Why does God give us thorns?

Nor even when they are sent of God in reference to the state of the soul, are they always because of sins committed; they may be to prevent them, break the will, humble us as to our state. Thus Paul had a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him, lest he should be puffed up through the abundance of revelations. Thrice he asked the Lord to take it away, but the Lord had sent it for his good; so He would not.

Directly the apostle regains consciousness of his presence in the flesh, this latter seeks to exalt itself, and God sends the thorn. The flesh seeks relief; it fears fighting and difficulties, but God will not relieve it at the expense of the soul. It is possible to pray earnestly for the healing of infirmities, or for deliverance out of painful circumstances, which God will not grant. Our dependence on God is thereby increased. We ought not only to expect infirmities, but to take pleasure in them, that the power of Christ may be manifested in us.

This thorn in the flesh given to Paul in order that he should not exalt himself was something that rendered him contemptible in his preaching. (Gal. 4:13-14.) It was a counterpoise to the rapture with which he had been honoured. We may not necessarily have the identical thorn that Paul had; God will always send us the needed one. It is Satan that God employs against the flesh, and Satan acts on the flesh in four different ways:

Directly the apostle regains consciousness of his presence in the flesh, this latter seeks to exalt itself, and God sends the thorn. The flesh seeks relief; it fears fighting and difficulties, but God will not relieve it at the expense of the soul. It is possible to pray earnestly for the healing of infirmities, or for deliverance out of painful circumstances, which God will not grant. Our dependence on God is thereby increased. We ought not only to expect infirmities, but to take pleasure in them, that the power of Christ may be manifested in us.

This thorn in the flesh given to Paul in order that he should not exalt himself was something that rendered him contemptible in his preaching. (Gal. 4:13-14.) It was a counterpoise to the rapture with which he had been honoured. We may not necessarily have the identical thorn that Paul had; God will always send us the needed one. It is Satan that God employs against the flesh, and Satan acts on the flesh in four different ways:

But again, when once more Paul found himself in the circumstances of earth trial came upon him. The flesh in him had not been eradicated by his sojourn in the third heaven. Its tendencies to pride and self-exaltation were still the same, so the "thorn in the flesh" was given to him. We understand that the word "thorn" is hardly strong enough, though we remember seeing in South Africa mimosa thorns five or six inches long and as hard as the hardest wood. The Greek word indicates a sharp stake. It was God's preventive discipline, and the exact form of it we do not know, and do not need to know. It was a "messenger of Satan," and yet it came permissively from the hand of God, on the top of all the trials that came upon him from the persecuting world and the defects and failures of the saints.

This leads him to reveal the fact that when he resumed his active life in this world he came under a special disciplinary dealing on God's part, of a kind that was designed to deliver him from dangers that threatened. The flesh in Paul was unchanged as to its evil tendencies even after such an experience as this. How easy for him to be lifted up with pride and self-exaltation, and thus invite a sorrowful fall. So the thorn in flesh was given to act as a kind of counterpoise. Paradise and its unspeakable words on the one hand, but the thorn and its buffetings on the other.

It is said that "thorn" hardly gives in any adequate way the sense, and that "stake" would be better. We do not think much of thorns and easily extricate them, but a stake in the flesh is a far more serious thing and thoroughly crippling in its effects. What in particular Paul alluded to we do not know, though a good deal of discussion has centred round the point. Probably it is purposely left vague in order that all our thought may be concentrated on the fact that any affliction, even of the most damaging kind, may be turned into an occasion of spiritual preservation and gain.

The thorn, whatever it was, affected his body for the good of his soul. Its action is described as a "buffeting." It came from Satan, for it is described as "a messenger," or "an angel" of Satan, and it is his mode of attack when a devoted and faithful saint is in question. He blinds the minds of the unbelieving as we were told in chapter 4. He aims at corrupting the simple and unestablished, as 2 Cor. 11 showed. But for Paul who had been caught up into the third heaven a different line of attack was followed, and the devil dealt him heavy blows that fell upon his body.

The thorn in the flesh was given to Paul that he might not be puffed up. It was some infirmity which rendered him despicable in preaching (Gal. 4:13-14); it was a counterpoise to the glory he had tasted. It does not follow that we should necessarily have the same thorn, for God gives to each of us the very thorn which is suitable for us.

