The Encourager
“Every Man Has His Price - by Jeff Curtis”
Every Man Has His Price
By Jeff Curtis
In Job chapter 1 we read that delivered a terrible blow to the man Job, then Satan returned to tempt him. After Jesus was tempted by Satan in Luke 4, we read, that the devil “left Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). There is no doubt Jesus was tempted by the evil one throughout His ministry, which culminated in His passion. We can only imagine the intensity of such temptations as Jesus resolved to do the Father’s will while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, while being tried before Pilate, and while suffering on the cross on Golgotha.
Satan assumed that Job would sacrifice all that he possessed (children, servants, flocks, and herds) in order to spare his own life (Job 2:4). In other words, Satan was accusing Job of being self-centered and self-preserving. It is sometimes said today that “every man has his price.” The idea is that a person will compromise his integrity if the rewards are great enough. However, such gains are only temporary and soon fade away. Jesus reframed the issue by asking these questions; “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). As Christians, we must make ethical choices based upon what pleases God, rather than what seems “profitable” from a worldly point of view. Like Jesus, we must be willing to sacrifice (even our lives) for the truth.
Satan continues to attack us today, seeking “an opportune time.” He attacks when we are weak and vulnerable. That is why we are encouraged to “be on alert” (1Peter 5:8). James wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The Christian life is a spiritual battle in which continual vigilance and the proper battle gear are essential to success (Ephesians 6:10-20).
