Job 1:9-12

 וַיַּעַן הַשָּׂטָן אֶת יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר  הַחִנָּם יָרֵא אִיּוֹב אֱלֹהִים

הֲלֹא את שַׂכְתָּ בַעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ וּבְעַד כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ מִסָּבִיב מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו בֵּרַכְתָּ וּמִקְנֵהוּ פָּרַץ בָּאָרֶץ

וְאוּלָם שְׁלַח נָא יָדְךָ וְגַע בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אִם לֹא עַל פָּנֶיךָ יְבָרְכֶךָּ

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל הַשָּׂטָן הִנֵּה כָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ בְּיָדֶךָ רַק אֵלָיו אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ

9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

The devil didn't think Job would stay so squeaky clean if God let him remove his wealth and his household. But Satan didn't strike Job without God's permission. This was to be a test, not merely a temptation. God never tests us or permits us to be tested more than we are able to withstand (1 Corinthians 10:13). There is always a way through the pain. So to Satan, God said: "This far, and no farther." The devil could strike Job's livelihood, but not Job himself.

וַיֵּצֵא הַשָּׂטָן מֵעִם פְּנֵי יְהוָה

Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (NIV)

Are you safe from the devil?

While the world spins in space, Satan slithers in and out of our lives. He comes to us in enticing temptations, he creeps up in cravings and curiosity, he hunkers down behind bad habits – he comes in words, he comes in thoughts, he comes in images, he comes in memories of past sins and temptations – he comes. He comes. He comes again.

Has he come to you in a poor role model? Has he come in the desire for a late model sports car? Has he come in the desire for a supermodel? Has he come in the lust for power? Has he come in the lateness of the hour? Has he come in the despair of the emptiness, loneliness, or pennilessness that causes some to turn their backs on God and say "I will have to take care of myself"?

In the Book of Job, Satan must come before God to admit what he has been doing, and he confesses, "I have been roaming through the earth." There is no place locked so securely that the devil cannot find us.

But for all the devil's careful, crafty art in tempting us, we have an answer — Jesus.

Jesus broke the devil's power when he let himself be put to death, because Jesus carried the sentence of every human being with him to the cross. When Jesus died, our sins, our guilt and our sentence died with him. Now Jesus has risen from the dead – but our sins, our guilt and our shame can never rise from the dead. They are gone forever. God has forgiven us and given us proof through Jesus' resurrection. Jesus lives! And so shall we!

Lord Jesus Christ, my God and my Lord. I have sinned against you. I have been caught by my old enemy the devil and I have let him turn me away from you. Forgive my sins. Bring me into your Word, that teaches me that everything you did for me, you did because you love me. You did it all.

Luther on these verses:

From the example of Job one can understand to some extent what it is to be forsaken of God. Job is straight and upright; he fears God and avoids evil, and there is no one like him in the land, as God the Lord Himself testifies about him. But Satan comes among the sons of God as they come before the Lord and says to the Lord (Job 1:9–12): “‘Does Job fear God for nought? Hast Thou not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Thy hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only upon himself do not put forth your hand.’” Then the devil himself confesses that he cannot come to Job nor touch his property unless God permits it. For God has put a guard of His holy angels around Job, who guard and protect him and his property, as it is written in Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”

Satan appears again among the sons of God before the Lord and says (Job 2:4): “‘Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But put forth Thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your power; only spare his life.’” Then the forsaking gradually proceeds. At first God is near, and the devil cannot come close to Job. Then God goes away and leaves room for the devil to touch his property and his body. And Satan does not spare Job but takes his property and kills his children. He also attacks his body, striking him with boils from the soles of his feet to his scalp. Yet Job is not completely forsaken, his soul and life are still preserved and sure under the protection of God and His holy angels, and he still has comfort in his heart. LW 12:126