Do the devil and demons always need God's permission to act, as in the Book of Job?
A viewer (Anthony) notes that in the Book of Job God gives the devil permission to torment Job, and asks whether the devil and demons always need God's approval to do what they want.
Answer
Yes, and this is very comforting for the Christian. Say you are struggling with a sin, like pornography, and the demons are around you enticing you. If you pray for help, God can send the angels to fight those demons, and the problem may go away. But if you succumb, God may show mercy if you repent and hold off, and if you do it again and again as a game, God will not send those angels anymore, and the demons will have their way with you and drive you deeper into the sin, and you may never come out. That is what it means that the demons can only do what God allows: it is a decision whether God sends the good angels to battle them and preserve the man or not. Whatever God decides results in the demons doing more or not doing more. This is real, not a fairy tale; it happens day after day between God and his people.