Satan’s Rebellion

Satan’s Rebellion

[Jesus] replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Luke 10:18, NIV

He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him.

John 8:44

This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Revelation 12:9

In the creation story recorded in Genesis, God said that everything he had made was “very good.” And then the serpent—Satan—showed up to tempt Eve. So we can’t help but wonder, Where did he come from?

God created a host of holy angels, and some of them, including Satan, who is called the serpent, sinned—or as Jude 1:6 says, they “did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them.” Their sin was rebellion; they wanted more power and authority than God had given them. They put themselves above God. And so, “God did not spare angels when they sinned” (2 Peter 2:4, NIV).

Why did God allow evil to enter the world in the first place? Was this introduction of evil something God was unable to control? Or was this rebellion against him actually part of his plan? We don’t really know how the sin of rebellion entered Satan’s heart—that isn’t clear in the Bible. But we do see over and over again in Scripture that Satan has to ask permission from God to do what he wants to do. God has the right and the power to restrain him anytime he chooses to do so.

God permitted Satan’s fall, not because he was helpless to stop it, but because he had a purpose for it. And if he chooses to permit something, he does so for a reason—an infinitely wise reason. This gives us confidence that when God allows Satan to hurt us in some way, God intends to use it to build our faith and confidence in him.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

How do we know that Satan is real?

What are some examples of Satan asking God’s permission to do evil (see Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; and Luke 22:31-34)?

What do we know about what will happen to Satan in the end?