Satan: Why does God allow him to exist?
If God is good and omnipotent, why does He allow such a creature as Satan to exist? This is a question people sometimes wonder about. As with so many things, the Bible does provide us with the correct answers to so many questions, including this one.
We find that originally Satan was created of God as a perfect angelic being.
Ezekiel 28:15
15 Thou [Lucifer (or Satan)] wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. [Emphasis added]
Note several things about this verse. At his beginning Satan was without sin. Then note also that he was created by God. This tells us there was a point in time when he had a beginning. Furthermore, there later came a time when “iniquity” was found in him. We even have a passage that speaks of his fall into sin. Here we will see that Satan freely chose to rebel against God, his Maker. Just like man would be given later, he was given the freedom to sin if he chose to do so.
Isaiah 14:12-15
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [one of Satan’s names, meaning light-bearer], son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
In this next passage, we have the five “I wills” of Satan that were a part of his fall.
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Then we even see a prophetic statement about his coming doom.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. [Emphasis added]
We even have a reference to Satan’s fall in Paul’s writings.
I Timothy 3:6
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. [Emphasis added]
The prophet Ezekiel gives us a fuller description of this event.
Ezekiel 28:17-19
17 Thine [speaking of Satan] heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Clearly, he’s not at all the ugly creature he’s been made out to be. Furthermore, Satan’s ultimate doom is clearly mentioned in this passage, so we know his end.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. [Emphasis added]
Satan’s fall into sin was long ago. But Satan’s fall of being cast out of Heaven and to the Earth with no further access to it, is yet future. It occurs after our resurrection [the Rapture] and in the time of the coming seven-year period called the Tribulation.
Revelation 12:9-10,13
9 And the great dragon was cast out [it is so certain to occur that it is stated as a past event], that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman [speaking of Israel] which brought forth the man child [Jesus Christ]. [Emphasis added]
Luke also records Satan’s fall.
Luke 10:18
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. [Emphasis added]
From all this and more we know that God did not destroy Satan after his fall into sin. He doesn’t even destroy him when he’s cast out of Heaven and to the Earth. God allows him to continue in his work to deceive mankind with all his lies. It becomes apparent that Satan’s goal is to rob God of His glory by leading man to ignore his Creator. His goal is to cause man to focus on the things of God’s creation, rather than the Creator Himself.
Romans 1:25
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. [Emphasis added]
By allowing Satan to carry on, God gives both Satan and man the freedom to exercise their volition freely. This takes us back to our initial question. Why does God permit all this? Answer: Because without free will neither Satan nor man have the capacity to love. Robots don’t express love. One fundamental reason is that they don’t have free will. Ever since Satan’s fall and the time of man being in the Garden of Eden, God has used various means to test man’s volition, his will to choose as he pleases.
Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. [Emphasis added]
Of course, we know man failed this test. He chose to rebel against the authority of his Creator. It was in this way that sin entered the world of mankind.
Romans 5:12
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: [Emphasis added]
Ever since this time man has been fundamentally anti-God. Notice Christ’s stern words to a group of “religious” people in Israel who were functioning as God’s enemies.
John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. [Emphasis added]
All people reach a point of God consciousness. It is in that context that man chooses to seek out God or to turn his back on Him. If he dies in a state of rejection, having never accepted God’s provision for his salvation, he will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
Romans 1:18-22
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [Emphasis added]
The final judgment of all these people has been clearly stated in the Bible.
Revelation 20:11-15
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead [unbelievers], small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works [their sins already having been judged at the cross of Christ].
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works [their works being unacceptable to God].
This is speaking of the resurrection of unbelievers from all times [John 5:28-29].
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. [Emphasis added]
Neither unbelieving man nor angels will escape God’s judgment. Man’s only hope rests in the provision God has made for his salvation. Until physical death anyone can be saved from God’s wrath. All it takes is believing in what He has provided. That is all!
I Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel [the good news] which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [Emphasis added]
A full explanation of what happened on this occasion has been provided.
II Corinthians 5:18-21
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]
Believing this wonderful message guarantees you a place in Heaven. Why not believe it today and be saved forever from God’s wrath?
