their hands they will bear you up, 
lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" 

7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."

In this dialogue we need to consider those present; only Jesus and the devil. The Lord rebuked the devil for testing him. I.E. "Satan, don't test me".
This passage shows that the Lord Jesus Christ is the great "I Am" and "Lord of all", including the devil.

An interesting side note is found in Jude 1:9 
" Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."
Consider the position, power and authority bestowed upon Michael the archangel. Even so, he leaves rebuke of the devil to the Lord.

February 19 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report