04. God's Sovereignty Over Evil

Chapter 4 God’s Sovereignty Over Evil

I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am the Lord, that doeth all these things (Isaiah 45:7).

What good reason could God possibly have in creating darkness and evil? Be patient and believe the Scriptures ahead to receive a wonderful understanding of this. But first, let us examine how God exercises His Will over evil and to what extent. (Isaiah 10:5) Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, thestaff in whose hand is mine indignation! In this verse, God calls the enemy of Israel His rod and staff to correct them. In Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd uses His rod and staff to comfort David. The rod and staff were tools of the shepherd. The Lord, our Shepherd, uses our enemies as tools to correct us and keep us in line. (Isaiah 10:6-7) I will send him against a profane nation (Israel), and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (7) Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few. Notice that the Assyrians did not know they were sent by God to fulfill His plan. It was in their heart to take a spoil and a prey. Whenever God uses vessels of dishonor, they are just fulfilling their lusts. God worked in the Assyrians to will and to do of His good pleasure. We will see that God does this with all of His vessels of dishonor. He has purpose for the wicked in the earth, otherwise, He would have removed them long ago. After God fulfills that purpose, He will do away with them.

(Isaiah 10:12-13) Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. (13) For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it…. Notice that the king of Assyria thought that he had done this by his own strength. As history and this verse prove, when God is finished using the wicked for His people, He will destroy them. From the beginning, God did not intend to permanently do away with the wicked but to use them to perfect His people. He commanded the angels to let the tares grow together with the wheat until the end (Matthew 13:30), and only then will He separate and destroy the wicked (Matthew 13:41-42). He explained that if you “gather up the tares ye root up the wheat with them” (Matthew 13:29). If God took away the tares, the wheat would die for lack of chastening and object lessons.

(Isaiah 10:13) For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom…. The Assyrians believed that this victory was by their wisdom and strength, but God claimed to be using them as a tool. (Isaiah 10:15)Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood. That is the way God sees this army, like a dumb tool. God wielded the axe, saw, rod, and staff and lifted it up to work on His creation. How ludicrous for men to take any credit. God is sovereign, and everything else is a tool to be used by Him in the chastening and perfecting of His saints. We should know that God sends these tools to us to carve us into a vessel for His use and that we need to submit for our own sake. These tools will be necessary until the saints are the finished creation of God. Then God will put them away. Meanwhile, we need not fear that the purpose of evil is prospering. (Isaiah 54:16-17) ...I have created the waster to destroy. (17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…. How comforting it is to know that only God’s purpose is prospering!

Even Satan is not put in his place until the end when the tempting and crucifying of the saints is over. (Revelation 20:1-3) And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (3) and cast him into the abyss, and shut [it], and sealed [it] over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time. One angel had no trouble chaining Satan and casting him into the pit. That was so easy that God could have done it a long time ago if He wanted to. According to the theology of most, God would have had to send an army of angels to get that “heavyweight”. After all, has he not been resisting God for over 6,000 years? Wrong! Notice that after 1,000 years God looses him again! Does that give you any idea about who loosed him the first time in the Garden of Eden? Does God loose Satan to do His Will, or to thwart His Will?

(Revelation 20:7-11) And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (8) and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. (9) And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them. (10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire… (11) And I saw a great white throne…. God loosed the devil to deceive all the evil nations, to make war on the saints. He did this so that He could rain down fire on the nations to destroy them, just in time for the great white throne judgment of the wicked. God did not even need the angels to destroy the devil and all of his children. He could have done this in the garden and saved us the trial, but it was not His plan! Who cast the devil and his angels down to the earth to deceive the nations and to make war on the saints during the tribulation period? (Revelation 12:7-9) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels [going forth] to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; (8) And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. (9) And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. Then the devil in the beast made war with the saints. (Revelation 13:7) And it was given unto him (the beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. If God was going to cast the devil and his angels down, why not cast them into the lake of fire? Instead, God restrained them to the earth where we are! God needed the hoards of evil to separate the tares from the wheat and to mature the saints. Notice, “there was given unto him” (the beast), both authority over the nations and authority to make war on the saints. You see, Friends, God gave authority to the devil, who dwelt in the beast and gave authority to the beast, to try the saints and to crucify their flesh.

(Isaiah 10:20) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. One of our problems is that we lean on the flesh and the world. We trust in America to defend and make us socially secure. The world has our love, respect, honor, and fear, all of which belongs only to God. God has a remedy for that. God brought the illicit lovers of Israel against her so that she would learn who the true enemies of her soul were. In this case, the Lord is showing us the same thing. One of His remedies for us loving the things, people, and thinking of the world is that He is going to bring all that against us. (Matthew 24:9) “Ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name’s sake.” It is necessary that we be hated of all nations so that God’s name is manifest in us. It is necessary that the world hate us to turn our heart away from the love of the world. God’s people were too comfortable in Egypt so He turned the Egyptians’ heart to hate His people (Psalms 105:25). Then “He saved them from the hand of him that hated them….” (Psalms 106:10). First, God turned their heart against Israel, then, God delivered Israel out of their hand, and they were so grateful.

