Job 2:5

Unabashed by his failure to move Job, Satan makes fresh demands, coupled with fresh accusations. "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. Until now God had not let anyone touch Job's body. Let God lay His hand on that, and how quickly Job's boasted piety will disappear.

So said the great adversary to God, repeating his accusation against Job and casting his taunt at God. "You have made this man. You are more to him than his possessions. But You are not more to him than he is to himself; he loves himself better than he loves You."

Satan's words, "Skin for skin! Yes, 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 was sure that if God struck Job's body, Job would curse God to His face.

Satan understood well the character of the fall. He knew that men were utterly selfish; that they would sacrifice everything, even their God, to save themselves.

In Job's case we see Satan, by God's permission, using different means to bring extraordinary affliction on Job. But even here Satan is under strict limits. He may not touch Job himself (ch. 1:12). Then at the second trial, when God allows him to afflict Job's body, he may not touch his life (2:6). It is therefore a mistake to attribute to Satan absolute power to do as he will.

We may be sure of this: divine love, as well as divine wisdom, gave this afflicted child of God over to fresh attacks from Satan. We see the tenderness in the words, "Save his life." The enemy may do everything, and so prove his own charge false. Every prop must go, every earthly joy must be taken away, and still Job will cling to the God he has trusted, even though dimly.

God's object was to show Job the depths of his own heart. Then he would delight in the grace and mercy of God, and not in his own goodness... Job was a true saint of God, and all Satan's accusations were flung back in his face. But all the while Job was unbroken material. So he was not ready for "the end of the Lord" — that blessed end for every contrite heart. God, blessed and praised be His name, will not allow Satan to accuse us. But He will expose us to ourselves, so that we may judge ourselves.

From here on the enemy disappears. His fresh attack had failed just as completely as before. What a comfort to learn this in a scene where, then as now, he seems to win! But so it always is, whatever it looks like: God has His way, as the end proves beyond answer.