This is a common question that many have when reading the Bible or thinking about the Christian faith. If God is truly all-powerful, then why doesn’t He just destroy Satan and eliminate evil once and for all?
To properly address this, we first need to understand a few key truths about God and Satan from the Bible:
- God is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and sovereign over all things (Psalm 90:2, Revelation 19:6, Hebrews 4:13, Daniel 4:35). Nothing happens without His permission or outside of His ultimate plan.
- Satan is a created being, originally an angel named Lucifer, who rebelled against God and led other angels to follow him (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:11-19). He is a deceiver and the father of lies (John 8:44).
- Satan has limited power that has been permitted to him for a time by God, but he is not equal to or greater than God in any way (Job 1:12, 2:6, 1 John 4:4).
With these truths established, we can better understand why God has not yet destroyed Satan and evil.
God’s Perfect Timing
First, God operates according to His perfect timing and His ultimate plan (Ecclesiastes 3:1, Isaiah 46:10). For reasons that God has not fully revealed to us, He is allowing Satan to operate for a set period of time. God has appointed a day of final judgment for Satan, but He is patiently waiting for the right time (Revelation 20:10, 2 Peter 3:9). We can trust God’s timing, even when we don’t fully understand it.
God Values Free Will
Second, God created angels and humans with free will, able to choose whether to follow Him or not. Satan and the demons exercised their free will to rebel against God. Humans also have that choice. God desires heartfelt allegiance from His creatures, not forced obedience (Joshua 24:15, 2 Corinthians 3:17). Destroying Satan would override free will. So God is patiently allowing time for people to willingly choose Him over the deception of Satan.
God Can Use Evil for Good
Third, God in His sovereignty can use even the existence of Satan and evil to ultimately achieve His purposes. For example, by redeeming people out of Satan’s kingdom, God displays His grace and mercy. The existence of evil also shows us our need for God. Also, true faith is proved genuine when it remains strong despite Satan’s attacks. So God uses Satan’s very existence to display His glory (Genesis 50:20, Romans 5:20-21, James 1:2-4).
Victory Over Evil Through Christ
Fourth, God enacted His ultimate plan to defeat Satan and evil through sending Jesus Christ into the world. On the cross, Jesus paid the full penalty for sin and the power of death, although He was without sin. He offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent and believe in Him, rescuing people from Satan’s power (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14-15). One day Christ will return and completely destroy all evil, bind Satan, and fully establish His righteous kingdom forever – but God is delaying until all who will repent have the chance to do so (2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 20:7-10).
God’s Justice Will Prevail
Lastly, since God is perfectly just, He will ensure that in the end, evil will be fully judged and punished, and righteousness will prevail. Although God is patient now, the Bible warns that one day God’s patience will end – He will remove all evil from His presence and creation forever. Satan and the fallen angels will be cast into the lake of fire for eternal punishment, along with those who reject Christ (Revelation 20:10, 14-15). God will create a new heaven and new earth with no evil, pain or suffering (Revelation 21-22). We can trust in God’s righteous and just purposes even amid temporary evil.
In summary, God has good and just reasons for not yet destroying Satan and eliminating all evil from the world. As Christians, we can trust God’s sovereignty, timing, value of free will, ability to use everything for His glory, His plan to defeat evil through Christ, and His promise to ultimately bring perfect justice. God loves righteousness and justice (Psalm 33:5). All things will be made right according to His perfect will and timing.
Other key Bible verses about this topic:
1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 John 3:8 – The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 6:11-12 – Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Jude 1:9 – But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Revelation 12:9 – And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Hebrews 2:14 – Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.
1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Luke 10:18 – And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