(2 Samuel 7:14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. God’s purpose in creating sons is going to be fulfilled by using vessels of dishonor to chasten His sons for their sins. The rod is physical men, armies, and nations. God uses spiritual principalities and powers to motivate these vessels of dishonor. If I were to pick up a stick and hit my neighbor with it, you would accuse me of evil. On the other hand, if I take the same stick and go chasten my child because of willful disobedience, you should think that good (Proverbs 23:13-14). What is the difference? The same stick was used, but the purpose was opposite. To attribute evil to God for using evil shows a lack of understanding of His purpose or motive. God is going to use evil to do good. God is good and all things that God does are good. We cannot limit God with self-righteous thinking.

God is going to do a good work with evil. In fact, without evil, God cannot do this work. (1 Timothy 1:20) of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme. The word “blaspheme” here means “to speak evil against.” These men were speaking evil against either someone or the truth, and Paul, for God, turned them over to Satan so that they might be taught not to blaspheme. Satan teaches us much. In most cases, it is Satan and his demons that execute the curse on those that sin. The curse was spoken and ordained by God in Deuteronomy 28 to motivate sinners to repent. Satan tempts us with lusts, but when we give in, he legally may administer the curse until we repent. When we get out from under the Blood, Satan is waiting. It is not in Satan’s mind to teach us anything or chasten us. That is God’s purpose. Satan is full of lust, and hates mankind and wants to do evil against mankind. Satan’s does not wish to teach us, mature us, or bring us to an understanding of God but he brings that to pass.

Jesus said, “If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand”(Mark 3:24). Satan’s kingdom is divided against itself because what he does to the people of God causes them to repent and mature. It is not just Satan, but everything around us that God is going to use to bring us to maturity. Satan, the leader over the vessels of dishonor, is very important to this process. Satan is in command over the wicked spirits and thus, wicked people. God is in command over Satan. The Scripture says, “All things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). According to this, what Satan does to us is for our good. Does Satan understand what he is doing? No, he does not understand. According to the law of sowing and reaping, he has sown deceit, therefore he is deceived. He is out to take man’s position of authority by tempting him to sin. Satan is also a created being. God did not create any being that was going to be able to thwart His Will. He created everything for the purpose of bringing His chosen into the image of Jesus Christ. There are several methods that God uses to move the wicked, Satan, and the demons. One is by the power of suggestion. He works in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. He also commands or gives permission to them.

(1 Corinthians 5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Paul is taking authority over the power of the enemy and using that power to chasten rebellious children of God. (Luke 10:19-20) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy… (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you…. Jesus delegated authority over the power of enemy spirits to disciples. Disciples have a right by the Spirit of God to use their power or to forbid their power. (Matthew 18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (forbid) on earth shall be bound (forbidden) in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (permit) on earth shall be loosed (permitted) in heaven. Disciples have authority to forbid or permit. With the guidance of God’s Spirit, mature disciples can permit the devil’s power for a good purpose, “that the spirit may be saved.” Notice the condition that Paul, by the Spirit, laid upon Satan, “for the destruction of the flesh.” In this way, God exercises His sovereignty through His disciples. When Jesus sent out His disciples to make disciples, He commanded them to pass on the same authority and commands that He had given them. (Matthew 28:20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. If we are disciples (Greek: methetes, “learners and followers”) of Christ, we have the same commands. Jesus said that He would be with them to do this “even unto the end of the world.” Obviously, the original disciples did not live that long, therefore He is speaking to all disciples. In our assembly, there was a woman who regularly offended the saints. I loved this sister and had only her best interest at heart. After much correction, I asked the Lord what to do about her. He instructed me to “turn her over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” I wanted to be careful to not judge on my own. I asked God to confirm this direction with a sign, which He did. In my study I vocally spoke this judgment, turning her over to Satan. I found out that she almost immediately got so sick that she could not get out of her bed. She told me later that when she was lying in her own waste and vomit she cried out to the Lord for answers. He told her that she had offended His people and that she must confess her sin before them and ask forgiveness. She decided to obey. God temporarily delivered her from this affliction so that she could obey. At the next meeting, she asked the assembly’s forgiveness which she received. When she went home, the affliction came right back upon her. She cried out to the Lord again asking why it had come back since she had obeyed. She got an answer and called me on the phone. She related to me what happened and then said, “David, the Lord said that I have been turned over to the devil.” I told her, “It is true, I did this at God’s direction, but you have repented, and I see no reason not to release you. You are free in Jesus’ name.” The Lord healed her and because of this instance gave her a new respect for ministerial authority.

Modern day ministry goes from one extreme to the other. Either God’s ministers are totally powerless in the face of rebellion or they exercise carnal dominion like the Pharisees. Just as a father and mother have authority in a family to chasten their children physically, the leadership in the Church has authority, because of the love of Jesus, over His children. This authority is not for the purpose of personal animosity, anger, or vengeance. It is because we do not want to see God’s people come to the end of their lives having never repented of their sins and fall off into the pit. God’s purpose has to be continually working in a person’s life to bring them to maturity, to get them ready to face Him. Paul turned this man over to Satan in obedience to the Spirit, out of love. Some worry about the possibility of abuse here, but “the curse that is causeless alighteth not” (Proverbs 26:2).

