The Sovereignty of God (4)

God’s Sovereignty Over Satan

Satan is described in the Bible as “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), or “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), or “the ruler of this world” (John 14:30). He “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). We ought to take seriously then Satan’s power and abilities, and flee from him. At the same time though, we can be confident that God exercises his same sovereign control over Satan as he does with creation. No evil work of Satan, whether it is temptation, persecution, sickness, or even death, can happen outside the sovereign control of Almighty God.

This is evident in the story of Job. In the beginning of the story we find that it is God who gives permission for Satan to test Job. In fact, he even puts Satan up to it by suggesting Job (Job 1:8). Satan then proceeds to use all sorts of means to destroy Job’s property and children. He sent the Sabeans to kill Job’s oxen and donkeys. He sent fire to burn Job’s sheep. He sent the Chaldeans to slaughter Job’s camels. He caused a great wind to strike down Job’s house and fall upon all Job’s children. In doing this all of Job’s servants were killed as well. How did Job respond to losing everything he had to Satan’s destructive power?

Job 1:21: And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

What an amazing statement! Instead of attributing all the destruction to Satan, or getting angry with God for ruining his life, Job instead responds with great humility, saying that it was God who was the final cause of the entire calamity. Verse 22 tells us that “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

Satan then has another discussion with God, saying that if he was only allowed to afflict Job, then his faith would falter and he would curse God. Once again God gives Satan permission to do whatever he pleased with Job, except take his life. So Satan struck Job with sores that covered his entire body. How did Job respond?

Job 2:9-10: Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”

Job again acknowledged the sovereignty of God in all things. The end of verse 10 tells us that “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Satan was the one who struck down all of Job’s property and children and gave Job soars from head to toe; yet even all of this was under the sovereign control of God. Satan has no power outside of God’s permission.

Another example is found in the New Testament account of Judas. In Luke 22:3-4 we find that it is Satan who enters Judas, and soon afterwards Judas began to plot with the chief priests on how to betray Jesus. At first glance this may seem as if the ultimate reason for Judas’ betrayal was the work of Satan—but it’s not. Peter would later say:

Acts 1:16: Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

God had planned from the beginning that Judas would be the one to betray Jesus. Satan was simply a means to fulfilling God’s sovereign purpose. Jesus confirmed this in his High Priestly Prayer:

John 17:12: While I was with them [the disciples], I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Therefore, we can affirm and rejoice that God is sovereign over Satan. He has appointed a time for Satan’s destruction (Rev. 20:7-10), and all of Satan’s current evil is under God’s sovereign control, including Satan’s demons (Mark 1:27). Even if death should befall the ones we love, our greatest comfort will come in the sweet doctrine of God’s sovereignty. He has the power of human life, not Satan. “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Ex. 4:11). “I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand” (Deut. 32:39). “The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up” (1 Sam. 2:6). We need the confidence and faith of Job, so that we too can say: “Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15).