Why Did God Create Satan…Or Did He?

Have you ever created something?

It could’ve been a sculpture, a table, a painting, or another invention of some kind. How did you feel once it was completed? Maybe you were happy, proud even, to see your finished product. Now imagine that your creation, the thing you spent endless hours of work on, pouring all of your effort into, was then damaged, or destroyed by someone…on purpose. All of that hard work and dedication to make this beautiful creation…ruined. What kinds of feelings or thoughts would go through your mind?

In the Bible, we see that all of God’s creations that were originally made to be precious and good have become damaged, corrupted. This was all because of a deep betrayal. Who betrayed God and damaged His creation? Satan.

God, the Creator

From Genesis 1, we know that God created the heavens, the earth, and all things. Everything God creates is intended to be holy and good because He Himself is holy and good. He cannot and will not do anything evil because God Himself has no evil within Him, like it says in James 1:13. 

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.

So if God is holy and cannot do evil, then why does evil exist? Did God create evil? Well since we’ve already established that there is no evil within him, then evil must have come from something other than God. Evil exists because of another spirit at work: Satan, also referred to as the devil or as we see in Genesis, the serpent.

Well then, did God create Satan? Countless people have wondered and asked this question throughout time. So let’s look at who Satan is and where he came from.

Did God Create Satan?

Quick answer, no. What God did create was an angel named “Lucifer,” which means morning star. This morning star was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. He held the rank of archangel, a commander in God’s holy army, entrusted with great authority (Ezekiel 28:12, 14). But because of this authority, because other creations of God were obedient to him, Lucifer developed pride within himself. He began to covet the throne of the true Creator, God. 

“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!…You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God, I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly…I will make myself like the Most High.”

Isaiah 14:12-15

As greed grew within him, Lucifer chose to rise against God. He betrayed the trust and authority God had given him, and tried to take everything for his own. Consequently, this greed in the heart of Lucifer led him to betray God and take countless other angels with him in his quest to usurp God’s throne.

And so, he was thrown from heaven down to earth. Lucifer’s betrayal made him an enemy of God. That’s where the title Satan comes from: adversary. “Devil” means ‘opposer, obstructor, deceiver’. These names we call him today identify what he does. And who does he do it to? God and those who God loves the most: us. Ever since being thrown out of heaven, Satan’s goal has been to corrupt God’s people, to destroy God’s precious creation that Satan couldn’t become the ruler over.

So did God create Satan? No. He created a perfect being. That perfect being corrupted itself with pride and greed to be more than it was intended to be. 

Why Didn’t God Foresee Satan?

We usually think of God being all-knowing. He can see everything coming and can also anticipate and have an expectation of what His creations will do. But at the very beginning, why would God, who is holy and good, have expected His creations to be any different than Him? God has no evil within Him; therefore, He would not anticipate evil to take place.

We have to remember, we’ve been born into a sinful world. All we know is the corrupted form that Satan has twisted God’s creations into. But in the beginning, back before sin existed, why would God expect evil, pride, greed, or betrayal when none of those things exist within Him or in any of His creations at that time? 

If you were a parent, then you know and can imagine the love and dedication you would put into raising your child. You would give your all to make sure they are loved, safe, cared for, right? You would want the best for your child and would hope that they could grow into a good person.

As a parent, would you expect your child to become a murderer? Would you anticipate or wait for your child to one day turn their back on you, after giving them everything and loving them perfectly? Would you expect them to go off and try to destroy everything you love?

It’s the same for God. He deeply loves His creations and had no expectation for evil to come from this perfect and holy being He created. 

How Did God Feel?

How do you think God felt in that moment when wickedness was found within Lucifer? When his pride and greed led him to gather countless other of God’s creations…while watching them try to ascend to the throne? Has someone ever betrayed you before? When someone we love and trust, be it a family member, a close friend, or a significant other, betrays you, it cuts deeply.

Can you imagine the heartache God felt? In Ezekiel 28:12, God tells the prophet Ezekiel to take up a lament, as he prepares to talk about the betrayal of Lucifer. A lament is a passionate expression of grief and sorrow. Wailing. Groaning. Weeping. This is God’s heart towards the betrayal He suffered. How much more has His heart been broken since then as Satan has had his way with this world and the people that God created?

So, God Didn’t Create Satan. Why Is That Important for Us?

As Christians, we need to try to understand the Bible and the events in it from God’s perspective. After all, that’s why we call it God’s Word. God had created a world of light and life, but through deception, Satan has caused God’s people to disobey Him, and has corrputed God’s creation with sin and death.

When sin entered the world, it went from being God’s world to the devil’s (1 John 5:19). It’s evident if you just take a look around and really think about whose characteristics are reflected in what we see today. Is it holiness, righteousness, goodness, light, and life? Or is it greed, pride, deception, sin, and death?

Human history is full of the proud and their conquests, the arrogant, the greedy, the lustful, and all kinds of evil things. Unfortunately, many, if not all of these horrible things have also been done in the name of religion. How do you think God feels when He sees these things happening?

It Starts with Me

While it’s hard to change the whole world to become more like God and how He intended it, we can always start with ourselves. We should examine ourselves using the Bible as a mirror. I don’t know about you, but I often catch myself becoming a little prideful or greedy when good things happen in my life. It’s at those times when I need to step back and remember that God is the one who gives those good things, and I should be grateful and humble.

How about you? The next time you feel greed, or pride, or some other emotion that may get in the way between you and God, I hope you can take that step back and reflect. Do I look more like God’s original, intended creation? Or more like the creation that has become corrupt?

And once we take that step of reflecting, we can begin the work of changing ourselves. Focusing on God, and how He wants us to live – close to Him. Have you ever heard the saying, “You are who you hang out with”? Spend more time with God, become more like Him. And in doing that we can ensure that we don’t become another source of heartbreak for Him. Instead, we can be a source of His joy.

Written by Kenny

If you’d like to read more about what Satan has been able to do and what we should be doing, then check out these posts!

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Good and Bad Fruit in the Bible: Which One Are You Eating?

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