(V. 7.) However exalted the experiences that the Apostle had enjoyed, the flesh was still in him while yet in this body. And the flesh, though showing itself in different forms, is, as to its nature, no different in an apostle than in any other man. We have to learn that in the flesh there is no good thing; that it never alters, and that in ourselves we have no strength against it. After such an experience the flesh, even in an apostle, might work, leading to self-exaltation by suggesting that no other apostle had been caught up to the third heavens. That he might be kept conscious of his own weakness, a thorn was sent to remind him that while still in the body he was entirely dependent upon the power of the Lord to keep him from the working of the flesh. The Apostle does not directly say what this thorn was. Apparently it was some bodily weakness that would tend to make the Apostle contemptible, or little, in the eyes of men, and thus act as a counterpoise to these miraculous visions and revelations which might have exalted him before men. Let it be noticed, however, that the thorn was allowed, not to correct any wrong in the Apostle, but rather, on the one hand, as a preventive against fleshly boasting, and on the other hand, to give him a deeper sense of his dependence upon the Lord.

Nor does age, experience, or change of circumstances improve the flesh. It is wholly unimproveable, though its desires and habits, in youth and old age, in affluence or poverty, may show themselves differently. Its principles of lust and wilfulness remain the same. Paul had been in the third heaven, and heard unutterable things, which it is not possible for mortal man to speak. Was the flesh improved in him by such a wondrous change and experience? We are told that he needed "a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him," lest he should be exalted because of the exceeding greatness of the revelations. Now surely, when in the glory, we shall not need such a thorn, neither did he when in the third heaven, but afterwards; when among men, there was such tendency to the pride and lust of the flesh being stirred up, that a messenger of Satan was needed to act upon him, as a preventive, of fleshly conduct. So deeply distressing and humiliating was this "thorn," that he three times besought the Lord to take it away; but this could not be done, that the servant might not be exalted above measure. Instead of removing it, the Lord said unto him, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." His path, therefore, for the remainder of his earthly pilgrimage was to go forward, having no confidence in the flesh, but boasting in his weakness, that the power of Christ might rest upon him; for, said he, when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Cor. 12:10.)

The tendency to personal pride, even in this devoted servant of the Lord, required what he calls "a thorn in the flesh" in order that he might be preserved from self­exaltation. Even the marvellous experience of being called up to heaven did not eradicate from him the flesh with its insidious evils. His "thorn" was no doubt some physical affliction. It has been remarked that the flesh in Paul might be tempted to boast that he was the only man who had ever been so caught up to heaven, yet in this case the flesh would be boasting in something it had nothing to do with; for Paul was not even conscious of his body being there. And God allowed Satan to inflict Paul with this thorn, no doubt with malicious spite on Satan on Satan's part, but with pure wisdom and love on Gods part.

Nor does age, experience, or change of circumstances improve the flesh. It has been truly remarked, that the flesh without law is lawless; put it under law, it breaks law; put it in connection with Christ, and it crucifies Him; let the Holy Ghost be given to man, and the flesh lusts against Him; take a man up into the third heaven, and he is puffed up. It is wholly unimprovable, though its desires and habits, in youth and old age, in affluence or poverty, may show themselves differently. Its principles of lust and wilfulness remain the same. Paul had been in the third heaven, and heard unutterable things, which it is not possible for mortal man to speak. Was the flesh improved in him by such a wondrous change and experience? We are told that he needed "a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him," lest he should be exalted because of the exceeding greatness of the revelations. Now surely, when in the glory, we shall not need such a thorn, neither did he when in the third heaven; but afterwards, when among men, there was such tendency to the pride and lust of the flesh being stirred up, that a messenger of Satan was needed to act upon him, as a preventive of fleshly conduct. So deeply distressing and humiliating was this "thorn," that he three times besought the Lord to take it away; but this could not be done, that the servant might not be exalted above measure. Instead of removing it, the Lord said unto him, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." His path, therefore, for the remainder of his earthly pilgrimage, was to go forward, having no confidence in the flesh, but boasting in his weakness, that the power of Christ might rest upon him; for, said he, when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Cor. 12:10.)