In my two most recent posts I have looked at the reality and origin of the being the Bible identifies as Satan or the devil. He is revealed to be an angel, created by God, who led innumerable other angels in rebellion against God’s purpose for and rule over their existence. The Bible reveals that in response to this rebellion, God cast the devil, along with an unknown number of these insubordinate angels, down from their place with God in Heaven, to the Earth, wherein his evil influence and power in this world is such that the Bible refers to him as “the god of this world”, “the prince of the power of the air”, the one who has deceived the whole world. Jesus referred to him as the prince or ruler of this world – revealing the significant influence he wields over the hearts and minds of the rebellious race of mankind and over the multitude of demons he controls in this world that are bent on bringing ruin to God’s glorious creation and frustrating His good purposes in His creation (John 14:30).
There are two extremely haunting questions that accompany this reality. The first question is how this malevolent “creature” obtained such power, influence and authority over mankind – men and women created in the image and likeness of God, for a life of intimate relationship with God (John 17:3).
The second and even more perplexing question is why would God allow this? Why would the eternal, infinitely glorious, infinitely wise, infinitely powerful and infinitely good Creator of all things, who sovereignly rules over and superintends the entire created realm, allow this evil being and his cohorts not only to exist, but exist with the ability and apparent freedom to oppose God’s purposes and adversely impact all of His good creation (Daniel 4:34-35) (Psalm 135:5-6)?
Now to try to answer the second question in this brief post would seem foolhardy, arrogant and presumptuous. The problem of evil and the devil’s role in it has occupied some of the greatest theological minds in history, who have written volumes on the subject. To even attempt to address this question would require the “mind of Christ”.
Fortunately, that is exactly what the Bible says we as Christians have, both in the scriptures and in the indwelling Holy Spirit, who enables us to understand and apply what God has revealed in scripture (1 Corinthians 2:9-16) (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Admittedly, whenever we attempt to find answers to the why question’s regarding our infinitely wise God’s actions and activities, we are treading on holy ground (Exodus 3:5). However, the Bible was given so that we can know that which God has chosen to reveal regarding His person, purposes and motivations so that we may live holy lives, lives that please and honor and glorify the God who created us to know and love and be loved by Him (Deuteronomy 29:29). And the Bible makes it very clear that we are responsible for doing so (2 Timothy 2:15).
So, I offer a few thoughts on the answer to this why question from my study of scripture, aided by two of God’s most trusted pastor/teachers, Jonathan Edwards and Dr. John McArthur, who along with our own pastors are gifts to the church to help us in our understanding of the things of God. (Ephesians 4:11-15).
Thought # 1: Because God is an infinitely wise and infinitely good eternal being, He has an infinitely wise and infinitely good eternal purpose for the existence of the devil and his demons. (Mark 10:18) (Isaiah 28:29) (Isaiah 57:15)
Thought # 2: Because God is sovereign over all of His creation, in absolute control over all that occurs within His creation, Satan and His demons do not operate apart from the boundaries and limitations placed on them by God in fulfilling His purpose(s) (Job 1:9-12).
Thought # 3: Because scripture reveals that all our infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, unimpeachably good God does, has done and will do, now and throughout eternity, is for His glory (Isaiah 48:9-11) (Isaiah 46:8-10) (Romans 11:33-36) – that the infinite perfections of His being would be known, proclaimed, displayed, valued, praised, rejoiced in and delighted in by those He created in His image for His glory (Isaiah 43:7) – then the purpose for the existence of the devil and his introduction of evil into God’s good creation must be to that end. This was the conclusion of both Edwards and McArthur.
Both McArthur and Edwards, as well as other theologians, note that God wisely allows the devil to introduce evil into His world so that aspects of God’s infinitely glorious nature and character, that mankind would not know apart from Him doing so, could be displayed, seen, valued and rejoiced in for all eternity by both men and angels. This would include glorious displays of His righteousness, justice, wrath and power in judging, condemning, punishing and ultimately destroying evil and removing the perpetrators of it forever (Revelation 20:10-15), as well as glorious displays of His amazing grace and abundant mercy, of His patience and compassion, wisdom and power in redeeming, rescuing and restoring to spiritual life many who had succumbed to this evil and its consequences, through the person and work of God the Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-7).
In my next post, I will be looking more at the why question from the perspective of Jonathan Edwards, who sees the ultimate purpose for God allowing such a being as the devil and his evil machinations into His world as being to magnify the glory of His grace.
Grace and Peace ×