Ep.1266: Why Doesn’t God Just Destroy Satan?
Satan’s history and God’s righteous reasons for keeping him alive
CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
There are some questions that are just plain difficult. One of those questions that many believers in God may wrestle with has to do with God seemingly allowing Satan to run the show. Let’s face it, evil stinks and we just want it to go away. Yet, God has continued to let Satan's influence dominate our world for thousands of years! Most Christians believe God is absolutely capable of destroying Satan but begins to fall short when asked why it has not yet happened. Answers touch on God creating all of His spiritual and earthly intelligent beings with free choice, and this is a great start. The key factor in all of this is seeing HOW God gives each being a free choice and the ability to have fair and just choices.
Unbelievers incapable of seeing the gospel
In 2 Corinthians chapter 4 the Apostle Paul is talking about unbelievers. He describes them as incapable of seeing the gospel. Why are they incapable? In verse 4 he says they have been blinded by Satan, the "god of this world." He is not saying they blinded themselves, or purposefully ignored the gospel. He is clear that they can’t see it because Satan has made it so. When Jesus spoke the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, he made a similar claim. He interpreted the birds eating the seed by the roadside as Satan taking the gospel message before it could be appreciated.
Is Satan in control?
Seeing both Jesus and the Apostle Paul making such plain statements about Satan’s ability to control the gospel’s reach can raise questions. Who is really in charge here? Why hasn’t God stopped - or at least diminished - Satan’s reach, especially regarding the gospel? The answers are simple. God IS in charge. Period. He hasn’t thwarted Satan’s influence because it is not yet time for that part of His Plan. While these are simple answers, they certainly need detailed reasoning and scriptural support to reveal their logic and harmony.
Let’s begin to open the door to those important details. Consider that God’s continued allowance for Satan to keep on living is an integral part of His Plan to benefit ALL of His created beings. Satan’s rebellion actually serves God’s plan in two ways:
- Satan’s continued existence and influence serve as an undeniable and unavoidable example of what rebellion against God’s righteousness unfolds.
- Satan’s continued existence and influence serve as the basis for testing each and every one of God’s created beings. Every intelligent created being will ultimately choose to stay loyal to God’s righteousness OR ultimately choose to follow the darkness of Satan.
Check out our January 30, 2023 podcast, “Why Doesn’t God Just Destroy Satan?” for more. We provide strong scriptural reasoning to support these two reasons for Satan’s continued existence. We do this by tracing how Satan initially got the power he now abuses. Next, we trace how this power grab exactly fits into God’s eternal purposes and what its end result will be. Join us for an eye-opening journey that helps us see the wisdom, power and love of God!
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