An interesting observation is that the more devoted to the Lord (devout) a person is, the more he or she will suffer in this world. They are not devout because they suffer; they suffer because they are devout (though their suffering will only serve to make them more devout). The more devout they are, the more they will suffer. That may seem like a non sequitur — an illogical follow-on. You may therefore ask: “Why on earth should devotion to God mean that you will suffer? Shouldn’t it bring joy and happiness?” Think about it carefully and you will understand.

There is one who is jealous of your devotion to anyone but him — who is filled with resentment towards you for it, because he wants your devotion all for himself. Do you know who it is that I am speaking of? I will give you two examples of this resentment from the Old Testament and four from the New Testament.

Think about Job. In Job 1:6-12, when the fallen angels and Satan presented themselves before God, the Lord said to Satan that there is no one on earth like Job, “a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil”. That was like waving a red rag in the face of a bull as Satan’s hackles rose with scoffing and resentment and he said that if God’s hand was to wreck everything Job had, then Job would curse God to His face. So God gave permission to Satan to do just that to Job. Now, not only does that show how Satan is just a tool of God to do His bidding, but it also shows how Job’s devotion to God makes Satan mad. This is why I say that devoutness towards God does not render us immune to suffering because it angers Satan who will then stir things up against us — though God is in control, knowing that persecution and suffering increase His disciples’ devotion. Bear in mind also that “God is faithful; He will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Then there is the example in Zechariah 3:1-3 of Joshua the high priest “standing before the angel of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him”. Why was Satan doing that? Pure resentment and hatred towards Joshua for his devout service to the Lord. Satan resents God’s people coming into the Lord’s presence to serve and glorify Him. Why? Because Satan is jealous of God’s supremacy, which the fallen angel wants for himself.

In Matthew 4:1-11, when Jesus underwent the big temptations from Satan in the wilderness, it was all about Satan wanting himself to be the object of worship rather than God (Matthew 4:9). Satan is jealous of God’s supremacy which the fallen angel covets for himself. When someone is devout towards God, Satan will do everything he can to wreck that devotion. This is why God’s people suffer, under the Lord’s permission, for He knows that more suffering only leads to more devotion.

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail”. Why do you think that Satan sought to do that? Because of the disciples’ faith. It drives him mad. The word “sift” there means to shake someone around in a sieve, so that it is (as Thayer’s Lexicon puts it), “by inward agitation to try one’s faith to the verge of overthrow”. But note that Satan had to ask permission. He is just a tool used by God. Remember that. Remember also who is incessantly on your side.

In Revelation 12:17, we see an overarching example of Satan’s anger towards God’s devout people, meaning that Satan “went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”. This is the way it is for those who are devout. This is why Peter warned us to be “sober and alert” for our “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The more devout one is, the more likely Satan will attempt to devour us. But our devotion protects us from being devoured, creates a shield around us — that is the beautiful irony of it all — though we can certainly be tested to a great degree, but always under protection and with divinely-appointed limits.

So, to come back to the questions: “Why on earth should devotion to God mean that you will suffer? Shouldn’t it bring joy and happiness?” The answer is that the devout person has immense joy and happiness within, despite any suffering. He or she does not expect to prosper outwardly in their lives in this corrupted world, but fully anticipates being buttressed by God against being buffeted by any satanic incursions in our lives, whether physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be our protectors at all time.

So please do not be downcast if you should suffer in any way in this world despite your devotion. Remember, the more devout you are, the more likely you are to suffer in all kinds of ways. But these are just testings while Satan and his cohorts are being used by the Lord to strengthen us. Bear in mind what Jesus said to Peter when He mentioned the devilish sifting: “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail” (Luke 22:32). He intercedes for us too. Keep all this in mind.

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© Copyright, Alan Morrison, 2026
[The copyright on my works is merely to protect them from any wanton plagiarism which could result in undesirable changes (as has actually happened!). Readers are free to reproduce my work, so long as it is in the same format and with the exact same content and its origin is acknowledged]

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