(1 Corinthians 5:5) To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. This man had his father’s wife, probably what we would call a stepmother. Paul spoke to the elders in Corinth and determined to agree with them to turn this man over to Satan. Do you think that Satan is thinking about destroying people’s fleshly nature to save their spirit? The flesh is Satan’s ally and a manifestation of his very nature. (Romans 8:7) Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. No, it is God’s plan for Satan to administer chastening. It is Satan’s lust to do what he is permitted, to destroy man. Satan has been given power over the flesh. Do you remember the serpent in the garden? He was cursed to crawl on his belly and to eat the dust of the earth. What is the dust of the earth? It is what our flesh was made from. Satan has been given authority to come against flesh. I am speaking not only of this body but also of the carnal desires and appetites that gratify self. Satan’s job is to devour the old man, and he is very good at it. The benefit is the saving of the spiritual man.

God commonly turns us over to Satan for chastening when we walk in willful disobedience. In Matthew 18, we have a case of unforgiveness. (Matthew 18:34-35) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors (demons), till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. This is a common thing. When we see ourselves delivered over to the curse, we should examine our conscience to see if there is cause to repent. I say “if,” because sometimes Satan is permitted to come against us to build our faith and to prove our authority over him. God uses a very bad devil to do a very good work in more ways than one.

(2 Peter 2:9-10) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (10) but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. God takes credit for keeping the rebellious under judgment. Some live under judgment all their life because they “walk after the flesh.” If we do not understand the sovereignty of God, many times we are going to go through a lot more judgment. We need to recognize God’s purpose in everything. He is using Satan, one of his demons, or the wicked people around us to chasten and bring us to repentance or to build our faith through trials. Many only see the vessel; they do not see God behind the vessel whose purpose is being fulfilled. They only see it as a work of Satan and not the work of God. Satan would have us believe that the reason he comes against us is because we are good children of God. However, God would have us believe that when Satan comes against us it is because He loves us and chastens our corrupt nature and acts, or to give our faith a spiritual workout. If you only see Satan coming against you and not God, you do not have any motivation to change. But, if you see God sending Satan against you, you are motivated to change. (John 3:27) …A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.

(Hebrews 2:2) …Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. All you have to do is look at the recompense, and you can tell when something is a transgression. Some people have asked me if I thought it was wrong to do this or that. Look at the recompense and you will see if it is wrong. Is it wrong to recreationally indulge in hard liquor? Look at the recompense, deterioration of the body and spirit. Is it wrong to smoke? Look at the recompense, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, and other physical complications. People who are bitter, angry, and unforgiving are delivered over to cancer, arthritis, and other immune deficiencies. Many with cancer or arthritis have kept up anger and bitterness in their lives. Anxiety and worry gives way to ulcers. You do not have to ask if it is sin; look at what it does to people. Even if you do not know a verse that tells you it is a sin, look at the fruit of it. Look at what comes against you because of it. God has ordained the entire curse system to come against those who transgress. Whether God is using the devil, his demons, wicked people around you, sickness, or any other part of the curse, He is doing it to bring us to repentance and fruit.

God will use evil spirits to humble us and bring about good fruit in us. Paul is a good example. He was caught up to the third heaven and received wonderful revelations that tempted him to be proud. (2 Corinthians 12:7) And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger (Greek: angelos, “angel”) of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. Paul says the thorn was an angel of Satan to buffet him. The word “buffet” means “to hit over and over.” You can see that this evil spirit was given to Paul to fulfill God’s purpose of humbling him.

(2 Corinthians 12:8-9) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. This angel of Satan was bringing about a humbling in Paul’s life that God called grace. When Paul was in a position of personal weakness or inability to save himself, he got to see God’s power to save. It should be the same with us. The Scriptures are full of instances where God purposely brought people such as Moses, Abraham, Jehoshaphat, Gideon, and Lazarus to a position of human weakness so that He could perform a miracle to save them and no one would get the credit but Him. Paul understood this. (2 Corinthians 12:10) Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses (KJV: infirmities), in injuries (insults), in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. “Thorn in the flesh” is mentioned four other times in the Scriptures, and not once is it an infirmity. This word “weaknesses” is from the Greek word astheneia meaning “want of strength”. The King James Version translated this word “infirmities”, but the same Greek word in many other places, including this text, is translated “weak” or “weakness” (1 Corinthians 1:25; 2 Corinthians 11:29; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 2 Corinthians 13:4). The same Greek word astheneia in the following two verses shows us that “infirmity” is a bad translation. (1 Corinthians 1:25) …The weakness of God is stronger than men. Now we know that God is not infirm or sick so this word has to be “weakness”. (2 Corinthians 13:4) For he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him through the power of God toward you. We know that Jesus Christ was not crucified through infirmity, but weakness. He would not defend Himself when He was brought before Pilate and the Jewish leaders. Likewise, we are crucified when we are weak to save ourselves while we trust in God. Earlier in the text, Paul lists what he calls weaknesses. He lists things such as shipwrecks, prisons, persecutions from enemies, and stripes. Not once does Paul mention sickness in the list. The point is that God uses evil angels to come against our lusts, to humble us, to chasten us, and to cause us to repent. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it (the angel of Satan or demon) might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee. God was saying that He would deliver Paul from the individual buffetings, but not from the angel of Satan. Paul said as much to Timothy. (2 Timothy 3:11) Persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. (2 Timothy 4:18) The Lord will deliver me from every evil work. In this, we see the sovereignty of God in both bringing the chastening and supplying the deliverance. The demon was as a dumb animal to be used for God’s purpose.

