The Invisible Battle

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2025 – MR REUBEN LYONS

Job 1 verses 1 to 8

For many of us when we hear of Apollo 11, we think of the first man Neil Armstrong who landed and stepped onto the moon. Many know the shuttle craft that went after - the Apollo 12.  The most important part of the astronauts training is a Litmus test.  It is evaluating the problems that may happen on board and assess how to overcome them. The question to ask is – “is the shuttle still flying”. If the answer is “yes” then they should carry on. When Apollo 12 took off on 14 November 1969 it was hit by a bolt of lightning.  The entire console lights went orange. The 3 astronauts had the temptation to do something in response but they went back to their training and asked themselves “is the craft still flying?” Of course the answer was “yes”. They let the warning lights continue to shine and kept on going with their mission. Eventually the lights all went out. Think first and then act. Job was a man in crisis. There was no-one like him. Through all his turmoil he didn’t act quickly to blame God. At the end of the chapter he praises and thanks God in the midst of all his grief and agony. We all understand crisis in our lives. It is used differently in our lives in the form of disease, war, death and sorrow. But there is another area of conflict going on today that we cannot see. Beyond the physical and human field of vision there is the invisible battle. We are all engaged in a spiritual battle that is not seen. There are so many casualties to the enemy each and every day. In those 8 verses we read, a brief glimpse of the spiritual battle is seen.  We see events occurring in heaven between the Lord and the devil. What a difference it would have made if Job could have known what was going on. When the hard moments come to our lives it is easy to forget the God who is behind it all, is working in our lives. He has a plan for the pain we are enduring. Let us take a look at the suffering Job endured and how that can speak to us in our situations. I want us to learn the good news in these verses. Help is available to the Christian. When we are surrounded by the enemy, if we would just listen to God then we could learn the same lesson Job learned. We have an almighty God available us no matter the stage of life we are going through.

An improbable person – verses 1 to 5. What was it that made him an unlikely candidate for suffering? In verse 1 we see Job’s character. He had a pure heart, he was full of integrity and holiness. He lived with a great fear and admiration for the Lord. No one could make an accusation against him. He is described as an upright man. He could be trusted and relied upon. He would not lead you astray. He was a worthy man. He was blessed materially with great riches. He had a family, owned cattle and had many servants. The blessings of God were in full display. Job served as his family’s priest. He loved his children deeply and prayed for them every day. He offered sacrifices to atone for their sin. He was a committed man of God, deeply committed to his own family.  He is an example to us today. God should be our focus as Christians. We are also to be the business of loving our family just as Christ has loved us. We should be praying for our family – praying for spiritual growth, for their safety, to grow in the knowledge of Christ. If our family is outside of Christ we should pray that they will see Jesus in all his glory and that he would bring them into conviction of sin. In verse 6 we get a sense of Job’s consistency in life. He didn't worry about what anyone said of him. Every day he lived a holy life, seeking God for others without a relationship with Christ. What an example. An unlikely candidate to go through pain, to be dealt this huge amount of suffering. Many feel today that God shouldn’t give them suffering if they are his own child. There are times when we suffer because other people sin. Maybe God has sent you suffering to test you, to grow your love and faith in him. He does it to sanctify us in our lives. The greatest reason is for God’s glory and his great name. It is difficult for many to grasp that, they don’t want to hear that but Jesus spoke of it in John 11 verse 4. This was spoken at a time when Jesus was suffering the loss of his friend Lazarus. God was using him as a means to bring glory. And he did it though Job's suffering too. The book of Job is a difficult book to read through. Even reading chapter 1 makes us want to stop reading but if we press on we are reminded that none of us are immune to suffering. Job was a prime candidate for the enemy to come and take him away from the Lord. We seen that in Joseph’s life too. The devil wants us to walk away from the Lord, to not walk close with him. If you say “I don’t get these attacks from the enemy that you are talking about, I just deal with what comes into my life and get on with it.” If that is so I have to ask – are you actually close with the Lord? Are you living for Christ or just a pretender? Job was certainly not a pretender. He was an unlikely candidate for what he was going through.

