Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life- men without regard for God. Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them. I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
In a recent study on the Book of Job, the instructor claimed it was Job’s righteousness that made him a desirable target for Satan. He was setting too good an example, and the enemy needed to take him down. But that opinion leaves the impression that Satan can have access to anyone he wants, and that’s not true. The fact is that Job’s righteousness, a quality that even God admired, had a negative side. Because he was human he was a sinner, and even though God called him the most righteous man on Earth, Job wasn’t perfect. He had become self-righteous, and that’s the sin that gave Satan his opening. Job didn’t confess it because he didn’t acknowledge it, and that failure put him out of fellowship with God and made him a legitimate target for the enemy.
This is not meant to scare anyone out of serving the Lord. Speaking of the relative power of the Lord and Satan, John wrote, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). (Remember, Job didn’t have the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit to convict him of his sins.) It’s simply a reminder that our enemy is strong and deserves our respect. If you’re serving the Lord and having any impact at all you’re going to become a target sooner or later. So stay prayed up, and stay in fellowship by confessing early and often. Look upon the skirmishes you face every now and then as evidence that you’re doing some good, and as reminders to stay alert and mind your defenses. Remember, this is war.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephes. 6:10-13)