The Origin of Evil

Scripture reveals God is love, a characteristic that has always been and will always be. His nature is pure light, devoid of any darkness. His plans and purposes are inherently righteous, reflecting His holy nature. This holiness signifies His complete separation from His creation, untouched by the stain of sin. God’s Word clearly demonstrates that He is not responsible for the sin that exists in His creation.

What was the decision that God faced “in the beginning” as He contemplated His future creation? It was whether or not to create independent free-will beings with not only the capacity to reciprocate His love, but also the capacity to reject it and turn against Him. One is not possible without the other.

God’s governance is built on love, and the happiness of all creation hinges on their alignment with its principles of righteousness. God seeks a love-driven service, born from understanding and appreciation of His nature. He finds no joy in forced obedience, granting all beings the freedom to choose their allegiance and offer Him voluntary service.

It seems logical that before God made the decision to create living beings with freedom of will, He had to plan for their possible failure. In God’s infinitely diversified wisdom He contemplated every conceivable eventuality and formulated a contingency plan for each, with a view toward His desired goal for mankind. God’s nature is pure righteousness, in His acts of creating such beings He knowingly and willingly committed Himself to a totally righteous dealing with all of them, even if they chose to rebel against Him.

As far as we know from Scripture, the first beings created by God were angels (Job 38:4–7). One of the most powerful is referred to in the Bible as “Lucifer.” Although he was an awesome and powerful being, Lucifer was not made morally perfect. That is, he had free will, he could either obey God or disobey Him, and it was up to him to choose between these two alternatives. Speaking figuratively about Lucifer’s beauty, wisdom and ability, Ezekiel wrote:

Ezekiel 28:12-15
“Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre [Satan] and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ” ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.”

Some will ask, “How could Lucifer have even conceived of evil?” This is a very good question, and I believe the answer lies in the above verses. First of all, remember that God created him with genuine freedom of will. Second, God in His goodness had made Lucifer so magnificent that you could say he had a taste of what it was like to be God.

The question could be asked: Why didn’t God create Lucifer with less ability and wisdom, in order to protect Himself against the consequences of his potential rebellion? The only answer I can think of lies in the phrase “the model of perfection.”

Ezekiel 28:12 (REV)
“…You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”

Lucifer was the finished pattern, or the model of perfection, for a created being. That is, God gave him all the capacity for wisdom and understanding that He could give a created being.

Among all God’s creation, Lucifer was most capable of perceiving God’s nature and goodness, having been made most like Him. But instead of appreciating the grace of this exalted station and enjoying the fellowship available with God, he was lifted up in pride, thinking himself to be deserving of even greater status – that due only the Creator Himself. He was close enough to being like God that he thought equality with God was something he could grab.

Making Lucifer “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” was an expression of God’s magnanimity. Lucifer should have been filled with thanksgiving and praise for his Creator, and eager to serve Him in response to God’s blessings. Instead, pride in his own greatness fueled his desire for supremacy. All he thought was, “I love Lucifer.” His pride finally drove him to attempt to usurp God’s ultimate authority.

Isaiah speaks of Lucifer’s ambitions:

Isaiah 14:13 and 14
“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 assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

It is obvious that Lucifer had freedom of will, because five times he said, “I will.” But God will have the last word. The impending doom of the Devil is certain, and many verses attest to that fact. God responded to Lucifer’s pride and rebellion by driving him from His presence and casting him to earth.

Ezekiel 28:16 and 17
“Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.”

God created Satan as a beautiful cherub, but he became lifted up with pride and rebelled against God. But he was cast from his position of authority on God’s holy mountain, and now is an example of how pride goes before destruction.

As a result of his fall, Lucifer became the chief antagonist of mankind. He is called by many names in Scripture. He is called the Devil, Satan which means adversary, Belial which means worthless (used in connection with filthiness and wickedness), serpent emphasizing his evil craftiness, dragon emphasize his evil and power, tempter, accuser, evil one, god of this age, prince of this world, prince of demons, and the ruler of the kingdom of the air. As the amount of evil and suffering on earth attests, the Devil is doing an excellent job of living up to his names.

So you may ask, why didn’t God destroy Satan at the time of his original rebellion? Great question!

Despite the decision to expel Satan from Heaven, God’s boundless wisdom spared his life. For true service to God must stem from a deep conviction of His justice and love. The celestial residents, lacking an understanding of sin’s nature and consequences, could not have grasped the righteousness and grace of God in destroying Satan. His immediate annihilation would have instilled a fear-based obedience rather than a love-driven devotion. Moreover, it would not have extinguished the deceiver’s influence or eliminated the spirit of rebellion. Evil must be allowed to reach its peak. For the good of the entire universe, Satan’s principles must be fully exposed, allowing all beings to witness their true nature. Thus, the justice, mercy, and unwavering law of God will be eternally vindicated.

Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages, a perpetual testimony to the nature and terrible results of sin. The working out of Satan’s rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God’s government and His law is bound up in the well being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of his terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy intelligences, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suffering its punishment.

As we have seen, God’s Word sets forth the role of the Devil in the origin of evil and sin. But some people do not believe that there is any such thing as “the Devil.” Their alternative explanations for evil, sin and suffering leave people without hope or recourse, having to blame God, themselves, their parents, or society.

The evidence of evil in the world around us points to a sinister intelligence behind all the misery and suffering we see. While men are ignorant of his devices, this vigilant foe is upon their track every moment. He is intruding his presence in every department of the household, in every street of our cities, in the churches, in the national councils, in the courts of justice, perplexing, deceiving, seducing, everywhere ruining the souls and bodies of men, women, and children, breaking up families, sowing hatred, emulation, strife, sedition, murder. The Christian world seems to regard these things as though God had appointed them and they must exist.

The biblical narrative of Lucifer’s fall from grace has captivated human imagination for centuries. This angelic figure, once a radiant and beloved being, rebelled against God, leading to his expulsion from Heaven and the creation of evil in the world.

While the sin of Lucifer is undeniable and has undoubtedly played a significant role in the emergence of evil and suffering, it is crucial to recognize that it is not the sole cause.

Humans possess the innate ability to make choices, both good and evil. The exercise of free will can lead to actions that deviate from moral principles, causing harm and suffering. The desire to gratify one’s own desires and interests can override moral considerations, leading to actions that inflict pain on others. The lack of knowledge or understanding can result in misguided decisions that have negative consequences. An excessive sense of self-importance can blind individuals to the needs and perspectives of others, creating a breeding ground for conflict and oppression.

While Lucifer’s sin undeniably fuels evil, it’s not the sole source. Recognizing this truth is crucial for any Christian’s spiritual journey. Just as Jesus understood his adversary, we too must gain that understanding to effectively combat evil and dismantle its influence.

In Christ’s service,