Exchanging Suffering for Pain By Dr. Stephen Phinney

April 9, 2012 - 18 minutes read

Was there ever a time in your Christian life when you could really say that you were righteous in most of your ways, while at the same time experiencing little affliction? I have many fond memories of those days…then came God’s “permissible affliction.” Even though I have wrestled with the “theology” of the purpose of “bad things happening to good people,” in my older years I have come to understand that Satan is the force behind all the calamities that come upon us. Keep in mind that I didn’t say “reason,” but the “force.” Personally, I believe this is one of THE most important elements for Christians to understand and believe.

When I prayed the Selfer’s Prayer (see below), back in 1979, I thought Exchanging my life for His would minimally reduce my pain and suffering; but little did I expect that it would actually offer me more. Right around that same time, I asked God to grant me half the measurement of wisdom and understanding He gave Solomon, primarily because I “felt” so stupid. After several years of exchanging suffering for more pain, the Lord led me to this passage:

“Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:18).

At first, this passage raised more questions than it answered. From what I have learned from the Holy Scriptures, Satan actually needs permission from the Father in order to do his afflictions.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.’ The LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.’ Then Satan answered the LORD, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.’ Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.’ So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD” (Job 1:6-12).

There are many theological elements contained within this passage. One that tends to glare at me the most is “permissible affliction.” This passage reveals that Satan works to trap and ensnare God’s people, with the deception that it is God’s fault and He is “out to get us.”

Several other significant doctrinal issues present themselves here. First, we find that Satan had to approach God and get in line with the rest of the “sons of God” – angels. Once Satan was at the bench of God, the two of them had this unique dialogue. God first asked Satan where he came from. This suggests that God didn’t know where he was or what he was doing. The truth of the matter is that God knew exactly who he was and what he was up to. God, by proof of most of His dialogues, reveals the prerogative of being the One who asks the questions – not man or spiritual beings. Next, we see God bringing up the opportunity to persecute Job before Satan could open his mouth to suggest it (v. 8). It’s almost like God set the stage of prospering Job in order to offer Satan this opportunity. Did God desire to bring hurt and destruction upon His beloved servant? Did God have this hidden curiosity to test Job to see if he would be attacked, tempted, drawn into sin, or become ensnared by the devil? No – He was confident in the investment He had made in Job up to this point in His Divine design. God clearly knew there was none like him on the face of the earth. Since God knows and watches every thought and footprint of man, He knew that no man has been able to withstand a full-on attack of Satan since the days of Noah. He had confidence in this!

Personally, I believe Satan completely understood the level of character Job radiated. He obviously knew that he couldn’t charge Job with any sin, because he (Satan) was the author of it. Just as God knew He was confident in Job’s obedience to the Word, Satan knew of Job’s confidence of disobedience to Satan’s words. What we have is the great standoff, duel per se, between the confidence of God versus the confidence of Satan.

What is up with this satanic statement of “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (v. 9). The implication here is that Satan thinks Job “fears” God, NOT because of love, but because of the perception that God spoils him with riches, healthy children, and the prosperity assigned. He is under direct belief that Job would “curse God” and be done with Him if he had these “blessings” or luxuries taken away from him – thus proving that Job’s fear was simply outward and hypocritical. Satan clearly knows how man’s flesh functions – he does to get. After all, Satan developed the demonic reward system of “doing to get.” The bottom line: Satan was convinced that Job was afraid of being punished by God if he didn’t “jump through the hoops” that God set before him.

The second and less primal issue Satan throws God’s way is the issue of protection. Satan now tempts God with the twisted truth that Job is righteous because he lives in a bubble, a protection, a shield of sorts that God formed around him. The truth of the matter is we can’t function righteously without the almighty protection of God; but Satan is hinging Job’s life upon this one principle. Yes, God did border Job’s life and all that was entrusted to him with angels (hedge) to encamp about him. This passage reveals clear evidence that Satan is a pouty big bully who likes picking on the little guy. He basically is saying that if Job didn’t have a big brother protecting him, Job would lose the fight. Well, duh! Satan never picks on someone his own size, although a day is coming when he picks a fight with SOMEONE who is truly going to “clean his clock.” Typical bully – always thinking he is “the man,” all the while suffering with “little man syndrome.” Hmm – maybe that is what this is all about.

