But that didn't just prove it to Lucifer, but all the people who read of the account. And Job was rewarded for his faithfulness, as well.
For those of us engaged in spiritual warfare, it is an encouragement to stick to our guns, that God is there for us. It is also a foreshadowing of the temptation of Christ by the Devil, which Jesus also resisted, and subsequently was tormented beyond that which Job endured, only to emerge not just triumphant, but as the Saviour of all who would listen and believe.
Untested faith is weak, it is in our moments of privation we truly learn to believe in God's goodness, and that with Him, we shall prevail. Like exercising a muscle, exercising our faith strengthens it. I think that's why God permits us to go through periods of hardship.
I know what you are saying, Smokin’Joe. Those times in my life where the burden was heavy have been the times I got to be the closest to Jesus. He does carry me through those times. And it is true that I would not know this mercy and power of Christ unless I had suffered.
There are many Jews and Christians I have crossed paths with who blamed God for their suffering and for the evil in creation. Since He is all powerful, and since He supposedly loves every one of us, why would He let bad things happen? They conclude that He’s not a loving Father and that He’s not a powerful God either.
This sounds exactly like a case Lucifer would present to a suffering Christian or Jew in their hour of weakness. So, I guess Job was a warning to us of how Lucifer would cause us to suffer and then use that suffering to argue that God is weak and not worthy of our love and faith.