The Cause of Evil
Satan is the cause of all the evil in this world. Before sin, Satan was called Lucifer. He was created by God (Ezekiel 28:13, 15) as were all the other angels. Lucifer was a highly exalted angelic being. And he was a free moral being, who can choose to love God or reject Him. His beauty was perfect and his wisdom was flawless. The Bible describes him: “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…Every precious stone was your covering” (Ezekiel 28:12,13). His brightness was awe-inspiring. The prophet adds, “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created till iniquity was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:15).
But pride, jealousy, and self-exaltation arose in Lucifer’s heart. And he decided to attempt to unseat God and then demand that all worship him. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor” (Ezekiel 28:17). “For you have said in your heart…I will exalt my throne above the stars of God …I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13, 14). Lucifer was created perfect and had every chance to repent, but he rejected all of God’s calls of mercy. He was not deceived, he simply chose to exalt himself against God his Creator and allowed evil to take hold of his heart.
As a result, “war broke out in heaven: Michael (Jesus) and his angels fought with the dragon (Satan); and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).
God had no choice but to oust Lucifer and his followers. After his expulsion from heaven, Lucifer was called Satan (adversary) and devil (slanderer), and his angels were called demons (Revelations 20:2). At the creation of humanity, Satan deceived them through his lies and led them to disobey God. And thus, evil entered our earth and our planet was doomed to eternal death (Genesis 3).
But God in His infinite mercy, planned a way of redemption for mankind because they were deceived by the devil. God offered to send His innocent Son to bear the penalty of man’s sin in His body through death. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Every person that accepts Christ’s death on his behalf by faith and obey the Lord will be saved eternally but those that reject His sacrificial death will have to die for their own sins the second death (John 1:12).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
