Everyone suffers, whether from their own sinfulness, or actions from the enemy, the devil. The story of Job is about a righteous man with plentiful faith and earthly possessions. God allowed the devil to strip him of everything, and even make him sick. For a while, Job suffered and the “help” he received from his friends did not feel like help at all. If anything, that made matters worse, so much that God was upset with them too.

In the face of adversity, people like to offer words of encouragement when they see a fellow believer suffering. They often refer to Scripture verses as a reminder of God’s love and the importance of community.

What happens though, when someone suffering feels alone?

With all the advice-giving, sometimes those individuals forget the simple act of listening. That leaves the person suffering feeling worse than before. Maybe like Job, people in your life want to help, but their “help” is not very helpful. You can’t give advice for something you don’t understand.

Does the enemy attack us as ferociously as he did Job?

Encouraging yourself can be one of the biggest challenges to faith. After all, God did not make Adam to be alone (Genesis 2:18). We were made for fellowship.

What we can learn from the story of Job is that God will never leave us and faith will pull us through any hardship. That doesn’t mean we will always get the outcome we want, but God will show us favor in the end.

“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

When we can lean on God instead of leaning onto others, or despairing at our circumstances, we can come out okay in the end. God cares for us and wants us to succeed. The devil does not. When we can respond to hardships with plentiful faith, we are following the example Job set.

Here are 3 ways to “resist the devil” when you find yourself alone.

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Ahmed Hasan