(2 Thessalonians 1:4) So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure. When Paul was going through persecutions and afflictions, who was it that was bringing them? It was an angel of Satan. In each case, Paul was chastened and sanctified, and his faith delivered him. God never does anything just for one purpose. (2 Thessalonians 1:5)Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer. Sometimes God’s method is to use an angel of Satan to bring us into persecution and affliction, which Paul said was a token of the judgment of God to get us ready for His kingdom. Most often, the demons are administering the curse to do that. All things, curses and blessings, are working together for our good. We have a covenant right to deliverance from the curse. (Galatians 3:13)Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us….

(Psalms 78:43-51) How he set his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan, (44) And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink. (45) He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. (46) He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust. (47) He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore-trees with frost. (48) He gave over their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts. (49) He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil. (50) He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence, (51) And smote all the first-born in Egypt. Here we have God sending judgments, which He called “a band of angels of evil,” to chasten His people and destroy their enemies. When God sent all these judgments through “angels of evil,” they came against both the Egyptians and the Israelites in the beginning until His people were willing to come out of Egypt. Then God made a separation between Goshen and Egypt. The judgments then fell only on the Egyptians so that God’s people would be set free. When we repent of living in Egypt, we do not have to live under the judgments.

(Exodus 12:23) For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. Notice that the Lord passed over the Israelites’ door with the destroyer and smote the Egyptians. The king angel of the abyss in Revelation 9:11 was Apollyon (in the Greek) or Abaddon (in the Hebrew), and both of these names mean “destroyer.” These are probably just two of the many names for the devil. He was the king demon over death, but God had authority over him. The destroyer came through at midnight, exactly when God said he would. God’s purpose was for him to destroy God’s enemies and anyone who did not partake of the lamb. God told them to eat the lamb, and the destroyer would not smite them. That is how we come out from under the curse of sin and death. We must eat the lamb, Jesus Christ, the Word. Physically we are what we eat. Spiritually we are what we spiritually eat. By consuming and digesting the Word of God, we are delivered from the curse and manifest our sonship.

Sennacherib, king of the Assyrian Empire, had sent his vast army against Judah, but God promised them victory through Isaiah. (Isaiah 37:7) Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear tidings, and shall return unto his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. God put a demon spirit in Sennacherib, who, hearing voices, was then afraid of being away from home. Many demon-possessed people hear voices. The demons want to destroy God’s people. Sometimes they have no choice in what they do. God used this demon to take the king home where he fell by the sword of two of his sons (Isaiah 37:38).

Mary and I were praying for a friend to come to the Lord. I was dumbfounded at the way the Lord did this. The friend received a spirit of fear, and for some time he was very fearful that he was going to lose his soul and go to hell. This is a man that had no interest in Jesus. His thoughts and fears were unreasonable to him, so in seeking answers he went to a priest, because that was his background. The priest gave him no satisfaction. Ultimately, he came to us, and we showed him from the Word the way of salvation, and he was saved. Your objection may be that God has not given us a spirit of fear. That verse was written to believers who know and serve God. But in this case, my friend did not know the Lord. God gave him a spirit of fear to cause him to fear eternal damnation, so he went looking for salvation, and found it. (Psalms 111:10) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom….

Some ministers who have not lived righteous lives and yet retain authority over God’s people have been demon-possessed. King Saul was just such a man. God called him and anointed him, but he rebelled. (1 Samuel 16:14) Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. I am sure that if most did not know this was in the Word, they would accuse me of heresy. We see here an evil spirit from the Lord troubling Saul because he would not obey. (1 Samuel 16:15-16) And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. (16) Let our lord now command thy servants that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. Of course, they found David with his harp to comfort the king. Isn’t that something? God sent an evil spirit to trouble Saul and then sent David with his harp to give him some relief from the torment. He works on us from both sides.

I ministered in an assembly once where I discerned that the pastor had demons. He was having problems with women, money, and honesty. He told me three times that God had spoken to him that he was Saul and I was David. I shared with him truths that would help him to overcome, but he was self-willed. I asked the Lord what to do about him because he was causing believers to stumble. God said, “Let the Philistines take him out.” The Philistines were the enemies of God’s people who took Saul out. The enemies of God’s people did take this man out, too. I ended up taking over the ministering there for a short time. It was Saul and David all over again. God worked on this man from both sides. In Deuteronomy 28, God says over and over that He would send the curse to the rebellious, and now we know that He sent Jesus to deliver from that curse.

