My Grace Is Sufficient: Paul's Thorn in the Flesh and Who Is Behind Our Suffering

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12 v 9

Last week I wrote about my favourite Bible verse, Romans 8 v 28, where God assures us, as we live in this broken world with all its heartache and suffering, that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. And the good that he works for us in every circumstance of life is to conform us to the likeness of Christ – to make us more like him.

What Role Does Satan Play in Our Suffering?

So, you may ask, what role does Satan play in our sufferings? Our experiences of pain, whether physical, emotional, mental, or any other kind, are not caused only by the fact that we live in a world that groans under the curse of the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. In fact, the biblical narrative of the rebellion of our first ancestors, which led to the fracturing of God’s very good creation, makes it clear that a malign influence was central to the plot – the serpent in the garden, identified later in the Bible as none other than Satan himself (Revelation 12). So, there is no doubt that the devil, as he is otherwise known, has a part to play in the suffering we experience in this fallen world. But what is the relationship between Satan’s involvement and God’s – how does this dynamic work?

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7–9)

Paul’s personal testimony in 2 Corinthians 12 v 7-9 is helpful and instructive as we ponder this question.

Earlier in the chapter Paul has been sharing about an extraordinary experience he had in which he found himself transported into the heavenly throne room of God. He wasn’t sure if it was a physical or purely spiritual experience, but while there he heard inexpressible things that he was not permitted to tell. He then says this:

“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

What Was the Thorn in Paul’s Flesh?

I think what we see here is a dual explanation for Paul’s sufferings. He describes his suffering as ‘a thorn in my flesh’. This could be a physical ailment – we know from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians that he had a condition that affected his eyes, perhaps going back to the blinding he received on the road to Damascus. We also know that Paul faced almost continuous opposition and persecution in his life and ministry – just read the list included in 2 Corinthians 11 to get a flavour of the challenges he experienced. So, maybe this was his thorn? Whatever it was, we can be sure it was serious and painful enough to cause Paul to plead with the Lord three times for its removal.

A Dual Explanation for Paul’s Suffering

So, who was the source of this thorn and what was its purpose? Here, I think, is where we see the dual explanation I mentioned above.

Satan’s Purpose: To Torment

One way to explain Paul’s thorn in his flesh is to attribute the blame to Satan. Pauls calls it a ‘messenger of Satan’. That seems pretty clear! Satan had sent an agent, a malign messenger, this thorn in his flesh. And Satan had a purpose in sending this messenger – ‘to torment me.’ Satan’s aim was to torment Paul, to make his life a misery, no doubt with the ultimate hope of destroying his faith, and therefore his life and ministry.

God’s Purpose: To Keep Paul Humble and Dependent

However, another way to explain Paul’s thorn is to attribute the responsibility to God. The phrase ‘I was given a thorn in my flesh’ implies that God was the giver. Hence Paul asks God to take it away – for he who gave can also remove what he has given. And what is implicit in that phrase becomes explicit when we see that God too has a purpose in Paul’s thorn – to keep Paul from becoming conceited on account of his extraordinary spiritual experiences, to keep him humble and dependant on God. So, God answers Paul’s plea, not by taking the thorn away, but by promising his grace which will be sufficient to see Paul through this and every trial. In fact, Paul’s weakness is a good thing, not in and of itself, but in the sense that it causes him to lean more heavily on God’s strength rather than his own. He therefore boasts and rejoices in his weakness!  

So, who was responsible for Paul’s suffering?

Satan? Yes indeed! Satan wanted to swallow Paul’s faith and render him ineffective in God’s service. So, he sends a messenger to torment him.

God? Yes indeed! God wanted to strengthen Paul’s faith and render him more effective in his service. So, a thorn is given to Paul, to stop him becoming conceited and to make him more reliant on God’s grace.

Romans 8:28 in Action: Satan Lost, God Won

Surely, this is a prime example of Romans 8 v 28 in action. God is working Paul’s suffering for his good. Though Satan is actively involved and has his own evil designs in Paul’s pain, God is greater and is also at work in the same pain for Paul’s good. And we know that God won the contest, as he always does, for Paul was able to write a few years later to his young apprentice Timothy, as Paul was preparing to die, that he had fought the good fight, he had finished the race, he had kept the faith (2 Timothy 4 v 7). Satan lost. God won!

What was true for Paul is true for us too.

So, let us take every opportunity, in every circumstance of life, to press closer into God for his grace and strength. Let us ensure that suffering does not push us away from God, but presses us closer to him, knowing the truth that ‘no power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck us from his hand, till he returns or calls us home – here in the power of Christ we stand!’

Blessings, Rev Rob