The Devil's False Presence

"They thought my evils toward God." Great purity is shown in this of the children; for not seeing any perceptible sin of theirs, they offered the sacrifice regarding the intellect, considering that human weakness and softness in youth often have a slip. Therefore also the holy Paul said: "I do not even know within myself, but not in this have I been justified" (1 Cor 11:5), and the Psalmist: "From my hidden things cleanse me" (Ps 139:23). Therefore it must be observed, not that they were struck down by such a death because of sins. "Thus Job did all the days of his life" (Job 1:5).

the steadfastness of the holy one's character is shown here, as never perhaps and never not the virtue in action. This also David says about himself, singing: "I will bless the Lord at all times" (Ps 34:1). "And as this day happened, and behold the angels came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came with them." The form of the word shows the discourse becomes more narrative in its account of the angels' presentation in the phrase "and as this day happened", following our understanding of the time and the appropriate state of the presentation before the Lord of the angels, providing their own ministry and their own labor toward God. While they were standing, the devil also stood by.

Even if he is manifold and many-sided, he does not escape God. It has been said, as he himself also came with the angels, not merely "to stand before" him, but he himself is also known by the eye of God which oversees all things. And let the hypocrisy of the devil also reveal the explicit truth, "transforming" himself "into an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14) and these things hiding from the born creatures, but not being able to escape God, the creator of all things and the one 'through whom all things' were made] and the Holy Spirit;. Just as it is said concerning the Word as "he is a critic of the thoughts and notions of the heart and there is no creature invisible before him; but all things are naked and laid bare to his eyes" (Heb 4:13), so also concerning the Spirit: "for the Spirit searches all things" (1 Cor 2:10). And concerning the Father it is said among the apostles: "You, Lord, are the knower of hearts" (Ps 139:1). And appropriately, belonging to divinity alone is that which governs the thoughts...

To see. For if this were even evident to born beings, they would have distanced themselves from the sinners as if not to help them, but to turn away out of fear of the greatness of evils, lest they themselves be endangered while acting as ambassadors for such. But even if he had grasped the devil's intention from certain proofs, rather, since they also 'stood before the Lord' (Job 1:6) when he came, and the devil was with them with hypocrisy, it was expected that they would bring to God the judgment concerning his standing, which indeed happened.

For God himself says the following to him: 'And the Lord said to the devil: From where have you come?' (Job 1:7) He said this to him so that hearing it, we might understand: 'From where have you come?' These angels, our own, being appointed to perform divine service for me, were performing this, standing before me, acting instead of a true standing—for their standing is not local—but you, from where? For you are not my minister. 'From where' then 'have you come?' You would grasp what was said to Adam by God as similar to this: 'Adam, where are you?' (Genesis 3:9). The 'from where have you come?' was a rebuke of the devil's futile movement.

'And the devil answering the Lord said: Having gone around the earth and walking up and down under the heaven, I am present' (Job 1:7). If the devil's intention was to constitute an answer to the question under God, his answer would be seen as being before God. For God, desiring to speak his own will to his born one, implants it in that one's intellect. But the devil, answering the Lord, is said to answer not thus, but as he chooses to answer. And what is his answer, let us see.

'Having gone around,' he says, 'the earth and walking up and down under the heaven, I am present' (Job 1:7). One should not be surprised if, being a subtle spirit, he passed through the aforementioned places. For even God did not rebuke him as a liar. And also the 'having gone around' is good; for he is not encompassing. But he goes around as 'one seeking someone to overthrow,' so that he might drag those who are persuaded by his evil deceptions, and he might seek out those who oppose him, which also happened regarding Job. Therefore, he does not use force, nor does he come upon us by power. For he is appointed to stand against those who are able to resist.