Satan in the Book of Job and the Gospel of Matthew

It is an interesting challenge to define all of what Satan embodies, though it has been discussed and explored in many different ways throughout history. We encounter Satan in the Book of Job 1:1-2:10 where Satan tests and, ultimately, attempts to alter Job’s faith in God. In the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11 Satan also tries to tempt Jesus to go against the plan of God, and use his abilities for a selfish purpose. When looking at the encounters with Satan in each book, we will see that the methods may differ, however the intentions and goals are the same for Satan; to try and relinquish faith in God.

 It can be seen that in both the Book of Job and the Gospel of Matthew that Satan is tempting each of these men as a means to destroy their loyalty to God. It is also observed that Satan, in each of these stories, has a particular vendetta against not only good people, but those who emit good around them. When we first look at Job, he is a man with much wealth, yet is still devoted to God. Satan suggests that this is so because of his possessions, not his virtues, and if he experienced a sudden loss his trust to God would be revoked. As Satan says to God “You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” (Book of Job 1:10-11) Since then God grants power to Satan to act on his doubts, within the day Job loses all of his property, as well as his children. Satan inflicts more pain onto Job, this time by giving him painful sores all over his body. Satan is working under the overview of God, something different from the Gospel of Matthew. We see that Satan first uses manipulation with God as a method, trying to make him think that Job isn’t actually faithful, then attempts to solidify this accused doubt by carrying out pain to Job. The Satan that is seen here is also using the method of purposely inflicting pain onto Job so that he can try to prove to God that Job’s view of Him would change and He would been seen as an unloving, unremorseful God. Satan’s motive for inflicting this pain is so that he can weaken Job into resentment.

A different story is told in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus encounters Satan, referred to as the devil, after 40 days of fasting. Jesus is believed to be weakened from this fasting, which Satan tries to use against him as well. However, in this story Satan is working as an autonomous agent, with God unaware of what he is doing. Satan tries to use the methods of temptation and persuasion with Jesus by saying “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” (Gospel of Matthew 4:3). Jesus denies this because following God’s word is more important. Finally Satan tries to also use bribery as a method to persuade Jesus into worshiping him by offering him the kingdoms of the world. Once again we see Satan using manipulation to try and disrupt God’s plan, trying to use persuasion of pleasure as a way to get Jesus to falter. While neither Job nor Jesus once found their faith wavering, both times the devil does his best to try and condemn them.

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