Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.

Job 2:1-13

On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

Why?

Satan from roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it to search anyone they can attack.

"Skin for skin" is Satan's way of saying that if Job were held to the prospect of losing his life then he would surely curse God. This is the second test to which God permits Satan to submit Job to, which is why God says to Satan that he may do anything to Job BUT take his life. 

A man can give up all properties and money, house or others, but could not bear to lose his life or health. So Satan asked the Lord to allow Satan to put disease upon Job, but have to keep Job's life.

Three friends of Job are good to visit Job, for they care about Job was suffering pain and difficulty. They sat with Job for seven days and no one said a word to him, because no one word could comfort Job.

How?

It is difficult to be a good servant of the Lord, it does not depend on our strength but on the Holy Spirit and love of the Lord.