An invisible battle – verses 6 to 12. It was taking place not on this earth but in heaven. Job was unable to see what was going on and what was being discussed. The same battle is going on even today. In verse 6 angelic beings were making an appearance before God’s throne, giving an account of their service. Satan enters into the scene, coming before God’s throne. Who are we dealing with here? This is the devil, Satan’s prince of this world, the ruler of darkness. He still stands before the Lord in heaven. What a day it will be when he is cast out of heaven once and for all. His presence is acknowledged by God. God has all the power and authority. God spoke first and last in this meeting. Satan came to the Lord and he would have to leave heaven again.

The accusation – verses 9 to 12. Satan is showing his true colours. Job is only faithful because of his riches and the comfort God has given him in his life. If all is stripped away he would forsake God. Satan is still doing the same. Exposing our every weakness and sin before the Lord. He does not have to speak but simply sees and tells what is being done. Isn’t it good to know we have an advocate before God the Father in heaven – 1 John 2 verse 1. Remember that there is an invisible battle going on even today.

An inconceivable tragedy unfolds in the remainder of this chapter and book. Satan wanted nothing more than to release havoc in Job’s life. All he loved was stripped away. Verses 14 and 15. Here is a snippet of what was happening. From the pinnacle of his life to being a broken man. No herds, no success. As he thought it couldn’t get any worse, word was received that all 10 of his children had died as a result of a roof collapsing inwardly. They had no chance of survival. One man was left alive to tell the news. Such news deepened the wound in Job’s life. This was the devil’s ploy. Breaking him down bit by bit, to drive him to despair. That was his desire – to rob God of his glory. He didn’t realise it was all in the plan of God. The devil thought he was the one pulling the strings. God was in control of the entire situation.

An immense control by God not Satan. God was listening to every moment, to the turmoil Satan was unleashing on his servant. God was exercising his sovereign control. God is sovereignly over all, watching and listening over everything that is happening today. If God is not sovereign no amount of suffering we are going through will help. We need to bring our circumstances to God, in the place of prayer. Notice in verse 7 Satan did not speak until God speaks first. God set the degree and boundaries of this suffering. All was under the control of God. The same stands true for all our lives. No matter how hurt we are in the circumstances, God remains in control. Nothing happens to us that is outside his control, his planning. He controls the timing, the direction and extent of our suffering.  We endure everything he allows in our lives. It is all for our good and his glory. Many struggle to grasp this truth. It is what God seeks us to know and see. Everything is part of God’s plan. May you have peace knowing this today. That it is all part of God’s plan for your life. I trust that we are all born again believers, that we are trusting in the mercy of God, rejoicing in the fact that God is in control of our lives. That we are not out meandering in the world. Maybe you are confused in these days – there is a day coming when you will have peace and contentment in the riches of heaven, in the mercy of God our Saviour.

An immovable relationship – verses 20 to 22. Through these final verses Job still had a testimony. It is a profound one. Job’s reaction to events – he shaved his head, tore up his clothes. That is not usual for us but in bible times it was a sign of deep mourning. A broken heart. Understanding grieving. All he had lost. His actions make sense when we grieve and mourn. His next reaction is hard to understand. In the midst of his family dying and all his material possessions ripped  away he fell down and worshipped God. Job had turned from his problems and pain of loss and turned it over to God. It shows he cared more for God than for his whole life and family. God can enable us to do the same today. In the midst of pain look past the problems and glimpse the one who knows. If you come to him you will find yourself humbled in worship. God knows what is best for us. What was his response when he speaks? He praises God for the blessings he has enjoyed. He thanks God for being God and trusts him to do what is right. Our response is to trust in God no matter the circumstances. It is the same God we serve in the good and bad times of life. Job understood everything he had came from God, nothing was his. That is what comes down to us today – everything we have, everything we are is due to the grace of God in our lives. Every trial is ultimately to bring us to the place of being like our Saviour.

The invisible battle still rages on today, seeking to undermine our faith so that we can adore the glory of God. What is our response? If you are still without God, the first job you need to do is seek the forgiveness of your sins. As a child of God keep walking, praising and trusting God even when life makes no sense at all. We can claim victory in this invisible battle. Do you know where your help comes from? It is found in almighty God today.