If you believe that God cast Satan down into Hell... Please explain to me your belief why God continues...?

Question

... to allow Satan to exist. And please, no "we don't know God's greater plan" BS. I have no problems with someone saying that but then I should never have to hear from you about ANYTHING regarding God's plans. If you have an actual opinion on this, please tell me.

I apologize if I'm mistaken. Perhaps "cast out of Heaven" would be a better phrase. In either case, I am uninformed and would like more information on this.

So far a lot of responses that are somewhat different. Let me ask a corollary question.

I assume that God cast Satan out of Heaven *before* He created the earth, according to the Bible, right? Or, at least before Satan tempted Eve with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, right? (My understanding is that it was Satan in the form of a serpent.)

But many of the responses here say that Satan was "kept" in order to test humans. But test them for what purpose?

Either God knew that Adam and Eve would be cast out of the Garden of Eden and willfully created the world so that they *would* be cast out OR He had mercy on Satan without that plan and additionally is not omniscient (regarding the knowledge of their banishment from the Garden.) This appears inconsistent to me (if taken with the explanations cited provided by some R&Sers cited above).

Answer 1

it seems to me that if god is all forgiving, shouldn't he have forgiven satan?

Answer 2

The Bible says that Satan was cast down to the earth, not to hell. It also says that he is the ruler of this system of things.
It is foretold that certain things have to happen before God steps in and Satan is put into the abyss for 1,000 years. Those things haven't happened yet.

God's original plan for the earth was for Adam & Eve to make it a Paradise. No where in the Bible did that change. So, when Satan and his fallen angels are abyssed for those 1,000 years, man will be getting the earth to what God purposed it to be. God's Will, will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Answer 3

response to your follow up:

you said "assume that God cast Satan out of Heaven *before* He created the earth, according to the Bible, right?"

Wrong satan is still in heaven and remains there. satan was not booted from heaven before God created the earth. that would have been billions of years ago and though it's not stated. likely that angels were created prior to the works of this universe.

Or, at least before Satan tempted Eve with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, right? (My understanding is that it was Satan in the form of a serpent.)
It was not satan in the form of anything but himself. Eve took of his fruit was "Beguiled" by satan. look up that word and it's meaning. God put emnity between satan/serpent seed and the woman's seed. where did satan have a seed? again look up the word beguiled and its connotations.

But many of the responses here say that Satan was "kept" in order to test humans. But test them for what purpose?

satan caused a rebellion among the children. so God, not wanting to destroy all that followed satan, and those that didn't care, created this flesh age for those souls to be born into the flesh without memory of the rebellion and their role in it, to be tested again whether or not they would follow satan or God. simple as that. after this "second chance" if you will? Then that's it, lake of fire, no more chances before we enter the eternity.
Either God knew that Adam and Eve would be cast out of the Garden of Eden and willfully created the world so that they *would* be cast out OR He had mercy on Satan without that plan and additionally is not omniscient (regarding the knowledge of their banishment from the Garden.) This appears inconsistent to me (if taken with the explanations cited provided by some R&Sers cited above).

God does NOT Know if someone will sin or not. that would preclude freewill and all souls have freewill. If God knew who would sin and wouldn't? then why bother? Satan was created "Perfect in his ways adorned with every precious jewels and full of knowledge UNTIL INIQUITY/SIN WAS FOUND IN HIM" satan became evil on his own. Just like a parent who has a child and does their best to raise that child sometimes the kid grows up to be a scum bag. pretty straight forward really.

Answer 4

John 3:16

Satan was the Angel of light. He betrayal caused him to be cast from heaven. Legend has it he was chained for a thousand years. Also we are told, pending on which christian doctrine that we follow that we have free will. Satan and his minions collects more souls who live out side of the 10 commandments. We all can strive to live to be GOOD, but there is always that "what if" that causes us to pause. On Judgement or the last day, we shall know that truth. Satan exists through our free will, Stealing, lying, adultery, wars, jealousy, just name it and he gloats in our weaknesses. Some folks when this phrase became popular, : wwjd, what would Jesus Do? He fought off Satan after a 40 day fast in the wilderness, after he was baptised by John The Baptist. Imagine being hungry and thirsty after 40 days and Satan offers you the world, based on your weakness. Is Satan Real? Pending on your Belief. A lot of folks rely on the "death bed repentence" after living a life of what ever.
Blessings and peace, hopes this helps some what.

Answer 5

I've never seen anything in the Bible about a soul being completely destroyed. It may not be possible to do--perhaps that is a call God had to make when creating everything--that he could make everlasting souls and be forced to separate the useful ones from the ones that don't want to get with the program. If that were the case (though I really can't say that it is), Satan would have to be bound somewhere, if he (and everyone else) were impossible to destroy.

Answer 6

I don't believe that it was originally the plan for Satan to be kicked out of Heaven. It was when Lucifer decided that he wanted to be equal with God that he was kicked out. Read Isaiah 14:12-15. I believe that God allows Satan to exist because he knows that he'll never be able to amount to him anyway. I also believe that God allowed it because for those who refuse to follow Jesus, there's a place for them to go when they die. Either Heaven or hell. I guess God is just giving us a choice. How would we know if our actions are evil if there wasn't a Satan? God kept him around so that we will know right from wrong.

Answer 7

Because God put Satan to work doing all the things he was created to do; namely: coming to earth, bringing about the Fall, and helping as much as possible to make sin as completely sinful as sin can get. By taking man to the absolute rock bottom extreme of depravity, then providing a means to be redeemed to a state of total and complete holiness out of nothing more than His love for us, He demonstrates not only the greatness of His love for us, but the full measure of His grace, which He freely and lovingly pours out upon us all. In the future God will use Satan again to put into motion His wrath on all who rejected Him, and in the very end, Satan, too, will receive his punishment along with all who sided with him.

Answer 8

He hasn't cast him into hell yet, where did you get that idea? That wont happen until after the great tribulation...
Rev 20:10 And the Devil who deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were . And he will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Until that time, he is lord of this world....
1Pe 5:8 Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour;

I know, childish fairy tales, but you asked for an explaination...

Answer 9

From Isaiah 14, Lucifer is fallen from heaven; cut down to the ground; and will be brought down to hell.

God's plan includes Satan's influence on mankind until Judgment Day. Each person must choose whom he/she will follow. The only purpose I can rationalize that with is that God knows who is to be saved, and who is not. He knows when all will be born, and when all will die.
His plan makes accommodation for the greatest number of Believers to enter into His presence for all eternity. And if that final Believer to enter heaven is not yet born, then he/she will be allowed that same chance to choose life in Christ, or life without Him.

Romans 11:25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL THE FULNESS OF THE GENTILES BE COME IN.
(caps are my emphasis)

Answer 10

devil isn't seen a god, there is in straight forward terms one God, and that's Jesus Christ. devil grew to become into an perspective (a spirit being) that desperate to disobey God and lead adult males to disobedience besides. the only reason that devil isn't destroyed yet is as a results of the fact God continues to be employing devil to torment the church homes of immediately. After the rupture God will harm devil alongside with the unsaved. God did no longer create Hell, God is Hell. Hell ability loss of life, eternal damnation, in no way ending flame, lake of hearth... etc. Hell isn't a place, it in basic terms ability to be completely destroyed perpetually and ever. God is Hell for those that he could no longer maintain. in the e book of revelations God says His call is Abaddon, meaning destruction, and He holds the main to Hell, the bottomless pit.

Answer 11

God is testing us, this life is just a test, strong ones won't just follow satan