Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. — Job 1:6

IT is idle to enquire what day this was — Perhaps it was a special Sabbath kept both in earth and heaven, a day of solemn convocation. In the earliest ages the godly gathered together for worship, with the Lord as their center. Both in heaven and earth they so gather: the communion of saints is one. Alas, how soon the evil entered among the righteous! There is no need that the devil should have been in heaven as a place; but looking down from his throne the Lord saw Satan mingling with those who worshipped him; and he had a word for him. In a rightly-ordered congregation even the wicked have their portion.

l. Very clearly, it is not acceptable worship to God: for nothing that Satan does can be accepted. His presence among the sons of God is presumption, and not reverence.
2. It is not beneficial to the person's own self; for the fallen spirit remained a devil, and acted like one, even in the presence of God. We must come to the Lord by faith, or our worship is dead and unprofitable.
3. It may be the occasion of more sin; for in the assembly Satan belied Job, and plotted his destruction.

1. This should make us continue to meet with the saints even though we know of some in the assembly who are false to their profession. Should the sons of God cease to meet because Satan may come among them?
2. This should cause great heart-searching and the prompt inquiry, "Lord, is it I?" Out of twelve apostles one was a devil, and he was with the Lord at his farewell passover.
3. This should make us watchful even while we are praying.
4. This should make ministers faithful, so that the devil may not be at home
in the congregation, but may be annoyed by the truth which he hates.
5. This should make us long for the perfect assembly above where there will be no mixture, but a sinless congregation.

• By accusing them before the Lord, even in their holy things.
  
• By calling off their thoughts from heavenly concerns, and making them heavy of heart and distracted with care.
  
• By setting them to criticize instead of hearing to profit.
  
• By sowing dissensions even in their holy service.
  
• By exciting pride in preachers, in singers, in those who publicly pray, and in those who give. This is shown in different persons in their style, their tone, their dress, etc.
  
• By cooling down their ardor, abating their love, chilling their praise, freezing their prayer, and, in general, killing their seal and joy.

• By distracting attention from saving truth.
  
• By raising doubts; by suggesting skeptical ideas, raising dark questions, and putting the man before the Master.
  
• By suggesting delay to those who may be impressed.
  
• By quenching prayer, hindering enjoyment, preventing profit, deadening feeling, and robbing God of glory.
  
• By taking away the word which had been sown; as birds peck up the seed scattered on the highway.

1. He was brazenly impudent with his Maker.
2. He railed at God's people, even at one of the best of them, whom the Lord himself called "perfect?"
3. He resolved to tempt him, to torture him, and to lead him into rebellion against God, if he could.

• The devil is here at this moment.


• Let us not yield to his suggestions.


• Let us cry to the Lord at once, and trust in the Lord Jesus, who can preserve us from the evil one, even when he is present.

As soon as the sower goes forth to sow his seed, the fowls of the air go forth also. The more good is being done in any place, the more surely will Satan oppose it. Unusual provocations will be given to lukewarm professors by those whose zeal is aroused; and so there will be bickerings. Ready offense will be taken by cross-grained brethren during a revival; for things are apt to be a little out of the regular order; and here is another root of bitterness. Unusually large numbers of hypocrites will come forward, just as snails and slugs come creeping forth on a rainy day. Unusual bitterness will be felt by worldlings, and, as a consequence, unusual slanders will be current against the more active assailants of the enemy's kingdom. You cannot destroy a wasp's nest without being attacked in return. Yet this is better than stagnation. In a slumbering church it is the adversary's chief business to rock the cradle, hush all noise, and drive away even a fly which might light upon the sleeper's face; Satans great dread is lest the church should be aroused from her dreamy slumbers.

Since Satan will enter our assemblies, it behoves us to see (1) that no one of us brings him in our company; (2) that no one gives place to him when he enters the congregation; (3) that, like Abram with the ravenous birds, we drive him away; or (4) that we pray with all the more earnestness, "Deliver us from the evil one."

George Marsh, who was martyred in the reign of Queen Mary, in a letter to some friends at Manchester, wrote: "The servants of God cannot at any time come and stand before God, that is, lead a godly life, and walk innocently before God, but Satan cometh also among them, that is, he daily accuseth, findeth fault, vexeth, persecuteth, and troubleth the godly; for it is the nature and property of the devil always to hurt, and do mischief, unless he be forbidden of God; but unless God doth permit him, he can do nothing at all, not so much as enter into a filthy hog?' — Fox's Book of Martyrs

Did Satan review himself at the end of that Sabbath? Did he feel any compunction at having defied his Maker, at having intruded among the saints, and at having done them wrong in their own Father's Palace? We suppose not. But hearers, who are not Satan's, would do well to lay to heart the character of any one of their Lord's-days as God sees it. Sabbath sins well weighed and studied furnish plentiful material for repentance. Perhaps if this theme were well applied to the conscience it might arouse the heart to penitence, and lead it to faith.

Luther was in great danger of being stabbed by a Jew; but a friend sent him a portrait of the assassin, and so he was put upon his guard. We ought to be forearmed by being forewarned. The great enemy cannot now pounce upon us at unawares while we are at our devotions; for we are not ignorant of his devices We are bidden to watch as well as pray, to watch before we pray, and to watch when we pray.