When Satan Speaks
John 8:44 (NKJV): "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."
Job is a biblical example of someone who felt the tension between God's words and Satan's whispers. Job’s identity is revealed as a man who was blameless, upright, who feared God and turned away from evil.
Job 1:1 (NKJV): "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil."
The story then transitions into a heavenly courtroom scene where Job’s identity is questioned. Here, Satan appears before the Lord, likely to make his usual accusations. God brings Satan's attention to Job, asking, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
Job 1:8 (NKJV): "Then 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, one who fears God and shuns evil?'"
With a bit of arrogance, it seems, Satan asks God for permission to test Job, and God permits it as long as Job’s life is untouched. Job 1 and 2 detail the Devil's attempts to steal Job’s possessions, children, and health. Close friends and family often notice our deepest struggles first, and Job’s friends were no different. They observed his suffering and came to his side to comfort him, but for seven days and nights, they didn’t utter a word.
Job 2:13 (NKJV): "So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great."
However, it wasn't long before Satan began to whisper his words. One night, Job’s friend Eliphaz had a disturbing vision:
Job 4:12-16 (NKJV): "Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; then I heard a voice saying: 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?'"
Eliphaz reported that this spirit began to speak to him in the night, causing him great fear and trembling. This was not the work of God, but Satan himself. Satan poses these questions to steal Job’s identity. Eliphaz was so convinced by Satan’s question that he broke his silence and declared Job a sinner. At this point, Satan had won a victory. No longer was Job recognized by the identity that God had declared, but by the one Satan had planted through his whisper.
The questions Satan asked are important to consider, as he whispers them to us daily: Can we be righteous and pure? Are we worthy of God's love? Certainly, we aren’t worthy based on our own merit.
Romans 3:23 (NKJV): "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Understanding my true identity in Christ was crucial to breaking the false identity I had built up from years of rejection. I came to realize that I am not my past, my struggles, or what anyone else has said about me. God's word is my ultimate reality, and He calls me righteous, loved, and accepted. This is your true identity too. Don’t let any accusations, accusers, or whispers from Satan make you believe otherwise.
Conclusion
Our identity in God is unshakable. Despite Satan's attempts to deceive and distort our perception of ourselves, God's truth remains constant. We are His beloved, made righteous through Christ. Let us hold firmly to this truth, rejecting any lies that attempt to undermine our God-given identity. Remember, in Christ, we are new creations, loved and accepted by our Heavenly Father.
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