Skin for skin

Within the Bible, it is rare for the character of Satan to be revealed through his own direct words. Yet, there are a few occasions when Satan's words are made available -word for word- within the Bible.

The Lord brought me to a distinct area of the Word earlier today. We study the Word of God to know what God expects from us, to know what God thinks of us, to know what God has done for us, to know how to pray, to know how to worship, but have we examined the Word to see what the Accuser of the Brethren believes about us.

Satan makes it known what his assumptions are regarding man:

"Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.  But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face."  Job 2: 4-5

How often do human beings prove Satan right?  When afflictions, anguish, and trials come,  how many outstretched hands become angry fists cursing God?

Satan is confident that you will curse God when affliction is poured into your life, into your being. Satan insinuates in the verses above that your worship of your flesh will prevail when you find yourself in the midst of tremendous affliction.   -That your devotion to God will fall by the wayside when your flesh is being attacked.

Satan counts on man loving his life so much that man will turn his back on the Lord when suffering arises.

Today, when the Lord brought me to these verses in Job, the Lord also spoke:  "Love not your life even unto death."

I searched for that phrase in the Word just now, and what was revealed amazes me.  This verse is found in Revelation 12:

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12:11)

Right after reading this verse, I read the verse just before it.  My how the Lord brings His revelations full circle in such a way that man could never take credit for it!    The Spirit of the Lord is alive and at work.  The previous verse reads:

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."  (Revelation 12: 10)

When the Lord spoke a portion of verse 11 to me today, I had no recollection of its location in the Bible, and I had no idea the verse before it would speak of the very situation occurring in Job.  At the beginning of the blog, I used the phrase Accuser of the Brethren to describe Satan, not realizing the Lord was leading me to the very same phrase in Revelation 12:10. Satan stood in the presence of the Almighty God accusing Job.  

Afflict Job, and he will curse You.  He will turn his back on You.  

When Satan said  "All that a man hath will he give for his life," he did not say this about Job alone.  Satan contends this about every man.  Every woman.  He is counting on you giving up when difficulties arise.

What is the conclusion of the message the Lord has led me to share here?

No matter the afflictions you face in your flesh - physical battles & mental battles.  Hold on to the
Lord, for He will be faithful to deliver you at a precise time.  Jesus conquered Satan.  We need only abide IN Christ for the victory.  Victory can only be found in Jesus.

Jesus tells believers how we are to regard our lives.  Let us take heed and fully obey Him while we endure the inevitable anguish that we are called to experience in this life:

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

Can we imagine the physical anguish and the emotional agony Christ endured while carrying the cross?  Yet, He calls us to endure the same anguish.  Where Satan paces to and fro throughout the earth in hopes of tormenting a person to the point of the individual cursing God, the Lord says bear your cross daily.  Follow Him daily.  Deny yourself daily.  Where Satan is banking on man loving his flesh more than he loves his God, the Lord says carry the cross of affliction.  The Lord says allow your flesh to be crucified.  Deny the flesh.  Endure the agony.

What Satan means for evil, the Lord calls us to endure for the purpose of GOOD, for the purpose of eternal life, for the purpose of sanctification, for the purpose of Christ being formed in us.

If we love ourselves more than we love the Lord, the Accuser of the Brethren will ensnare us by that which we love:  our flesh, our lives.  

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11)

Overcoming the Accuser of the Brethren:
(1) by the blood of the Lamb  
(2) by the word of their testimony
(3) they loved not their lives unto the death

Romans 16:20 

Rev 2:10