Why Didn’t God Destroy the Devil When He Sinned?
Some wonder why didn’t God destroy the devil when he sinned, and thus ended the sin problem and relieved us from pain and suffering? The one word answer lies in the freedom of choice. The Lord created angels and humans with the freedom to choose good or evil (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Lucifer and his angels chose to rebel against the Creator (Revelation 12:4). If the Lord had destroyed Lucifer immediately, some angels might have worshiped the Lord through fear. But that was not the Creator’s wish. The only devotion to the Lord would accept is a voluntary worship motivated by love (John 14:15). Obedience for any other reason is not accepted. Satan claimed that he had better plans for the Lord’s creatures.
The Principles of Evil Demonstrated in Earth
The Lord allowed the devil to live to reveal his principles (1 Corinthians 4:9). Unfortunately, humans chose to believe the devil (Genesis 3:6) and thus allowed him to demonstrate his rule in our world. And the result is the suffering and destruction we see around in our world today. The Lord could not cancel His creatures’ evil choices. And, we cannot blame the Almighty for our suffering which is the direct result of our sin.
By his rebellion, the devil brought the death sentence upon himself and upon the angels who joined him in his revolt (2 Peter 2:4). And when he led our first parents into sin, he brought destruction upon them and upon their seed (Romans 5:12). Thus, the devil’s principles are to kill and destroy. He “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
The Plan of Salvation
But the Lord, in His infinite mercy, took upon Himself the burden of saving us from our sin and its penalty. Jesus the innocent died so we can be set free from the devil. The Heavenly Father “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). All those that accept the divine plan and receive His gift of salvation through Jesus will be saved eternally (John 1:12).
So, the only One that truly suffered is the Lord Himself. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The Creator’s love for sinners led Him to give all that He had for their salvation (Romans 5:8). It is the essence of love to sacrifice self for others; selfishness is the antithesis of love.
The Lord does not afflict His children with suffering (James 1:13). Man has brought this condition of affairs upon himself by his disobedience (Genesis 1:27, 31; 3:15–19; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 6:23). Since this is the case, the Almighty uses these trials to purify our human character (1 Peter 4:12, 13). And the Lord “works all things together for good” for those the love Him (Romans 8:28).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