God refused to give Balaam permission to curse the children of Israel in Numbers 22. After being offered a bribe, Balaam went back to God hoping His mind had changed. Seeing the proud, covetous heart of Balaam, God gave him permission. When Balaam went, the angel of the Lord was standing in the way with sword drawn to kill him. Balaam did not see the angel of the Lord, but his ass did and tried to warn him. (2 Peter 2:16) But he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man’s voice and stayed the madness of the prophet. God through the angel was waiting to kill Balaam if he continued, and God through the donkey was reasoning with him to stop him. God is doing that with all of us. We are constantly faced with a choice. God has put us here for our soul to make a decision between our flesh and our spirit. We are the highest creation of God and the lowest creation of God. We are between heaven and hell, between demons and the angels, between God and the devil. Every way we turn, there is a decision to be made. God planned it that way. He is saying to rebellious people, “The curse is in front of you; do not go. But if you do, it is your own fault, and you will pay a penalty.” At the same time He offers grace to make the right decision.

God raised up Gideon to conquer Israel’s enemies. After this, Gideon would not accept a position of authority over Israel. In fact, he would not let his sons take a position of authority over Israel while he was alive (Judges 8:23). Gideon had seventy-one sons, one of these by a concubine in Shechem. This son lusted after authority and wanted to be the next king over Israel. So he conspired with the men of Shechem to kill Gideon’s seventy sons. All but Jotham were murdered. Jotham prophesied the following to the men of Shechem after they had executed the dastardly deed: (Judges 9:20) … Let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. God was pronouncing through Jotham a curse of division upon the guilty parties. (Judges 9:22-24) And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. (23) And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: (24) that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. God wanted to judge and destroy this evil alliance so He sent an evil spirit between them to divide and conquer. Both Abimelech and the men of Shechem were destroyed because of this one evil spirit. God used evil to judge the guilty and to deliver His people from their hand.

Once I was ministering in an assembly along with two other ministers. These two ministers were grieving me because they were continually patting each other on the back, even while they were agreeing to disagree with God’s Word. When I went home one evening after witnessing them confirm one another’s errors in front of the congregation, I felt that the Lord put in my heart to pray that He would send an evil spirit between these two ministers to break up this evil alliance. I was shocked. The next day, I found out that on the very evening of my prayer, those two had fallen out with one another to the degree that they had separated. God used that to separate this evil alliance between these two people.

God uses this method all through the Scriptures. Let me share another example. (Revelation 16:14) For they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Here demons gather the whole world to fight the battle of Armageddon. The same account in Zechariah says that God gathered the whole world to that battle. (Zechariah 14:2-3) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle… (3) Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. So now we see that God will use the demons to gather the enemy army against His people just so that He can destroy them and save His people. Friend, can you see that “if God is for us who is against us?” (Romans 8:31) On the other hand, if God is against us then who can be for us?

After gathering the nations to the battle, the Lord said that He would “fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” In 2 Chronicles 20:17, the Lord told Jehoshaphat, “Ye shall not need to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” He was going to fight this battle. His method of warfare is described in the following verses: (2 Chronicles 20:22-23) And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set liars in wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten. (23) For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. I used to think that they waited in ambush for one another. But as I looked at the Scripture more carefully, I discovered that God set liars-in-wait for the whole army so that they fell out with one another. The demon spirits who brought them there were waiting to assemble them so that they could ambush them with suspicion, greed, anger, fear, etc., and cause them to destroy one another. He divided three armies that came as one into three, and they killed off one another. Since God is paralleling this to the battle of Armageddon, He will cause a civil war in the midst of the end time beast kingdom, and they will divide into kings of the north, kings of the south (Daniel 11:40), and kings of the East (Revelation 16:12) to destroy one another and save God’s people. God is in control of demons, therefore, He is also in control of their obedient servants, men. All this is for the purpose of bringing us to repentance and glorifying Himself in our eyes and the world’s. This should be a word of encouragement to anyone.

Though God uses evil spirits to divide, He also uses us to forbid them when appropriate. God wants us to resist the devil, to not permit his lies or his accusing of the brethren. God expects us to be vigilant and to test the spirits at all times. The ability to test with discernment comes from the practice of seeking to be a vessel of honor and having our spiritual senses exercised by the Word to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:13-14). It is a pity more of God’s people do not hear from the Lord today.

Many falsely believe that the division of an assembly of Christians could not possibly be the Will of God. The assembly at Jerusalem was scattered by persecution in order to spread the Gospel. Israel rebelled from under the house of David leaving only Judah and Benjamin. King Rehoboam gathered his army to bring the rebels back into the fold, but the Lord through the prophet spoke to them. (1 Kings 12:24) Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. Other reasons for division could be because the assembly is too large to meet the needs of the individual or because the assembly is apostate and ruled by men, in which case, the people would not grow up in Christ. God divided Babel because their unity was for the purpose of evil. Notice it was the tongue that divided them just as the denominations are divided now. God’s purpose in division is always good but man’s purpose is generally evil. Denominationalism is the tendency to divide into sects and is a work of the flesh according to the Word (Galatians 5:20; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-8; 1 Corinthians 11:17-19; Acts 20:29-30; Jude 1:16, Jude 1:19). Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one even as He and the Father were one (John 17:21-22). This can only happen when in the tribulation the righteous give up their sects to be one flock with one Shepherd (John 10:16).

