Is it the Devil, or is it God?

When trials and tribulations come, the first reaction of many Christians is to blame the Devil. It is not uncommon to hear a reference to Job noting that his trials were explicitly from the Devil. While that is true, it is also a fact that God allowed Satan to persecute Job. God’s purpose in letting Job be tested was to prove his faithfulness. Undoubtedly, God preserved the account as an encouragement to those who would suffer after Job’s time. (For more see “Understanding the Book of Job”)

 The New Testament also warns that our enemy has believers in his sights. As Peter puts it, “The Devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” James also recognizes the reality of the Devil’s work recommending that we, “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from [us].” Many teachers have named three sources of the temptation believers face: “The world, the flesh, and the Devil.” Finally, Paul notes that “Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against… spiritual forces in the heavenlies.” While he doesn’t name the Devil, all of Scripture testifies that he is the leader of a host of malevolent followers. In another place, Paul calls the Devil, “The prince of the power of the air,” and Jesus called him “the ruler of this world.”

So, the Devil is real; he is perhaps the second most powerful spirit being in the universe. I believe that his enmity with God began before the creation of the world, and in fact, the main reason for the creation of humankind was to show all God’s creatures – including the Devil – how much He loves them. (Read Ephesians 3:8-11) It is easy to become so wrapped up in the things of this world that we forget that we are merely pawns in a cosmic battle that has been going on since before the foundation of the world. (See “It’s Not All About You”) Yes, the Devil loves to cause trouble for believers, but we take comfort in the words of John that, “Greater is He that is in [us] than he that is in the world.”

But we cannot escape the fact that God also causes trouble for His children. The message of the prophets in the Old Testament repeatedly states that God is the author of calamity. This idea can be found in many passages, but the clearest expression may be Isaiah 45:7 where God says, “I form light, and I create darkness; I make peace and I create evil; I am Yahweh; I do all these things.” As I have written many times, the Hebrew word translated “evil” in this passage (and many others) has a broader meaning than our modern concept of moral evil or wickedness. Obviously, God cannot do morally evil things because that would violate His perfect holiness. But He can do calamity, disaster, and adversity when He finds it is necessary.

There are two primary reasons why God does sometimes cause trouble for His people. The one we see most often in Old Testament history is for judgment. The idea that God punishes disobedience goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Because of their failure to obey God, Adam and Eve were kicked out of Paradise and promised a life of blood, toil, sweat and tears. When God delivered His law through Moses, it had undeniable threats for those who choose to disobey. Blessings for obedience; curses for disobedience. (Read Deuteronomy 28) God desires a holy people, and if they can’t find their way, He prods them with the rod of correction.

Lest we think that God’s judgment was a uniquely Old Testament attitude, consider Ananias and Saphira. In the very early days of the church, this couple wanted to impress their neighbors with a sizeable gift to the community. Sadly, they misrepresented the actual value of their offering, and received a stiff penalty for lying: they were summarily executed by the Holy Spirit. When the Jewish enforcer, Saul of Tarsus, refused to see the truth of God’s Messiah, God struck him blind, then returned his sight when he repented. As the Apostle Paul, he wrote to the Corinthians that their disrespectful attitude towards the Lord’s Supper had resulted in some of them having died. The message is clear: don’t mess with Yahweh God.

The other reason for the trials we all face is explained by the writer of Hebrews. The author points out that any loving father will discipline his children to help form their character. Since God is the ultimate loving Father, His discipline is always corrective although it is not pleasant during its administration. We may feel extremely uncomfortable, even rejected by God when He chastises us, but as Hebrews says, the punishment is the proof of God’s loving concern for us, and the result is our improvement.

Whatever the underlying cause of our troubles, our response should be the same. Both Peter and James encourage believers to rejoice when they encounter trials. This is not an invitation to masochism; the reason for joy is because the result of properly endured trials is character growth. It is important to pray for clarity from God regarding the reason for our tribulations. If God is passing judgment on our wayward behavior, we need to know that so we can correct it. If our troubles are simply the result of living in a fallen world where the Devil still attacks when he can, our response must be to resist his temptations and flee to God’s promised protection.

Troubles will come. Jesus Himself promised worldly tribulation, but He followed the promise with another comforting fact: “In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.” Until we are resurrected on the new earth where righteousness rules, we will be called to suffer trials. The good news for believers is, “Weeping lodges for the evening, but in the morning comes rejoicing.” I can’t wait for the dawn of that Day!

Related posts: The Goodness of God in the Bad Times; Understanding the Book of Job: The Heiser Effect; It’s Not All About You;