Someone recently asked me (quite rudely) why a God who is all-knowing and all-powerful would create Satan. To see the full conversation, see Answering An Atheist Evanglist.
It’s good to prepare ourselves to answer these kinds of questions (1 Peter 3:15). So let me give you some bullet points I’d include in my answer:
🗹 God created Satan good but gave Him a choice. Satan chose evil.
Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:1-17. See Got Questions on Ezekiel 28.
🗹 God could have ended Satan’s existence but chose to use Satan’s stupidity and evil to test people and divide true believers from unbelievers. For example: Job 1:1-12.
🗹 God creates each man and woman and gives us choice.
Genesis 4:6-7; Joshua 24:14-15; James 1:14-15; Revelation 3:20.
🗹 God is all-knowing and all-powerful, but He isn’t all-manipulative. He never tempts us, but He allows temptations in our lives because he wants our choice to be real. He doesn’t want robots forced to love Him.
James 1:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:2-4.
🗹 Anyone who rejects God is under Satan’s control even if they aren’t involved in formal Satan worship.
🗹 Because God is omniscient, He knows every detail of every person’s heart. He won’t send someone to heaven or hell by mistake. He knows that some people only have an outward form of religion.
🗹 Because He’s all-powerful, He can do what He says He will do.
🗹 And most importantly, our God is not merely omniscient and omnipotent. He’s also completely loving, just, and pure, ready to redeem, forgive, and restore.
In fact, the man who asked this rude question can be redeemed. Our all-knowing, all-powerful God gives him that choice.
For two other difficult questions, see Six Important Clues in Answering the Question "Why Does God Allow Evil?" and Be Prepared: Why did God destroy entire nations?
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