Legacy · Q&A
Is Satan the one who is responsible for the bad things that happen to God's people?

Question:
Is Satan the one who is responsible for the bad things that happen to God's people?
Answer:
As with every Bible topic, we need to let the Scriptures answer this very important question for us. And even more pointedly, let's tap into the mind-sets of some of the wisest and most significant people of faith in all the Bible, to see what they understood about this issue. Joseph is someone who had to endure great suffering by means of the malicious spirits of unjust men, but he consistently confirmed that it was God, and God alone Who brought him into great affliction for a very wise and good purpose (Gen. 45:5; Gen. 50:18-20). He never blamed the devil or even his brothers for the things that he was made to suffer. David was another example of this truth. When an enemy bitterly cursed him and cast stones at him, hurling misguided accusations in his direction, David plainly stated that God was the one Who had sent this man to curse him (II Sam. 16:5-13). Like Joseph, he never mentioned the devil even once. He knew Whose hands his life was in, for better or for worse, and he knew how great and all-encompassing those hands were and are.
Job also knew and understood the true omnipotence of God. After suffering unheard-of calamity in a day's time, he painfully and humbly worshipped God, acknowledging that He alone was able to bring either good or bad upon his life (Job 1:20-22). And after suffering further pain and loss, when his friends/persecutors came to him, neither he or they ever confessed anything other than God being responsible for the great affliction suffered by Job. In fact the first chapter of Job actually shows how God used Satan in this particular situation to carry out His own determination, and also how that Satan confessed and understood that only God could decide what could happen to Job, whether for good or for evil (bad). Job graphically confesses his knowledge of this powerful divine reality in Job 23:13-15.
Jesus certainly suffered greatly at the hands of unjust men, and He had full assurance of Who was in charge of His afflictions: "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" ... "Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" (Mat. 26:39; Jn. 18:11) And also: "Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above:" (Jn. 19:10,11). Peter also agreed that Jesus' sufferings were ordained and brought to pass by "the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23).
The Scriptures continually bear witness to us that God is in full control of all of His creation at all times, and that He uses it all to carry out His own unfathomably wise and righteous purposes (Rom. 13:1; Eph. 1:11; I Pet. 3:22; Psm. 62:11; Psm. 105:7; Job 12:9-25; etc., etc.). The Bible also constantly confirms that God is the only power Who can bring either good things or bad things to pass at any time (Lev. 26:14-42; Deut. 28:15-68; Job 2:10; Psm. 119:75; Eccl. 7:14; Isa.45:7; Lam. 2:1-8, 17; Hos. 6:1; Amos 3:6; Jonah 1:4, 15-17; etc. etc.). The only way that "all things (can) work together for good to them that love God," is if a good God is continually in control of all things. And being the creator of all things, there really is no other possibility. So we need to stop blaming the devil and anyone else for our hardships, adversities, etc., and start realizing that we are called to be a tried and proven people, and that it is the Lord alone who tries us, as Job said, "every moment;" for the purpose of our betterment across the board (James 1:2-4; Rom. 5:3-5; I Pet. 4:12, 13; Psm. 11:5; Psm. 66:10-12; Job 7:18; etc., etc.). You can further reference this divine truth in our article called Faith and Politics.



