If you’re a believer, you might wonder: Is Satan or God to blame for my suffering? It can originate from both, according to the following passages from God’s Word: Psalms 103:19 states, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens and His kingdom rules over all.” Additionally, “There is no other LORD; I am the one. I make darkness and I make light, I make prosperity and I make disaster. (Isaiah 45:6-7).
Satan can be stopped by God. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy,” which makes this clear in the parable of the Good Shepherd. I came into the world to give them abundant life. (John 10:10). “I give them eternal life, and no one will take them from My hand; they will never perish.” (John 10:28). [Beyond Satan is an All-Powerful God], who is ultimately in charge of everything.
Everything is under God’s control
According to Jesus, Matthew 10:30–31 However, every hair on your head has a unique number. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than a flock of sparrows. As His offspring, we don’t need to be afraid if we find ourselves in a storm and experience hardship. Even so, we could wonder, “Why is this happening to me?” Such a question may very well make you nervous as you desperately look for a reason to do all of this in vain and as an answer. Next, according to Psalm 139:23–24, you should pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; see if there is any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Job’s suffering
According to the book of Job, Job’s sorrow is brought on by Satan. God does not create his pain, but He does permit it. In fact, God goes so far as to point Satan toward Job: “And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil?'” Job 1:8. Following Job’s suffering, Satan begs God to extend His hand and strike Job with everything he owns (see Job 1:13–20), at which point Job will curse God.
Overcoming Faith
Job chooses to stick with God and his faith in Him in spite of his many moments of anger, discouragement, and fear, which occasionally led him to act rashly and even to question God’s love. But despite all, he does not lose hope in God. It’s God’s glory on the line. But He is aware of my path, Job tells his pals. I’ll emerge from His testing like gold. I have remained on His path and have not strayed. (Read Job 23:11).
Proven Faith
Like Job, we might be put to the test. However, God pursues the good of those who love Him in addition to His own honor in all of our sufferings (Romans 8:28). How could that be “good”? God is able to raise us to greater spiritual maturity through a journey of extreme suffering, something that is not possible to accomplish in any other way. Who am I to imagine that spiritual development is possible without suffering? According to Hebrews 5:8, even the blameless Son of God “learned obedience through what He suffered.” He can therefore relate to us when we are forced to go through hardship. We are better able to sympathize with and comprehend others who are suffering as a result of our own pain (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
Bitter or better
Recognizing that God has allowed our trials—which Satan brought about—for our redemption and His glory, let’s make the most of this realization by surrendering to God and allowing the pain to hone us. For it either improves us or makes us bitter. We get to make the decision. The position of our rudder, not the “storms” that befall us, determines the path of our lives! And that calls for tenacity and faith (Psalm 37:5). “You have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful,” James writes in James 5:11, focusing on Job’s perseverance. We shall ultimately benefit from what God has planned for us!
We will never completely comprehend why God occasionally appears to allow Satan to prevail on this side of eternity. However, we can cling to His promises with the knowledge that God is all-powerful and sovereign, both in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
