Job
chapter 41 reminds me that we have an adversary that is stronger and
more cunning than we are on our own. The chapter talks about
“Leviathan“.
As I understand it, the word is from a compound Hebrew word possibly
meaning “dragon or serpent” and “twisty, or coils”. Although
we don’t know for certain what Leviathan was, we can still apply
the lesson to our own life today. I believe the Bible is clear that
Satan is very real and we are told to “Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour”
(1 Peter 5:8). Remember this, Satan is a created being. God created
him to be the head angel and Satan rebelled against God. Satan
desired to be worshipped and was cast out of heaven. His mission was
than to prevent Messiah from redeeming man. I believe the Bible
teaches that Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross, but Satan is still
intent on deceiving the world. The chapter begins with God
challenging Job. “Can
you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook… Will he keep begging you
for mercy… Will he make an agreement with you… Can you make a pet
of him like a bird?“
In
human terms, “Any
hope of subduing him is false“.
But God is very clear, “Everything
under heaven belongs to Me“.
Are you living as if that is not true? Paddling upstream is
exhausting. You can do it, but it is not much fun after a while.
God
continues questioning Job about Leviathan. “Who
would approach him with a bridle… his mouth,
ringed
about with his fearsome teeth… His back has rows of shields…
Smoke pours from his nostrils… His breath sets coals ablaze, and
flames dart from his mouth… When he rises up, the mighty are
terrified“.
Job was a very successful man and every highly successful person I
have ever met has one thing in common, they are fiercely competitive.
They do not easily give up. When presented with a challenge, they
will take it on. I think the warning is this is not a battle we are
to take on ourselves. Remember the story in Acts 19? The “seven
sons of Sceva”
saw the apostles casting out demons in the Name of Jesus. When they
tried on their own, the demons said, “Jesus
I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?“.
They were savagely attacked and “they
fled out of that house naked and wounded“.
God told Job, “The
sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart
or the javelin“.
On our own, we are no match for Satan, but 1
John 4:4 says if Christ is your Savior, “He
who is in you is greater than he who is in the world“.
Satan
is called the father of lies, the deceiver, the accuser, the tempter
and the anti-christ. The chapter ends with more descriptions of the
devastation Satan can wreck in lives. “His
undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a
threshing sledge… He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron…
He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are
proud.”
We make one of two mistakes when in dealing with our adversary; we
underestimate him or we give him way too much credit. Do you believe
you can earn a place in heaven by doing good works? Then what was
the purpose of the cross? According to Galatians 2:21, “if
righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for
nothing!“.
On the other extreme, perhaps you blame everything on Satan. If you
have accepted Christ as your Lord, than you have been purchased. You
are God’s property and Satan has no power over you. When it comes
to Satan remember 2 Chronicles 20:15, “For
the battle is not yours, but God’s“.