Does Satan have to get God's permission before he can attack us?
Job 1:1 - 22
ESV - 1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
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Asked July 01 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
There is no biblical proof that Satan always needs God's specific permission in order to act against Christians every time he wishes to attack them. We know that Satan needs permission at least som...
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Andrew Osakue
Supporter
He (Satan) sometimes needs to ask permission to attack believers. Lk. 22:31-..Satan has asked for you to sieve you, but I have prayed for you This is not always the case. Satan can be God's instrument of judgement and deliverance. 1Cor.5:5 - you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the day the Lord. Any one who breaks the hedge, the serpent will bite. Eccl. 10:8 meaning that any one who sins opens up a window for Satan's attack. If no window is opened, Satan is rendered powerless as can be seen in Jn. 14:30- Here comes the prince of this world, but he has no power over me. In the same way, Satan has no power over the sinless. He can only hover around as in the case of Job, but cannot break through. Satan does not need God's permission to attack a willing captive but such a captive can still be delivered from his hand by God as He wills Isa 49:24-25 In summary therefore, the answer is yes and no depending on the circumstances.
Ezekiel Kimosop
Supporter
I disagree with the conclusion that Satan has blanket permission or ability to attack God's people at will. There are two purposes that afflictions serve in the lives of God's people. First, they may be intended by God to punish our disobedience so that we return to the narrow path. God punishes us in the same way that a father does his sons. Hebrews 12:6 says "For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." The second reason is to strengthen our spiritual character so that we conform more and more to the likeness of Christ and develop a Christ like character in us. This is the higher purpose. Job's affliction illustrates that God protects His saints who have a covenant relationship with him and that Satan can only afflict them with God's permission. My view is that Satan cannot harm God's people without His permissive will. Afflictions on a believer must ultimately serve God's purposes. Paul's thorn in the flesh recorded in 2 Cor. 12 was brought upon him by a messenger of Satan yet we learn from Paul's own testimony that God was unwilling to remove it from him despite his three time plea to God. God granted Paul sufficient grace to bear the affliction. Paul admits that the torment was intended to prevent him from being proud about the revelation that he had received from Christ. God had therefore permitted this unidentified affliction upon Paul and it perfectly served His higher purposes. If we look at Romans 8:28-30, we discover that nothing takes God by surprise. Whatever His saints go through is always for a purpose: it is ultimately to refine us spiritually so that our moral character is better able to endure it and stand firm in the faith (James 1:2-4). When the Bible speaks of "all things" in Romans 8:28, my view is that this covers every conceivable circumstances, including the unpleasant things that may come our way. I therefore don't find a biblical basis for drawing the conclusion that believers are open to Satan's attack. There are several scriptures that support the view that God eternally watches over His people. Without God's divine protection, Satan can wreck havoc on the saints. Psalm 121 and Palm 123 are two examples of passages that demonstrate and celebrate God's protection upon His people. In Psalm 121 the Bible says that God watches over Israel and neither slumbers nor sleeps. Psalm 23 teaches that even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, no harm shall come upon us.
Frederick Thomas
Supporter
Satan need permission We cannot escape God`s discipline as we are still not perfect. Discipline will always be part of our life until we go home When things go awkward in our lives does not mean the devil sneaked pass God and whack us as God neither sleep nor slumber. He is watching over us. We are bought with a price God’s property His children He is our the Shepherd Joh10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Joh10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Meaning And none shall ever pluck them from thence; no man can do it, not any false teacher can remove them from Christ, by all the art and cunning he is master of; nor any violent persecutor, by all the force and power he can use; nor can any sin, or snare, or temptation, draw them out of Christ's hands; nor any adversity whatever separate them from him: they must be safe, and always abide there, who are in the hands of Christ; for his hands have laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth, they grasp the whole universe, and hold all things together; and who then can pluck any out of these hands? Moreover, Christ, as Mediator, has all power in heaven and earth; and even as man, he is the man of God's right hand, made strong for himself. 2 Ti 1:12 for the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Nothing can happen to a Christian unless God allows it Joh 19:11 (CEV) Jesus replied, "If God had not given you the power, you couldn't do anything at all to me. …………… Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. Thou couldest — rather, “shouldst.” have no power at all against me — neither to crucify nor to release, nor to do anything whatever against Me [Bengel]. except it were — “unless it had been.” given thee from above — that is, “Thou thinkest too much of thy power, Pilate: against Me that power is none, save what is meted out to thee by special divine appointment, for a special end.”(Purpose) Things happens to us for future benefits Heb 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, … Psa119:67 (ERV) Before I suffered, I did many wrong things. But now I carefully obey everything you say.. Job 5:18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. 1 Co 11:30-32 …weak and sickly among you and many sleep …that we should not be condemned with the world. It doesn’t mean that Satan sit and wait for a Christian to sin then have permission to strike. He has to ask and or we are to hand him the disobedient to be rehabilitated as led by the Spirit.1Co_5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 2 Co 12:7 lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 1Ti_1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Pre-chastisement given to Paul is seen in 2 Co 12:6 for though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 2 Co 12:7 and lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. When we understand our safety in Christ we can utter 2 Co 12:10 therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. If God be for us who can be against us. Rom 8:31
Kenneth Heck
Supporter
For Christians the attacks of Satan cannot go beyond the bounds of the new and more perfect covenant of Christianity. 1 Cor 10:13: "... but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it." With its many great rewards for Christians, we can always expect Satan will be severely attacking us in every way our new covenant allows him to. For those not under a specific covenant, such as Job, Satan needs specific permission for his specific attacks, but he may already have permission for general situations most people find themselves in today and in the past.
