Isn't it better for God if there is no Devil?

Question

Yesterday I had a thought. Keep in mind the fact that I'm an Atheist, so you might want to take my opinion with a grain of salt.

I was thinking about Satan (no jokes please) and I thought, "Isn't it better for God if Satan is only an illusion designed to control us [humans] while we're on Earth?"

You see, it seems that if God were omnipotent, he wouldn't let any being grow as powerful as Satan. However, the idea of Satan (punisher of all those who sin on Earth) would seem very appealing to Him. Ergo, it seems smarter to me if there is no Satan, and God punished sinners accordingly.

I told a friend this today in lunch (I'm a senior in HS) and he said that my thought was flawed because God gives us free will. However, I have two thoughts on free will; One: If God created free will, and He is truly omnipotent, then isn't free will an illusion? And, two: I can't fly just because I will it. Why would God give Angels the ability to become Devils?

Serious answers only please.

Answer 1

First of all, God created the Satan in the first place and controls him at all times. The word Satan means "The Adversary" in ancient hebrew. Satan is not the punisher of anyone as you say, only God can do that. I'm not sure where you got your info from, maybe from TV. I suggest you first reflect on Gods infinite power and how he wills the universe into existence at every infitesminal moment. After you've mastered that, then you can explore the reasons why God created the Satan.

Free will: This is how it works: Imagine our entire world is a big stage and we are all actors. In this case, God would be the choreographer. That means that he places the actors on the stage where they belong. However, he doesn't write the dialog. That's up to the actors. That is free will.

Nothing happens by chance. When you meet someone on the street, it happens because God decided to put you there at the same time. However, God doesn't write the dialog. You have the power to say or do something nice to the other person or the opposite. That is your free will, and you are judged by the choices you make.

If someone comes up to you and insults you, you should not get angry at that person. You should really be happy because in fact it is an attonement for some bad thing that you did in the past. To get angry at another person is a grave, grave sin because God decided that you deserved to have someone do something bad to you as "payback" for some bad thing you may have done in the past. If you get angry then that means that you are rejecting the fact that God controls the universe.

Now, you say, God decided that I deserved "payback" for some past misdeed so he sent someone to deliver the punishment. Now, you might say that the "messenger" has no free will because God sent him on this mission. But the truth is that the "messenger" really does have free will. It works like this:

God works through many messengers. What that means is that if God decides that you deserve "payback", he will arrange the "actors" on the stage. He arrange for you to cross paths with person "A". When you meet person "A", he will excercise his powers of free will, and he will either insult you, or he won't. If he decides to insult you, he has delivered the "payback" that God wanted you to have and that is the end of the matter. However, if person "A" chooses not to insult you, then God waits for another day and arranges you to cross paths with person "B". And this goes on and on until one of these "actors" exercises their power of free will and insults you, therefore delivering the payback that God wants you to have.

Don't do bad things to others, Do what God asks of you in terms of leading a moral life according to His definition, and then you won't ever get "payback".

Remember to never get angry. Whether you are stuck in a traffic jam, you just miss the bus by 30 seconds, someone insults you, you get stuck in an elevator - Just remember that God makes everything happen for a reason. If you get angry, that means that you are denying that God controls the universe, and that is not a good thing.

Finally, you say "How can a person have free will if God can see all future outcomes and knows what my choice is going to be". Since God is all powerful, shouldn't he know what I am going to choose, and then my choice isn't really a free-choice because he knew what I'm going to choose all along.

Two things: First of all, consider this: God doesn't live in 3 dimenstions like us. God is not bound by time. For God, there is no past, present and future. God created time in the first place, Time is a creation that exists only in our physical world.

Secondly, let's say that this morning, you saw two friends fighting, friend "A" hits friends "B'. In the afternoon, you observe "A" and "B" again and you know that there are a few possible outcomes: "B" will hit A", "A" will hit "B", Indeed, God knows what the outcome will be. But let me ask something: Because someone is observing, does that affect the outcome?

Hope some of this is helpful to you.

Answer 2

First of all you have to understand that Satan was the one that challenged God's right to rule or Universal Sovereignty.

If he would have, for instance, destroyed Adam and Even and Satan right after Satan got them to rebel then there would ALWAYS be the question "Can Humans Really Rule Themselves Successfully Without God?"

The other righteous Angels would always wonder that unless the challenge was answered once for all time. We are in that period of time now, whether you are an Atheist or not....it doesn't matter. WE are all accountable for our actions...period.