(2 Samuel 24:1) And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah. If Israel and David had been pleasing God, God would not have done this. The Lord was angry at Israel and moved David to do something that would bring them into judgment. Even though God moved David, he listened to what was against the principles of God and was guilty. (2 Samuel 24:10) And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done…. God sent a judgment and 70,000 men lost their lives to a plague. David made a sacrifice in the threshing floor of Araunah, which stayed the angel (in this case a good angel) that was bringing this judgment against God’s people. What was wrong with numbering Israel? God never wanted His people to count on their own strength. He wanted them to count on His strength. (Jeremiah 17:5) Thus saith the Lord: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. God does not want us to tally up what we can do against the enemy. He wants us to go in His might, trusting in His Word.

How did God move David to number Israel?

(1 Chronicles 21:1) And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. First, check to see if this is the same instance as in 2 Samuel 24:1 which was previously quoted. In both places, David repented and sacrificed on the threshing floor after 70,000 men were killed by the pestilence, so it is the same instance. In 2 Samuel 24, God moved David against Israel. In this account, it was Satan who stood up against Israel, and moved David to number his people. Both verses are right, so it is obvious that God used Satan to put it in the heart of David to number Israel, because God wanted to bring a chastening upon Israel. Satan was “against Israel”. His purpose was evil, but God’s was good. It does not matter who speaks convincing us to rebel against the Word of God; if we rebel, we are wrong. It could be our pastor, a prophet, a denomination, a government, or close Christian friends that speak, but we are responsible to the Word.

(Romans 9:17-18) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. (18) So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. Here it is hard to escape the fact that God made Pharaoh stubborn in order to make Himself famous and powerful in the eyes of men. God knows that we need to perceive a great God and Savior. Those who ignorantly think they are defending God’s reputation usually say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart first. (Exodus 4:21) And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. (Exodus 7:3) And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. Five times in Exodus, God says that He hardened Pharaoh’s heart before we are told that “Pharaoh hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15). God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to set His people free. He then hardened Pharaoh’s heart to refuse to set them free. To Israel this made their freedom naturally impossible. God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). God gave to them what they perceived as hopeless in order to glorify Himself in their eyes. They needed to know that He could save them from anything in their coming wilderness trial. God and you are a majority in any situation. If that was not enough, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart again to cause him to follow the Israelites into the Red Sea to the Egyptians’ destruction. (Exodus 14:4) And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host. Unlike the movies, this is the only Pharaoh that they have found that died of drowning. All this was just to impress Israel with God’s power to set free. They were going to need this in the trials to come. Have you ever had some hardened heart in a position of power over you? Go to God, not Pharaoh. All Moses ever got from him was insolence. Have you considered your flesh? Does it seem more powerful than your ability to obey God? That was God’s plan. He wants to show us His power to save from sin. (2 Corinthians 4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. God wants no competition from our own ability. He wants to prove the power of His grace through our faith in Him.

(Proverbs 26:2) As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not. No curse can alight upon us unless there is a cause. Sin and corruption is the most likely cause. Whose purpose is fulfilled in a curse? God’s! (Numbers 23:8) How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? We are really wise if we are looking for the cause, and not looking at the curse, or looking at the devil. If we deal with the cause, we do not have to live with the curse. The problem is people will not deal with the cause. They just live with the curse and try by man’s methods to be delivered from it. If man, by his own methods, could deliver us from the curse that God sent to cause us to repent, man would be detrimental. What if we examine our conscience and do not see the cause? Then it is very possible that the cause is so that we renew our mind with the Word and fight the good fight of faith. Sometimes the Lord sends Satan against us so that we can whip him. Yes, God does that to prove to us that His Word is true and that we have authority over all the power of the enemy. God’s ultimate purpose is to manifest His sovereignty through us, as we shall see. God wants us to learn to fight a spiritual warfare. God gives us practice sometimes. When Satan comes against us through demons, wicked people, or circumstances, we should examine our conscience. If we do not find guilt because of willful disobedience (Hebrews 10:26), then we should exercise the authority that Jesus gave us against Satan, because we are going to win. In coming against Satan, we are also crucifying our old man because our old man is created in the image of Satan. When we fight with Satan, we fight with self. When we win against Satan, we win against self. That is another part of God’s plan that is so perfect and so beautiful.

(Lamentations 3:37) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Can evil command something and it come to pass if the Lord has not commanded it? No! God is sovereign. Jesus said His words were not His but the Father’s (John 14:24). We know this was true because they came to pass. By the grace of God, I have commanded healings, miracles, provisions and deliverances that have come to pass. Religious people have told me that my faith was presumptuous because we cannot know the Will of God. I have thought, “How ludicrous! Do I have power to do these things? God did them. I merely agreed with His Word.” The proof that I was in agreement with God is that they came to pass. If the devil commands something and it comes to pass, is it because he is more powerful than God? Not according to this verse. It is because God commanded it whether the devil knew it or not. (Lamentations 3:38) Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good? Where does evil and good come from? God says that it comes out of the mouth of the Most High. Does that mean God is evil? No, it means we deserve or need the ministry of evil. (Lamentations 3:39) Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? We have been brainwashed to believe that man is basically good and deserving of good, so we are shocked when bad things happen to “good” people. (Mark 10:18) And Jesus said unto him… None is good save one, [even] God. From God’s mouth comes blessing and curse, good and evil. The evil here represents the hard things that happen to “good” people in order to turn them towards good and to stop them from continuing in sin. Any evil that comes against the life of those “who are called according to His purpose” is for good. We blame Satan for coming against us because we are children of God but we should examine our conscience and the Word to find out if God is sending Satan against us because of the sin in us, or the actions of sin that we do.

