Pastor John Piper delivered a fascinating explanation last Thursday surrounding suffering and the ways in which he believes “God uses Satan.”
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In his “Ask Pastor John” series, Piper responded to a woman named Lisa who asked about Job’s suffering in the Old Testament and the way Job’s wife responded to his plight. Lisa asked what lessons could be taken away from her reaction.
“Both in the Old and the New Testament, amazingly, God uses Satan to serve his own purifying, strengthening, preserving purposes in the lives of his precious children,” Piper said. “In other words, God baffles Satan by making him the instrument of the very thing he hates — namely, trust in God and holiness in life.”
The preacher, who serves as chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, went on to discuss Paul’s own struggle in the Bible with a “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV).
That verse reads, “In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” Piper explained what this might mean in the context of Satan’s intent to kill, harm, and destroy.
Yet, despite the devil’s involvement in human suffering, it doesn’t mean said misery has no “good design” from the Lord.
“Now, Satan’s purpose in our lives is not to keep us from becoming conceited. His purpose is to make us conceited, make us proud and arrogant and self-sufficient,” Piper continued. “But this thorn was given to keep Paul humble, keep him trusting God. It was sent from God, but the messenger that God used to send it was Satan.”
In Job’s story, we can see his powerful response to suffering, with him proclaiming, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.” This reaction, rooted in trust and submission, is important to see. Of course, we see Satan continue his assault on Job, with terrible sores developing.
Piper then notes Job 2:9-10 covers Job’s encounter with his wife, who tells her beleaguered husband to “curse God and die.” Piper notes the significance — and problems — with this reaction, explaining it essentially plays right into the devil’s hand.
“That’s exactly what Satan wanted Job to say. ‘I curse you, God, and I’m done with life,'” he said. “So, Job’s wife had lined up with Satan and becomes part of his temptation — bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh becoming part of what Satan wants him to do.”
Piper believes the author shows Job’s wife’s reaction to warn us that our loved ones can potentially turn against us or become “part of Satan’s test.” The secondary purpose, he said, is to understand why we mustn’t allow testing to “embitter us” and must show a “responsible hope” to loved ones who might be part of the “satanic temptation.”
We see Job offer this sentiment in Job 2:10 when he responds to his wife, proclaiming, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In this, the Bible tells us he didn’t sin. Read Piper’s full response here.
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