Let me borrow some paragraphs that are very insightful regarding this very topic:
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Let us consider an illustration. Imagine that a teacher is telling his students how to solve a difficult problem. A clever but rebellious student claims that the teacher’s way of solving the problem is wrong. Implying that the teacher is not capable, this rebel insists that he knows a much better way to solve the problem. Some students think that he is right, and they also become rebellious. What should the teacher do? If he throws the rebels out of the class, what will be the effect on the other students? Will they not believe that their fellow student and those who joined him are right? All the other students in the class might lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong. But suppose that the teacher allows the rebel to show the class how he would solve the problem.

13 Jehovah has done something similar to what the teacher does. Remember that the rebels in Eden were not the only ones involved. Millions of angels were watching. (Job 38:7; Daniel 7:10) How Jehovah handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels and eventually all intelligent creation. So, what has Jehovah done? He has allowed Satan to show how he would rule mankind. God has also allowed humans to govern themselves under Satan’s guidance.

14 The teacher in our illustration knows that the rebel and the students on his side are wrong. But he also knows that allowing them the opportunity to try to prove their point will benefit the whole class. When the rebels fail, all honest students will see that the teacher is the only one qualified to lead the class. They will understand why the teacher thereafter removes any rebels from the class. Similarly, Jehovah knows that all honesthearted humans and angels will benefit from seeing that Satan and his fellow rebels have failed and that humans cannot govern themselves. Like Jeremiah of old, they will learn this vital truth: “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”—Jeremiah 10:23.
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I hope that does make some sense to you. Regarding your other question as to "why would God give Angels the ability to become Devils?"

This also is an excersize in free will. He made a decision and he will suffer the consequences of his very bad decision. Satan sought something that did not belong to him. It was the Worship that was rightfully Almighty Gods. That issue will be settled once and for all time. The issue of Universal Sovereignty will be settled forever and will be a legal precedent just as in a court of law.

Answer 3

Well assuming the Christian God exists, the Devil could exist and be all part of God's plan. God clearly created Satan, and since God is All-Knowing, God knew Satan would rebel. God knew Satan would rebel before God even created Satan.

Therefore, we must conclude that God wants Satan to be this way and that God wants Satan to exist.

Answer 4

God is not going to change. He created all things and He alone deserves to be honored as the Supreme Being and is deserving of the obedience and praise of all people.

But He did make the angels, which are not like humans, and humans with free will. If they are going to love and obey Him it is acceptable only if we choose to do this.

Lucifer did not choose this. Even Adam and Eve decided that they would rather follow the devil than obey God.
THAT is free will.

But the consequences are personally enormous. Which you choose effects your life now and when your present body dies.

Answer 5

Satan didn't "grow as powerful as he is..". God made him with exactly the amount of power he has. God made the angels and us with free will. Lucifer (the angel of light, and God's #1 guy) decided that he'd take over and staged a rebellion with about one-third of all the angels. God kicked him and his cohorts out of Heaven.

The angels had their chance to "pick sides". One third chose with Satan, and two thirds decided to stick it out with God.

Our lives on earth is our chance to "pick sides". God already knows who will and who won't chose Him, but to make it fair for us and so we won't complain on judgment day, He set up this system.

Satan of course is a bit ticked off, and so he does all he can to get back at God by fooling alot of people into thinking that God doesn't exist, or that "If I'm a good person, that's enough." But God set up the system (the "game" if you will)

Adam and Eve's sin was to disobey God. To "chose" to say "You're not the boss of me." To return to God's grace, we need to say to Jesus "OK, you're the boss of me." That's what Lord means - boss. Well, in today's vocabulary that's probably the closest meaning.

Answer 6

Satan is used by God to help perfect us. Satan is used like a puppet. Free will comes under choice. We believe in God because it is so...right! I've tasted of both sides and I made my choice...the right choice to me. And it was of free will. An illusion wouldn't accomplish a thing. Just as there is black and white, there is good (God) and evil (devil).

Answer 7

Nope, God gave us the decision of free will and you can decide whether you want to do evil things and be punished or if you are to side with God you are to be praised. This is kind of like a test, it would sure be easier for God, but there is a specific reason for that, ask a priest.

Answer 8

Good! I'm glad to see an Atheist who can think for himself! God didn't make Satan; he b ecame the devil when he rebelled. No, Satan is not all that powerful; his greatest tool is the lie (tihnk about all the lies being told about Christianity!); and his greatest power is deception. Not to worry, though. 1) God is big enough to take care of himself, the universe, and us; 2) Satan's day is coming! He will suffer in the hell for all the misery he is causing you and me! Thanks for your question!

Answer 9

NO. Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12 is the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II. Isaiah 14:12 is a rant by the Jews against Nebuchadnezzar II who enslaved them, destroyed their temple and their city. Lucifer has no connection to any angels or to Satan. Lucifer means Light Bearer and is associated with intelligence, wisdom, creativity and freedom.

Answer 10

God gives every one, even Satan, a free will. It's all about choice.