Allow me to do some immediacy here. Satan believes that Job breaths freely because he is in the protective bubble that God provided for him. Satan is suggesting having God remove this bubble and allowing him to suffocate Job by way hellish and demonic circumstances; then, Job is surely to curse God to His face. The second point of immediacy is that Satan knows he can’t do a blasted thing without God “putting forth His hand and touching all that he has.” It is what we call in counseling a covert confession of impotence. Satan NEVER comes out and openly admits he is impotent, but manipulates in such a way that a covert confession spills out. This is a classic way of confession for bullies.

The Lord’s response to this not so clever form of manipulation appeared to be in Satan’s favor. With God saying, “Behold, all that he has (externally) is in your power (strength), only do not put forth your hand on him” (v. 12, parentheses mine), sends him off most assuredly living out his deception. It always amazes me how God will not dialogue, prove, or interact with Satan (or man) over their manipulative and stupid ways. He gives man, and beast, the appearance of “having their own way” in order for them to learn from the consequences of those ways. What a loving and respectful God we have.

The “Godological” statement here is rather critical for believers to see and embrace. God is not angry and displeased with Job, nor does He want to get some kind of thrill out of hurting him, nor is He gratifying Satan; but he does want Satan to face the doom of his own deception once again, while He (God) ultimately enjoys more glory. The truest form of stupidity is picking a fight with someone who has full and complete control over the universe. This passage shows us how stupid Satan really is. Secondly, it shows us that when “bad things” happen to good people, it does not mean that God is angry, disappointed, or “out to get us.” God just has a thing about purifying the Bride of Christ for His Son and rubbing Satan’s face in his own confusion. These are the two primary reasons for the existence of God’s creation – to gain a Bride for His beloved Son and provide a place of torment and punishment for Satan. Humans can deluge their minds with other reasons, but these are the simple facts.

“Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.’ So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD” (Job 1:12).

With this, the Lord sends a restrained Satan off to accomplish the mission of God, with Satan thinking it is all about his own mission. That is the beauty of this story; God proves the stupidity that deception forms when mixed with pride. Satan is nothing but a tool God uses to advance His Kingdom. Why doesn’t Satan figure this out? Simply, because sin makes us stupid. Satan’s limited authority isn’t even his – it belongs to God. All authority is owned by the One who imparts it.

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Romans 13:1).

Any human or spiritual being who stretches their imagination to think they have ownership of anything, particularly authority, is suffering with the same deception of Satan himself. Any authority managed is authority assigned. Therefore, God is in sovereign charge of all things, including those who think they are in charge of anything.

The believer’s emotions are in need of being exchanged just as our mind and will. God has blessed us with the positive emotions of Christ Himself; love, joy, cheerfulness, excitement, kindness, peace, and many others. What many of us don’t realize is that when we make this great Exchange, we also inherit His not so positive emotions: sorrow, grief, misery, moaning, dejection, confusion – for God only knows how long this list is. It is in the back side of Christ’s emotions that Satan feeds into. If He, our Lord and Savior, suffered such affliction – then in our Exchange, we should also be willing to fellowship in those same sufferings. We should be willing to exchange our sufferings for more of His pain. Ouch – now that hurts!

The Selfer’s Prayer

I hereby surrender everything that I am, and have, and ever will be. I take my hands off of my life and release every relationship to You: every habit, every goal, my health, my wealth, and everything that means anything. I surrender it ALL to You. By faith I take my place at the Cross, believing that when the Lord Jesus was crucified, according to Your Word, I was crucified with Him; when He was buried, I was buried; when He was raised from the dead, I was raised with Him. I deny myself the right to rule and reign in my own life and I take up the Cross believing that I was raised from the dead and seated at Your right hand.

I thank You for saving me from my sins and myself. From this moment on I am trusting You to live Your life in me and through me, instead of me, to do what I can’t do, quit what I can’t quit, start what I can’t start, and–most of all–to be what I can’t be. I am trusting you to renew my mind and heal damaged emotions in Your time. I thank You now by faith for accepting me in the Lord Jesus, for giving me Your grace, Your freedom, Your joy, Your victory and Your righteousness as my inheritance. Even if I don’t feel anything, I know that Your Word is true; I am counting on Your Spirit to do what Your Word says– to set me free from myself, that Your resurrection life may be lived out through me, and that You may receive all the glory.

I thank You and praise You for victory right now in Jesus’ name, Amen.

by Dr. Charles Solomon

Founder and President Emeritus, Grace Fellowship International