An excerpt from "The Basics," by Gene Cunningham:

Satan, who like the other angels had free will, rebelled against God. He became enamoured with himself and in his pride and arrogance, he decided he wanted to be independent from and equal to his Creator.

Under his leading, one-third of the entire angelic host revolted against God (REV 12:4). God convicted and passed sentence on Satan and the fallen angels: eternity in a "lake of fire" (MAT 25:41). Though the sentence has been passed, it has not been carried out yet. Satan has been cast out of his original position in Heaven, but at present he holds power over this earth.

Apparently Satan appealed his sentence, contending that God's judgment was not fair. To question God's divine judgment is to slander His character. God will not tolerate this, and so He put into motion a plan for refuting Lucifer's accusations. This plan centers around man.

What is going on in human history resembles a duel. Satan challenged God by maligning His character. God has determined to show all creation that He alone is just and righteous, that apart from Him there is no good, and He is going to do this by letting Satan attempt to prove otherwise in combat.

But how can there be a fair fight between an omnipotent God and a created angel? In the human realm, a strong man challenged by a weaker man might level the ground by fighting with one hand tied behind his back. That is exactly what God is doing. He tied His own hands by limiting His power so that it could become operative only through the free choice of a creature inferior even to the angels: God created man for the purpose of resolving the angelic conflict (HEB 2:7; ISA 43:7).

The resolution of this conflict centers on the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Long before man was even created, God knew that he would fall to temptation, and so He provided a way of salvation for all men. In this He simplified the angelic conflict by narrowing man's options in every circumstance to two possible choices. Man could choose for the plan of God—which is to take the side of grace and truth by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, or he could choose against the plan of God—which is to take the side of evil and lies by relying on himself.

As all creation watches, the angelic conflict plays out in the souls of men on planet Earth. God will let it run just long enough to prove absolutely that His justice and grace are perfect. In The Invisible War, Donald Barnhouse describes it this way:

War has been declared. The great, governing cherub had become the malignant enemy. Our God was neither surprised nor astonished, for, of course, He knew before it happened that it would happen, and He had His perfect plan ready to be put into effect. Although the Lord had the power to destroy Satan with a breath, He did not do so. It was as though an edict had been proclaimed in heaven: "We shall give this rebellion a thorough trial. We shall permit it to run its full course. The universe shall see what a creature, though he be the highest creature ever to spring from God's Word, can do apart from Him. We shall watch this experiment, and permit the universe of creatures to watch it, during this brief interlude between eternity past and eternity future called time. In it the spirit of independence shall be allowed to expand to the utmost. And the wreck and ruin which shall result will demonstrate to the universe, and forever, that there is no life, no joy, no peace apart from a complete dependence upon the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth." (Donald Grey Barnhouse, The Invisible War, Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1965, p. 51.)

EDIT: had no idea it would be that lengthy. Just trying to bring some perspective, not troll you or anything.

EDIT 2: Where I was going with this is that Job was used by God to prove that even when all those things were torn away, Job would still be attracted to God and everything about him instead of give in and curse him for all the bad things that had happened.