Job 2:4

Satan asks for one more trial: "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life." Many take "skin for skin" to mean like for like. Or he may be reducing all that had happened to a surface trial, one that had only touched the outside of things. But he says: let there be something deeper now, and we shall see.

"Skin for skin" — to save part of his skin a man will give up another part; yes, to save his life he will surrender everything he has, including his fear of God.

That is what the great adversary said to God. He repeated his accusation against Job and threw his taunt at God: "You have made this man. Though You are more to him than his possessions, You are not more to him than himself; he loves himself better than he loves You."

How often do we hear people say that the Bible says, "Stolen waters are sweet," when in fact Scripture says that a wicked woman said it! Mr. Jay preached from Job 2:4, "All that a man has he will give for his life." … It was the devil who was speaking. This was one of those half-truths which are worse than whole lies. Millions of men have refused to give up their principles to save their lives. Job himself proved how false that cynical statement is.

This remark of the devil was once quoted in court by a barrister who wanted to strengthen his case. He introduced it by saying, "As a great authority has said …" He felt quite safe in his authority, since he was quoting from the Bible! But the judge knew his Bible better than the lawyer did. He quietly said, "I am interested to observe whom the learned counsel quotes as 'a great authority'!"

Satan's words, "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life," are sadly true of an unbeliever. But faith is something that Satan does not understand. He confidently claimed that if God struck Job's body, Job would curse God to His face.

The LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare [literally, abstain from] his life." Sparing his life was not meant to lessen the trial. It was so that God might triumph for the good of the afflicted — the moral of the book.

The fullest possible proof of love is to lay down one's life. No sacrifice can go beyond this. "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life" (Job 2:4). But Christ laid down His life, as He said, "I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:15). Among men, though, we can hardly imagine anyone making such an extreme sacrifice for someone who is not a friend or benefactor. Yet "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).