Why Did God Create Satan or Lucifer?

Since Satan or Lucifer (the Devil) fell from grace and into sin, why did God create him? The answer might surprise you.

Why Would God Create Satan?

This is a huge mystery for a lot of people. Why would God create Satan who would become His natural enemy and the enemy of everyone who has been born again? It is a good question. There is biblical indication that God created Him perfect and without sin. Most Bible scholars agree that Satan, who was first called Lucifer or “shining one” or “morning star,” was created perfect just as Adam and Eve were at one time (Gen 1:31) so Lucifer was apparently created to worship God and glorify Him. Ezekiel writes “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezk 28:12) for “On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God” and “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you” (Ezk 28:13b-15). The “holy mountain of God” is understood to be the throne of God and he was the guardian cherub angel that was perfect (blameless) and was over the throne of God but something happened that caused his fall as we shall read.

A Fall by Pride

Pride has a way of making someone overestimate their value and that’s exactly what happened to Lucifer. Isaiah writes “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit” (12-15). Lucifer was cut down and thrown out of heaven because he said he would ascend to heaven, above the stars (angels) of God and set on his throne or set on the very throne of God in the far reaches of the north (heaven) and will ascend above the clouds (the Shekinah clouds of the glory of God) and make himself like the Most High God because he desires to be worshiped. Instead he was brought down low to Sheol. Sheol is the realm of the dead or “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.” He was lifted up with pride, wanted to be above all creation, including God, and desperately wanted to be God and worshiped but instead, was cast down (Rev 12:7-12) because God has always resisted (means at war with) the proud (James 4:6).

The Place Prepared for the Devil

God is omniscient and knows all that there is, including the future, which explains that hell was created for Satan and his demons. When Christ returns to judge the world, those who have never repented and trusted in Him “he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt 25:41) so hell was not really made for humans but the Devil and his fallen angels, called demons, and so all of “these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt 25:36). Even the demons at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry knew about their final fate and destiny when they cried out to Jesus “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time” (Matt 8:29) indicating that there is an appointed time for them to be cast into the lake of fire as it is written “the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10).

Why did God Create Satan/Lucifer?

The only answer that I can come up with is I just don’t know. Ultimately, everything that is created and all that will be accomplished will be for God’s glory so if nothing else, Satan, Lucifer, or the Devil was created for God’s glory, regardless of what we might think or where his final destination will be. We just don’t know why God allowed this creature to be created but all things are created for Him and all things fulfill His purpose and are always intended to glorify Him for He is most worthy. Other than that, I just cannot say with precision as to why God created Satan.

Conclusion

I do know this for sure; Jesus is the Son of God and is fully God and came to earth and was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for our sins so that we could enter heaven someday and be with God and that the penalty for our sins was paid for by Jesus’ shed blood on the cross. He came to save us from the wrath of God but you must turn from your sins and forsake them. This is called repentance. Then you must ask for the forgiveness of your sins and God promises to cleanse you or wash away all of your sins (1 John 1:9) and then trust in Jesus or believe in Jesus and claim Him as your Lord and Savior. That much I do know for sure.

Related reading: Is There Readly a Being Called Satan?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Creation, Devil, Lucifer, Satan