Arminianism is the erroneous belief that everyone has a free will. God is the only one who has a free will. We have a limited free will, limited by our ability, thinking, nature, body, and circumstances. If you have a free will, stick a feather in both ears and let us see if you can get off the ground, or better yet, let us see if you can stop sinning. We cannot do just anything we would like to do. The only one the Bible credits with the ability to do everything He wishes is God. (Ephesians 1:11) In whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained (predestined) according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will. Like this verse, Calvinism teaches the sovereignty of God over election, predestination, evil, and everything. The only way that we can do what we want to do is to get God’s Will in us. (Php 2:13) For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Then we can do what we want to do because we want what He wants, and what He wants He gets. That is how the Son sets us free, by giving us a will to do His Will. While we have our own will, we will be at war with ourselves. (Galatians 5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. We have God’s Will in us, and we have our will in us. They are tugging away at each other. That is not freedom or a free will. This means that “ye may not do the things that ye would.” We did not even have the freedom of will to come to God. (John 6:44)No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. That is not a free will. We choose not to come to God, unless He draws us. You may choose to sin, most do, but God will choose the time, place, and extent. (Proverbs 16:9) A man’s heart deviseth his way; But the Lord directeth his steps. God directs the steps of His vessels of honor or dishonor. The only reason we make the choice in God’s direction is because of grace. (John 15:16)Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit…. Jesus first chose us and gave us the will to choose Him because of His unmerited favor. We bear fruit because of a gift of His Will in us. The Lord brings spirits against us to chasten us and to cause us to repent, then, after we overcome, He has total ability to make our enemies to be at peace with us. (Proverbs 16:7) When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. We see here that God has total control over our enemies and He can put peace in their heart toward us when we overcome. We should remember this when we are tempted to take care of our enemies ourselves. So we see, God uses our enemies when our ways do not please the Lord. God created our enemies just for that purpose. (Proverbs 16:4)The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Some manuscripts say: for His own purpose.): Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Need I say that we should not argue with God? We see God’s hand as sovereign in all of this. God can send the wicked to us, for a day of evil, because our ways do not please the Lord. When we overcome, God can give us total peace in the midst of our enemies. Whether they are wicked men or demon spirits, it does not make any difference. Should we reason with our puny understanding that God would be wrong to make the wicked? He has an answer. (Romans 9:21-22) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? (22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted (Greek: “to complete thoroughly”) unto destruction. Notice that they are vessels of dishonor and wrath, made to be destroyed. (2 Peter 2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed. In instances like this, we must repent and conform our reasoning to God’s if we want truth. We, obviously, value these wicked beasts more than God does. In God’s opinion, and His is the only one that counts, the wicked are animals, made to be destroyed when they have served their purpose. (Proverbs 21:18) The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous [cometh] in the stead of the upright. A ransom is a price that must be paid for someone’s freedom. The wicked are a price that God pays to create sons who are free from the bondage of corruption, so let us not waste their sacrifice. When Joseph was revealed unto his brethren who came out of Canaan’s land into Egypt, they were repenting to him because of the way that they had treated him. Joseph understood the cause for all the tribulation he had been through. (Genesis 50:20) And as for you, ye meant evil against me;but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Joseph credited God for using evil to bring him into Egypt “to save much people alive.” The Israelites who came out of Canaan’s land were starving to death. When they came to Egypt, Joseph, who was sent on ahead because of his Judas brothers, fed them. God used them to crucify Joseph and prepare him as a vessel of honor.

Because Abraham feared the people of the land, he asked Sarah to tell everyone that she was his sister. She was beautiful and he thought they would kill him for her. Abimelech, the king, thinking Sarah was only Abraham’s sister, took Sarah to be his wife. God threatened Abimelech telling him that if he did not give Abraham back his wife, he was a dead man. Abimelech protested to the Lord. (Genesis 20:4-6) Now Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay even a righteous nation? (5) Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this. Abimelech took full credit for his integrity of heart. (6) And God said unto him in the dream, Yea,I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. God admitted his integrity but claimed credit for it. Sometimes we take credit because we do not understand God’s favor. God puts it in us to do right. God is able to put integrity into the heart of a heathen king to keep him from sinning against God’s people.

Recently, I bought a used car from a heathen. We had agreed on a price and were to close the deal the next day. I had asked God for a better price. The next day, when I went to close the deal, he said he would sell it for the better price that I had only spoken about to the Lord. Only God could put in the heart of a lost used car salesman to suggest selling for a cheaper price after we had already agreed. I realized that God had put this in his heart even though it did not come naturally to him. God works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure, so also them. The Lord said to Peter, (Luke 22:31-32) “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: (32) but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren.” Satan asked to sift Peter, but why would God give any heed to what he asks unless it is for our good? If Peter had been like most people, he would ask, “Lord, why did you give Satan permission to have me? Just say, ‘No, Satan, you cannot have him.’ ” But Jesus knew that was not God’s Will.

