Why Did God Allow Satan to Do All What He Did to Job?
1) Direct answer
God allowed Satan to touch Job in order to vindicate His own testimony of a righteous man, to prove the liar wrong, to refine Job like gold, and to bring him into a deeper revelation of the Redeemer. Satan was on a leash the whole time, and God turned the trial to Job’s blessing and to His glory.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says God Himself testified of Job: “a perfect and an upright man” (Job 1:8). Satan accused: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:9–11). So God permitted a test, but set boundaries: “only upon himself put not forth thine hand” (Job 1:12), and later, “but save his life” (Job 2:6). You see, Satan could not move one inch beyond God’s limit.
- Job understood the purpose: “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
- In the midst of loss, Job’s faith reached higher: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth… yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25–27).
- At the end, God corrected Job’s reasonings, revealed Himself, and Job said, “now mine eye sees Thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5–6). Then the Lord “turned the captivity of Job… also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10,12).
- The New Testament seals it: “You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11). Trials prove faith “much more precious than of gold… tried with fire” (1 Peter 1:6–7). And “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Satan said Job served God only because of blessings. God allowed the hedge to open so the truth could be proved. The test didn’t create Job’s faith; it revealed it. That’s the mystery—trials don’t make a believer; they manifest one.
- If God meant evil, He would have left Job to destruction. Instead, He set strict limits, spoke from the whirlwind, lifted Job higher, used him to pray for his friends, and restored him double. The outcome shows the purpose: not to destroy, but to perfect and vindicate.
- God doesn’t tempt with evil (James 1:13). He permits testing under His sovereignty to display faith, deepen revelation, and bring a greater end than the beginning.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice, Satan’s hand was never greater than God’s purpose. Job came out with a clearer vision of God and a stronger testimony: the Redeemer lives, and the righteous shall see Him.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
God's Servant Job
55-0223 §66
Yonder I see Adam and Eve, that first little sweethearts, there in the garden of Eden. I see Adam back there, when he put his arms around his little sweetheart to walk out with her, for God had condemned them. And he started out with his arms around his darling. Adam was not deceived; he didn't have to walk out. But he walked out because he loved his wife. He walked out with both eyes wide open. No matter, if she had to go to torment, he'd go with her. When God looked down and seen that love of a human being, it wa...
God's Servant Job
55-0223 §59
Now, here's a great picture. The first: a redeemer, someone who can redeem a lost estate in Israel. (You preachers know this.) The man must first be a kinsman. He must be close kinfolks, not a way-off kinsman; a near kinsman. And how could God ever become a close kinsman? When God Himself was made flesh and dwelt among us, He become kinfolks to the human race. That's right. The only way it could be. When God was made flesh here among us, He become kinfolks, not to angels, but to human beings. He never come in the f...
The Comforter
61-1001E §48
When his people come, the churches, and tried to reconcile him, and say, "Looky here, Job, looky here, you know that you've sinned. You know that you've done wrong. How would God ever punish a righteous man like that---would take all he's got, take his children, tear up his home, do all of these things, and break down your health? And here you are, sitting here, a miserable wretch. How can you justify yourself, Job, by saying that you're not a sinner?" But Job knowed he wasn't a sinner because he was standing on th...
God's Servant Job
55-0223 §45
Maybe that's what's the matter tonight, with some of us. I know it done me a lot of good. It does all of us a lot of good to get a little training like that. He said, "I know I haven't sinned. I've offered myself; I put the sacrifice out there just according to God's Word. And I believe that God has accepted it. I'm not a sinner." He said, "That's right, Job." Said, "You're watching those flowers, how they die, go into the ground, springtime they come back up again. But man lays down, he doesn't rise no more." Said...
Fellowship
62-0519 §28
I preached on Job one time for about six months when I pastored. There was a lady had the honesty enough... I got him up to that ash heap, sitting out there, you know, all full of boils---and a piece of crock combing off his boils. And the lady said, "Brother Branham, are you ever going to get Job off that ash heap?" About three Sundays ... but I was building around to make it... There he was. He was a prophet. He was God's anointed. And the only thing the man knowed to do was stay with the Word! That's all. They c...