Job 1:6-12

The earliest dream I can remember was about the devil. An alley ran alongside our backyard, and each house on our street had a fifty-gallon metal drum next to the alley that served as a garbage can. One night, the devil tied me to our garbage can! The next day, I shared this horrifying experience with my mom and dad. They were sound asleep when the devil snuck into our house and grabbed their helpless son, who was sleeping just down the hall, dragged me outside, and tied me to—the garbage can! They asked, “Where did you go to sleep last night?” “My bed,” I answered. “Where did you wake up this morning?” I replied, “Okay, I see where you’re going with this, but I’m telling you, the devil came during the night….” They interrupted to reassure me, “It’s called a dream.” I jumped on my bike, rode to the alley, and searched for evidence. Sure enough, a long rope lay on the ground by the metal drum! Just kidding. There was no proof of my supposed wild night with the devil.

But the devil is no dream and no joke.

Today, the author of Job pulls back the curtains of heaven to present a vivid portrayal of Satan bargaining with God. While other instances in Scripture briefly mention interactions between Satan and God (e.g., Zech. 3:1-2, Luke 22:31-32), Job offers a front-row seat.

Job 1:6
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

The sons of God are angels created before Genesis 1:1. In fact, they sang and shouted for joy during creation (Job 38:7). Some angels continuously hover above God, proclaiming, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isa. 6:2-3). Other angels, like those in today’s passage, are busy fulfilling God’s assignments. The word “present” (Heb: yatsab) means to “take one’s stand” or “station oneself.” These angels positioned themselves before God to report on their activities, and standing right there among the angels was Satan!

Before we proceed with Job’s story, we need to ask, “What was Satan doing in heaven among the angels?” God created all the angels and gave them free will. God’s love is perfect, and true love requires a choice; it cannot be forced, manipulated, or coerced. I believe Ezekiel 28 describes Satan. So let me guide us through Ezekiel 28:12-19. Satan was created in the image of perfection, filled with wisdom, and described as “perfect in beauty” (Eze. 28:12). The prophet compares him to the garden of Eden, which embodies God’s beauty and perfection on earth. Satan’s appearance was indescribable; “every precious stone was [his] covering” (Eze. 28:13). He held a high position and was referred to as an “anointed guardian cherub” (Eze. 28:14a). The cherubim served as the honor guards protecting God’s holiness and glory, forming the inner circle of angels with the closest access to God. Satan stood near the throne and walked in God’s presence (Eze. 28:14b). Then something snapped.

Ezekiel states that Satan was blameless from the day he was created until pride took hold of him. At that moment, “unrighteousness was found” in him (Eze. 28:15). He became enamored with himself, his position, power, and appearance (Eze. 28:17). He noticed the stones that adorned him and forgot who created them. Consumed by his power, he neglected the all-powerful Creator. Infatuated with his status, he lost sight of his purpose. As he began to worship himself, he faced the consequences and was cast out of heaven for his rebellion (Eze. 28:17-19). The pre-incarnate Christ witnessed this, and later Jesus revealed to his followers, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). On his way out, Satan persuaded one-third of the angels to join him in his rebellion (Eze. 28:16, Rev. 12:3-4).

In our Job passage, the name Satan means “Adversary.” He is the sworn enemy of everything that God is, everything that God does, and everything that God loves. In other passages, Satan is referred to as “the devil” (slanderer) and is described as the “ancient serpent” who tempted Adam and Eve in the garden (Rev. 12:9). He is called the “tempter” (1 Thess. 3:5), the “evil one” (Matt. 13:19), the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31), the “god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4 NIV), and the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).

Ezekiel presents the fall of Satan as what seems to be a single act. However, the complete fall of Satan will occur in five stages.

1. Satan was expelled from heaven (Eze. 28:16).
2. Presently, he has access to God (Job 1:6-12).
3. In the Tribulation, Satan will be restricted to earth (Rev. 12:7-13).
4. He will be held inactive during the Millennium (Rev. 20:1-3).
5. Finally, he will be cast into the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:1-3, 7-9).

Until then, Satan diligently works to keep unbelievers blinded to the truth, skillfully making the wrong path appear the most inviting. Next time, we will see that he brings accusations against us before God. We have much to learn about Satan’s schemes in our study of Job. However, we will discover even more about God, who is sovereign over all and sent his Son to crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15, 1 John 3:8). Remember, all believers share in Christ’s victory over Satan.

Colossians 1:13-14
[God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Job 1:6-12
Observe Satan’s accusations against Job. He is bringing accusations against us today.

Talking to God
We are no match for Satan. Ask God to protect you and give you all you need to resist his temptations.

Have Questions?
Please let us know if you have any questions about today’s reading or teaching. Our team is here to assist you as you explore God’s Word. Submit your question below, and we will reply soon.

For a deeper exploration of Satan’s work and the believer’s ability to resist, check out my six-part sermon series, Battle Ready, HERE.

I invite you to listen to my conversation with Arie Harel about his parents’ survival of the Holocaust and their response to God. To listen, go to The Journey with Ron Moore Podcast, Episode 67, on your preferred podcast platform.