The love the Apostle Paul had for the church in Thessalonica is described in considerable detail in 1 Thessalonians 2-3. It was a love so intense and genuine that Paul had a deep desire, an unwavering yearning to return to that city and see his converts once again face-to-face. “But Satan hindered us” (v. 18), says Paul. What? How did that happen? Why did God let it happen? And what are the lessons for us?

Paul doesn’t tell us how it happened. There are several possibilities. Perhaps Satan afflicted Paul with some disease that hindered him from making a trip to Thessalonica. Or it may be that Satan stirred up a military conflict that made it too dangerous for Paul to travel. Yet again, it may have been that Satan provoked opposition to Paul on the part of the political leaders in power at the time. Or it may have been that Satan stirred up such bad weather that it made it impossible for Paul to travel. Don’t forget that when God grants him permission, Satan can exert an influence on the weather, as we see in the experience of Job.

I think there must have been something in Paul’s condition or health or his relationship to the government that hindered him from making the trip. I say this because of what he says in 3:1-2. There he says that although he couldn’t make the trip, evidently Timothy could. One is compelled to ask, if Timothy could get there, why couldn’t Paul? This is what leads me to think that either Paul was thrown in prison temporarily or was sick or was compelled by circumstances that pertained solely to him.

Why did God let this happen? Honestly, we don’t know. We do know that God can use Satan as an instrument to accomplish his purposes. For all we know, God knew that if Paul had made the journey when he first planned that he would have encountered opposition from thieves and pirates along the way. So he let Satan think that by somehow hindering Paul he was undermining God’s ministry through the apostle. But he was simply a pawn in God’s providential purpose.

But perhaps the most important question of all is, why would Satan not want Paul to return to Thessalonica? I think the answer is found in Paul’s language in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 where we read of Paul’s eager desire to visit them once again. Satan knew the value of Christians being in close proximity to one another. Simply put, Satan hates when Christians spend time in each other’s presence. He knows the encouragement that they give each other, the way they affirm and exhort and instruct each other. He also knows that when Christians gather together and pray and worship his power is curtailed and his influence is undermined.

And maybe Satan’s effort to hinder Paul in making his way to Thessalonica was because of the connection between v. 18 and v. 19. Satan hindered us “because” or “for” he knew how precious you are to our hearts and how you are my hope and joy and crown of boasting. Satan hates it when Christians grow to feel this way about each other, and he did what he could to prevent Paul and the Thessalonians from enjoying and growing from this sort of loving fellowship.

One more point to be made here, which is a beautiful illustration of God’s providential purposes in all events. If Paul had returned to Thessalonica when he did, rather than remaining in Athens, we would very likely never have had this letter! In other words, the reason why Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica is because he was prevented from returning to them. If Satan had not hindered Paul there would have been no reason for him to write 1 Thessalonians! In a sense, we should probably give thanks to Satan for being responsible for us having these inspired words from the apostle. Well, no, we should give thanks to God who used Satan’s activity to provide Paul with grounds for writing this letter that we otherwise might not ever have seen.

Let’s consider one more example of God’s wise and overruling providence. Since Paul was forced to remain in Athens, he took advantage of this opportunity to visit the synagogues and share the gospel with the Jews who were present. He then was taken by the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers to the Areopagus where he preached one of his most famous sermons to the Athenians present there (see Acts 17:16-34). We are told that after his sermon “some men joined him and believed” (Acts 17:34). Pause for a moment and stand in awe of the providence of God! Had Satan not thwarted Paul’s plan to return to Thessalonica, countless individuals in Athens might never have heard the gospel and thus might never have been saved!

We should ponder how this so often happens in our own lives. Well-made plans, strategies, and desires are often interrupted by the enemy. And how do we respond? All too often we complain and gripe and argue with God as to why he let this happen. Instead, we should trust God’s providential control over all such events and look for the opportunities to serve him, and bless his people, and share the gospel with people we otherwise might never have even met.

I have to rejoice in knowing that while Satan thought he had pulled off a huge victory in preventing Paul from returning to Thessalonica, he was instead defeated by the providential turns in Paul’s life and ministry. People are even now in heaven and not in hell because of what God did with Satan’s scheme. God marvelously turned an evil act into an opportunity for gospel ministry and salvation!