God’s purpose is for Satan to get what belongs to him in our lives. The purpose of sifting is to separate and remove what you want. He keeps what is his. The Lord said, “The evil one cometh but he hath nothing in me.” Jesus was pure; there was nothing in Him that belonged to Satan. Satan is sifting to get what belongs to him. God only wants what is left. God could have destroyed him back at the beginning of the world but God ordained Satan for God’s good purpose. In the same way, God used the Assyrians to chasten Israel. (Isaiah 10:12) Wherefore it shall come to pass, that,when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. When God is through doing His whole work upon the people of God, guess what He is going to do with Satan, the demons, the wicked, the false prophet and the beast, too? That is right, the lake of fire.

Jesus set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left (Matthew 25:31). That is exactly how God uses the righteous and the wicked, as His right hand and His left. His right hand is the vessels of honor, and His left hand is the vessels of dishonor. Satan is, in effect, one of God’s hands to create sons. A close spiritual brother shared a dream with me. He saw a line of the saints coming before Jesus in heaven. At Jesus’ left hand was Satan with an old style cannon in front of him pointed at the first person in line. Satan with a lighter in his hand eagerly wanted to light the fuse on the cannon and blow them away. Jesus’ left hand was in front of him stopping him. From that dream, you can see that when the Lord moves His left hand, Satan moves.

Here is a clear case of that. (Job 1:8) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. God brought Job to Satan’s attention and bragged about him. That is just like waving a red flag in a bull’s face. Satan did not want to hear that. In fact, Satan is trying to prove just the opposite to God. He is the accuser of the brethren. God inflicted Satan on Job by the power of suggestion. (Job 1:9-10) Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? (10) Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. Satan is admitting he did not have the power to get at Job because of God’s hedge. The same is true of us. (Job 1:11-12) Butput forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face. (12) And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath isin thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Satan suggests to God that He drop the hedge and put forth “His hand” against Job to try him. So why drop the hedge? It was not keeping God’s hand out unless you see that the left hand of the Lord was Satan! God confirms this by using the terms “in thy power”, and “thy hand”.

Satan was the one who brought the Sabeans, the fire of God, the Chaldeans and the great wind from the wilderness against Job and his family to try him. Look at what Job said about it. (Job 1:21-22) And he said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (22) In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. God says plainly here that Job was not sinning by attributing all this to Him. The Lord gave on the right hand, and the Lord took away on the left. Some people would say that the Sabeans, Chaldeans, and the fire took everything away from Job. Some would look behind those and say that Satan did it. Then some would look a little further back and say that God did it. That is what Job did. That is what we have to do if we are to have the purpose of God fulfilled in our lives. We have to look all the way back and see God’s purpose in our lives. Job did not stumble because he understood that. Anyone who sees only the vessel will stumble. If we see only an evil vessel, we will end up fighting and wrestling with flesh and blood. Even though Job was hurting, in his spirit he had rest because he saw God’s purpose.

(Job 2:3) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God. And turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity (God was rubbing Satan’s nose in it.) although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. God appears to be using reverse psychology on Satan, letting him believe that he was moving God when it was the other way around. God was moved against Job, but Satan was the instrument. It was God who pointed Job out to Satan in the first place in order to fulfill His own purpose. (Job 2:4-6) And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. (5) But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face. (6) And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life. God always laid down the conditions of Satan’s involvement even as he does today. (Job 2:9-10) Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? Renounce God, and die. (10) But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. God wanted to make it plain to us, using two witnesses, that what Job was saying was correct. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil? Job never gave credit to Satan. He never even gave credit to the Sabeans, Chaldeans, or the wind from the wilderness. He did not even look at all the secondary vessels that God used. Job only looked at the primary purpose of God.

Jesus, in teaching us to cooperate with God’s purpose of crucifixion in our lives, said, “Resist not him that is evil” (Matthew 5:39), speaking of men. However, we are commanded to, “Resist the devil” (James 4:7), speaking of evil spirits. We should never get caught up and wrestle with flesh and blood. Jesus would not. (Isaiah 53:7) He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. We are to wrestle with principalities and powers. God wants us to see evil people as victims of Satan and the curse, vessels to be pitied. (Luke 23:34) And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. God wants us to see through those vessels of evil and see Him. Jesus had peace because He believed in the sovereignty of our Father. Jesus knew where all power comes from. (John 19:10-11) Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? (11) Jesus answered him,Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above…. Eli rebuked his sons for their apostasy.

(1 Samuel 2:24-25) Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress. (25) …Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord was minded to slay them. The purpose of the Lord is ultimate. Many will not repent because it is in the mind of the Lord to slay them for their evil. We could justly receive the same treatment, but God gave us grace. (Ephesians 2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God. Only God gives the gift of faith to believe and repent. We have to go to God; He grants faith and repentance. True understanding of salvation by unmerited grace causes us to fear God. Some do not value the gift of God only to have it taken away and given to ones who do value it. The Jews lost out to the Gentiles. (Revelation 3:11) Let no man take your crown. The self-righteous flirt with catastrophe. (1 Corinthians 4:7) For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? If we have anything more than our neighbor, it is a gift of God, not cause for pride.