Learning from Job (1): Faith Tested in the Face of Satan

Introduction

The book of Job opens with a man who has everything: a large family, immense wealth, a solid reputation. And yet, from the very first chapter, an unseen conversation takes place between God and Satan, one that will turn his life upside down. This foundational text raises a question that concerns you too today: can the righteous suffer, and if so, where do you fix your eyes when trials come?

In this first sermon on Job, we will look together at Job 1:1-12. There we see two figures: a faithful believer, and a real adversary, Satan, who accuses and seeks to shake his faith.

We do not know exactly when this book was written, who its author was, or in what era Job lived. But Ezekiel 14:14, 20 names him alongside Noah and Daniel, and James 5:11 speaks of his perseverance. Job truly existed.

Sermon Outline

1. Job, a Blameless Man in the Land of Uz (vv. 1-3)

The text presents Job as a resident of the land of Uz, probably in the region of Edom, south of Palestine, not far from the land of Midian where Moses lived as a shepherd. He was not an Israelite, but a man from the people of the East.

Scripture says of him that he was "blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." The word "blameless" conveys wholeness: he faithfully kept the standard God expects of a man. "Upright" means he did not turn aside to the right or the left. He served God with a whole heart and kept himself far from what God hates.

Job 28:28 sums it up this way: "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding." Job lived out exactly that. This does not mean he was without sin, he remained a man like us, but his faith was genuine, even in the midst of wealth. What stands out is this: in abundance, he did not forget God.

Perhaps you recognize yourself in the opposite pattern. In suffering, you cry out, "Lord, help me." But when everything is going well, when your life is full, prayer becomes rarer. Job, however, lifted his eyes to God in both seasons.

God had given him ten children, seven sons and three daughters, along with immense flocks: 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. He was "the greatest of all the people of the East," much like the blessing Abraham received in Genesis 24:35.

2. A Father Who Sanctifies His Children (vv. 4-5)

His sons would take turns hosting feasts and would invite their sisters. When the round of feasting was over, Job would call his children together to sanctify them. Early in the morning, he would offer a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts."

"Sanctify" means to set apart for God. As Exodus 13:2 reminds us, the firstborn are consecrated to God. The Hebrew word for "burnt offering" conveys the idea of what goes up: the offering burned entirely on the altar, wholly given over to God. It is an act of total consecration.

Noah had acted the same way after the flood (Genesis 8:20). And the text notes, "Job did this continually." This was not a one-time impulse, but a habit of faith. He loved his children deeply and carried their souls before God.

3. The Heavenly Scene: Satan Before God (vv. 6-12)

The scene shifts. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them." Satan does not appear here as an adversary equal to God. He stands among the angels, under the Lord's authority.

God takes the initiative: "Where have you come from?" Satan answers, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." His activity is to prowl about sowing distrust of God, drawing people into sin, and drawing them under judgment. Peter will later describe him this way: "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Then God draws attention to Job: "Have you considered my servant Job? There is none like him on the earth." The phrase "my servant" reveals the closeness between God and Job.

4. Satan's Accusation: A Self-Interested Faith?

Satan responds with a formidable question: "Does Job fear God for nothing?" His argument is simple: if Job loves you, it is because you have blessed him. You have put a hedge of protection around him, his household, and all he owns. Take away your hand, and he will curse you to your face.

This is the enemy's classic accusation: reducing faith to a transaction. "You don't really believe in God, you're simply enjoying his gifts." Satan wants to prove that Job's faith is nothing but a contract, not a love.

God answers, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only against him do not stretch out your hand." Satan is given permission, but within strictly defined limits. He can do nothing beyond what God allows. He is not all-powerful, he is not all-knowing. He remains a creature.

5. Knowing Our Adversary

The text forces us to face the accuser directly. Satan is real. Isaiah 14:12-15 suggests that he was once an exalted angel, brought down by pride. The Bible gives him many names: the devil, the tempter, the deceiver, the evil one, the accuser, the adversary, the prince of demons, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, Beelzebul.

His work runs throughout Scripture. He is the one who incites David to take a census of the people (1 Chronicles 21:1). He is the one who accuses the high priest Joshua (Zechariah 3:1-2). In the New Testament, he fills the heart of Ananias, who lies to the Spirit (Acts 5:3). He prevents Paul from visiting the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:18). He even tempts Jesus himself by offering him the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:9).

He even disguises himself "as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). It was already through him that sin entered the world, by sowing doubt in Eve's heart (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-19).

6. Our Victory in Christ

But the story does not end with the accusation. "The Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). Through his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan. And that victory, through faith, becomes yours.

Paul reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers (Ephesians 6:10-17). That is why we must put on the full armor of God. And John writes, "Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith" (1 John 5:4-5).

Our mission, like the one entrusted to Paul in Acts 26:18, is clear: to open eyes, to turn people from the power of Satan to God, and to proclaim forgiveness through faith in Christ.

Key Takeaways

Job is a blameless man, not because he is perfect, but because his faith holds firm in wealth just as it does in trial.
A father who fears God carries his children before him, regularly, in prayer and consecration.
Satan is a real creature, under God's authority. He acts only within the limits God permits.
His main accusation against us: "You don't believe out of love, you believe out of self-interest."
Faith in Christ is the victory that overcomes the world and the deceiver.

Personal Application

When everything is going well in your life, do you still turn your heart toward God, or only in difficulty?
Like Job, do you carry your loved ones in prayer, regularly, even before they ask you for anything?
Is your faith tied to what God gives you, or to who God is?
Do you take the reality of spiritual warfare seriously, without fear but with vigilance?
Have you actually put on the armor of God described in Ephesians 6?

Verses Cited

FAQ

Why does God allow Satan to attack Job?

The text does not explain this exhaustively, but it shows that God remains sovereign. Satan must ask permission, and God sets him a limit: "do not stretch out your hand against him." It is not God who strikes Job, and Satan acts only within what God allows. The account opens up the book's underlying question: does faith stand firm when the benefits disappear?

Who is Satan really, according to the Bible?

He is a real spiritual being, not merely a symbol of evil. Isaiah 14 suggests that he was a fallen angel, brought down by pride. The New Testament calls him the devil, the adversary, the accuser, the deceiver, the prince of the power of the air. He tempts, accuses, and seeks to destroy, but he remains subject to God's authority, and he was defeated at the cross.

How can we stand firm in spiritual warfare today?

Peter calls us to be sober minded and watchful (1 Peter 5:8). Paul describes the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-17: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word, and prayer. Victory is not found in our own strength, but in faith in Christ, who has already triumphed over the devil (1 John 3:8; 5:4-5).

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