“Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:7‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

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What kind of suffering is from God compared to what kind of suffering is from the Devil?

Suffering from God is intended to draw you closer to Him! And suffering from the hands of the Devil is intended to push you away from God! 

But how can we know the difference between the initiator of the suffering at the beginning of our suffering? 

I want to say there is no difference. It is the outcome that will determine the initiator. All the power the devil has against us in only granted to him by God. He cannot attack us more than God will allow. God’s suffering is discipline to remove something from our life that He does not want there. And the suffering from the Devil is an attack to get us to stop worshiping and serving God. Most of the time our sufferings are from God. And the attacks are from the Devil. 

So even if we are suffering at the hands of men it is from God to strengthen us to endure to the end. Our suffering from the devil is granted to him so that we may lean harder on God. And our sufferings from God is Him disciplining us so that we may walk closer to His holiness.

When we give the devil more credit than he deserves he has more power over us and when we give God all the credit we obtain all that He has in store for us. 

“So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes. 
His wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die! ” 
“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity? ” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.”
Job‬ ‭2:7-10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
https://www.bible.com/72/job.2.7-10.hcsb 

“A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. 
No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:12-13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
https://www.bible.com/72/jas.1.12-13.hcsb



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