Why Should Satan Exist?
Question: Why would God, knowing all the evil that would follow, create a being that would become Satan? What could be the purpose of Satan’s existence? The biblical devil, in fact, is presented as so powerful that he seems to be God’s equal. If not, why has it taken God so long to conquer him?
Answer:
The biblical devil, in fact, is presented as so powerful that he seems to be God’s equal. If not, why has it taken God so long to conquer him?
God has the sovereignty. Consider Job 1 & 2 where satan cannot do anything without God’s permission. Consider Revelation 20:1-10 where satan is arrested and thrown into the Bottomless Pit for 1,000 years, then he is thrown into the Lake of Fire. He is no equal to the creator.
What could be the purpose of Satan’s existence?
Answer:
God’s purpose for satan is to show us what evil is, disbelief is, rebellion is, the actions of an evil being in worldview, lifestyle, leadership, and rules. He is used to test humans to see if the humans will be faithful to God. He is used to show us where these evil beings will spend eternity.
Why would God, knowing all the evil that would follow, create a being that would become Satan?
Answer: God wanted spirit and flesh beings for fellowship and to be servants—loyal and true to the creator. He wanted them to believe, trust, and love Him through love for Him. Love is a choice. So, they needed to have curiosity and the ability to do the opposite of what God commands—IF it is a conditional command. The difference is seen in Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Conditional: God told Adam that he could eat of any fruit in the garden except for one—the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If he ate, then he would die. If he did not eat, then he would live. Would Adam obey and be faithful or disobey and be unfaithful?
Unconditional: If you eat, you will die. There is no choice in this statement.
Disobedience did NOT have to happen. Satan could have obeyed; he did not. Adam could have obeyed; he did not. Obedience brings blessings; disobedience brings curses. Satan did not have to do all those horrible things to Job and his family. God gave him permission, but God did not decree the evil. Satan chose to do evil.
So today if we are faithful and true, there are blessings even in the midst of afflictions. Jesus, Himself, suffered terribly, but He was faithful. It also shows us that we need God’s assisting grace to resist. God has given the armor we need (Ephesians 6:10-18). God will never abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). In eternity, those who place their faith in Jesus alone for forgiveness of sins, salvation from God’s wrath, and reconciliation to God will serve Him in joy eternally.
Berean Call:
We can illustrate the point like this. Suppose a king wants to marry the most beautiful woman in his realm. In order to be certain of winning her heart, he expels from his kingdom all men who might be his rivals for her affection. Obviously, that is not the way to be assured of her sincere love; she must have the freedom to choose someone else. Only when she has that freedom and, having rejected all others, consents to marry the king, can he be assured that he has indeed captured her heart.
For the same reason, God has not locked Satan away but allows him to continue to entice mankind with his false promises. As the most powerful and brilliant being next to God, Satan provides the ultimate alternative. The battle between God and Satan for the soul of man is very real. It would hardly be any credit to the world’s heavyweight boxing champion to defeat a four-year-old in the ring; the opponent must be worthy. Satan is the strongest opponent, God’s ultimate competition in the battle for the hearts and minds of mankind.