Satan goaded God with these words believing that he had found the ultimate human weakness: “A man will give everything he has for his life” (See Job 2:4-5).
Job (oil on canvas) by Bonnat, Leon Joseph Florentin (1833-1922)
This accusation certainly exposes a deep fear in the human personality. Our frail humanity makes us vulnerable to the fear of death together with the ageing process and failing health that often come with it.
The strength of the Christian gospel is that it speaks right into the depth of these human needs and offers us eternal life, freedom from sickness and deliverance from death itself through the resurrection power of Christ.
“If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).
Jesus came proclaiming the good news of the kingdom – that the long-promised age of freedom and deliverance from the powers of sin and death had arrived.
This means we are in “the presence of the future’ and are heirs of unimaginable levels of healing, prosperity and well-being. The kingdom has come!
However, this doesn’t mean we are free from suffering and trials. On the contrary, Jesus made it clear that the troubles of this world would continue as long as this present world was in existence.
“In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).
Nevertheless, we can live in victory over all these circumstances and enjoy the blessing of God.
“But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
God’s will is for health and prosperity for His people – even if we, like Job, must pass through various trials to serve a higher purpose for the glory of God.
“Skin for skin?” Was Satan right? Will we sell our souls for the sake of our present comforts?
No! We have settled it once and for all. We will serve God with all of our hearts – no matter what our circumstances.
And nothing will shake our confidence in our Heavenly Father’s capacity and willingness to save, heal and deliver us from every sin, every sickness and every bondage.