Who hacked our website?

In March someone attacked our website with malware. It shut us down for several months. What if Satan was behind it? What do you do when Satan attacks? Before we can answer that we have to know if he did it! 

There are many problems other than websites crashing that people think Satan may be behind.  Perhaps you have wondered if Satan:

• caused covid-19?
• made me or my loved-ones sick?
• is behind the problems with my boss and coworkers?
• made my children turn their backs on God?
• is behind my depression?
• made my car or refrigerator or computer break?
• is preventing me from finding a job?
• won't let me get a better place to live?

Some would say Satan caused our website problems. The focus of our ministry is to teach people how to recognize and resist satanic attacks on their minds. Fixing our site required many hours, hundreds of dollars, and interfered with our ministry. Can't we conclude Satan is to blame?

Satan Does Attack the Ministry

I agree there are times Satan disrupts ministries.

• In Acts 5:1-10 Satan attacked the church through Ananias and Sapphira. He put the idea of lying to the church in their hearts.
• In Acts 16:16-18 Satan attacked the ministry of the apostle Paul by harassing him through a girl who prophesied by demonic power.
• In 1 Thessalonians 2:18 the apostle Paul told the church at Thessalonica that he wanted to visit them, but Satan prevented him.

Is Satan behind all our problems, and if he is, shouldn't we resist him to ease those problems? Perhaps Satan caused our problem and yours, or perhaps not.

Paul's Hardships

Satan caused Paul problems but let's look at his life more carefully. We read above about two times Paul said Satan interfered in his work for God. Paul experienced a lot more than two problems in his ministry! Paul said,

²³I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. ²⁴Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. ²⁷I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. ²⁸Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? 2 Corinthians 11:23–29 NIV.

Paul's Response

How did the apostle Paul respond to these hardships? Did he bind Satan and cast him out? Did he rebuke Satan for every hardship in his life? No, he didn't. Here's his response:

³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:3–5 NIV

How could Paul rejoice in those terrible things that happened to him? We find the answer in something God said before Paul's ministry started.

Before he was a Christian, Paul persecuted the church. He had Christians thrown in prison and some died there for their faith. When he became a Christian, God set him aside for the ministry of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. At the beginning of his ministry, God said this about Paul,

¹⁶I will show him how much he must suffer for my name Acts 9:16 NIV.

Paul rejoiced in all his sufferings because they happened for the cause of Christ. Every one of Paul's sufferings resulted in good.

Did the hacking of our website result in good? Yes! Has this post helped you? It has been a difficult and frustrating and expensive problem, but I rejoice in it because I'm certain it is for the glory of God and I learned a lot about malware, websites and other fun geeky stuff!

Would God Hack Our Site?

The question is who hacked the website? Was it Satan or God? How could I possibly ask if God hacked the website? Remember the story of Job, how Satan attacked him? At the end of the book of Job we read this,

¹⁰After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. ¹¹All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. Job 42:10–11 NIV

Even though Satan attacked, the Lord took responsibility. The attacks were under his control.

Can you look at your problems and hardship and rejoice because they are in God's control and are bringing you closer to God? Or are you blaming Satan, wishing that you never suffered from problems, and as a result missing God's blessings?

Does "What to do when Satan attacks?" apply to our problem?

I'd like to hear from you. What is your "Who?" or "Why?" question? I've heard people say after a hardship, "I'm glad I went through it." Can you rejoice in a past hardship? If so, please tell me about. And if you have a question relating to this, please post it or if it is personal, you can email me by replying to this post.