Femi Adesina
Supporter
The bible says, the thief has some to steal, kill and destroy... Rev 12 also says his (the devil's) place was no more found in heaven and woe unto the inhabitants of the earth. If he needed permission, he already got it, but he doesn't have power over the children of God who know their rights in God. The enemy kills and destroys. Should we say God permitted him to be killing people all over the world? I think God wanted us to know that as Christians we have power over the devil and that's what Jesus came to show us - calling himself "the son of man". The devil is the god of this world and so he can do and undo but Children of God who know their rights can hold him back. So permission or no permission, he has his limitations.
Ron Maurizio
Supporter
God is in complete control, so yes, nothing happens unless God allows it. I'm hedged BTW.
Jim Tumlinson
Supporter
This question is often times asked when we feel we are being attacked or trying to refute the statement that God does not allow satan to attack us. Really it is the wrong question for Christians to ask for a few reasons I will list below: God is not only the God of love but also a loving father and no father would ever give a bully permission to hurt his child and people who think this way have a skewed view of God and His great love for us. Another thing to note is that we do not know the actual author of this book nor its time frame though Moses is thought to be the author. This may draw the conclusion that this is an allegory for us to learn from, lesson below. If you notice in reading the bible you will find that it is a book of covenants and we are able to see the covenants being made between God and man at various times in biblical history. God made covenant with Adam and Eve, Abram, the Hebrews and us. There is no indication that covenant was made with Job us thus did not have the covenant promises we as Christians have today not to mention we have a better covenant based on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6) Job was not a Christian. Some say Job was living in fear which opened the door to the devil because he made sacrifices for the sins of his children Job 1:5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually. God does not allow the devil to attack us according to our sin because it was forgiven and Jesus took the punishment for our sin. (2 Cor 5:21)The bible calls us more than conquerors and conquerors don't usually ask why or worry about why bad things happen to them (https://youtu.be/y7AJEKCjFss) but they respond with; since this has happened what do I need to do. If we want to know why the book of Job was written (Not the original question) I believe it was for us to learn how respond in adverse situations in life because we all have terrible circumstances that come at us and we all have friends and relatives that will say some of the very same things Jobs wife and friends had said to him. Which as you can see was not very good council for the most part. When we are in trying circumstances we should go to God and expect to get a good answer and good report as well as surround ourselves with people who really do know and understand the grace of God and its unmerited favor toward us continually. The below verses sum it all up if you ask me and thus there is no need to even consider whether God allows the devil to bring harm to us. Eph 1:1-10 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Jamal Smith
Supporter
Satan needs no permission to attack. Remember, he is a thief. If a thief has permission to steal, he is not a thief. If a person has permission to kill, like the death penalty, he is not a murderer and would not be held under judgment. Satan and his demons will be thrown into the bottomless pit. If they are just doing what’s God tells them to do, they would have grounds to accuse God and escape judgment. People often use Job to justify satan asking permission but if we read the original text, satan is not asking permission, he is accusing God. God also does not grant satan permission to attack Job but rather, God restricts satan from killing him. Certain translations add in certain words that were never there in Hebrew and turn it into something it wasn’t. Even in the KJV, satan does not ask permission and God does not grant him permission. Another Bible translation is when Jesus spoke and said satan desires to sift Peter as wheat. Some translations say, “Satan has asked permission to sift you as wheat” and that’s not what Jesus said at all. We must be careful. Satan is a liar and will lie every chance he gets. Of course he is a snake in the grass who does not want to be seen so he even hides his nature from Christians so we, like the Pharisees, will think that the works Jesus are doing are from Beelzebub and the works the devil are doing are from God. It is written that satan states he will be like the most high. He deceived people into worshipping him.
Delvin Mcclendon
Supporter
In Rev 20, known as the 1000 years reign, Satan is bound at the beginning of it and toward the end he is loosed and then destroyed. In Rev 12 he realised he was cast into the earth having great wrath because he knew his time was short. For he persecuted the woman who brought forth the man child who was caught up to God and to his throne. The question I ask myself is when did this take place? John12:31 Jesus said now is the judgement of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out. Isa 27 said in that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish the piercing serpent and shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. In Romans 16:20, Paul, addressing the Romans, says the God of peace shall bruise or crush or shatter Satan under your feet shortly. The question I ask myself and you all did this happen already in first century, or are we to look for this to take place again? I think I'm going to believe what Jesus and his holy apostles and prophets said.
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