Why doesn't God just get rid of Satan?

Question

I'm not going to pretend I know everything about The Bible. I own a copy (NIV if it matters, but I used to have a King James) and I've read it, but I can't remember every single event in it. So here's what I've understood (the Christian) God to be: 1. Infinite 2. All-knowing 3. All-powerful If God is infinite and he is all-knowing and all-powerful, why was it possible for Lucifer to betray God? God should have known the outcome of creating the archangel Lucifer, so he would not have created Lucifer. But he did anyway, and that isn't really the augment at hand anyway. Then, if humanity was created to be perfect and did not sin before Lucifer betrayed God, then all sin would stem from Lucifer. Every time someone sins, it's been expressed by Christians that they were influenced by Satan (the fallen form of the archangel Lucifer). If God were to get rid of Satan, then sin would cease to exist in the minds of men. If God does not want people to sin, why does he not remove the influence that makes them sin in the first place? I'm not looking for answers from people who don't believe in the Christian version of God that just want to tell me that God and Satan don't exist, or that God isn't logical at all. That won't help me understand the Christian perspective on this issue, which is what I'm trying to get at. I want a justification that exists in the text of The Bible and maintains internal logic within the rest of the religion (even if external logic does not or can not apply). If you're going to be hostile either towards me or Christians explaining their views, please save your time and mine.

Answer 1

This is a common conundrum for many Christians. It boils down to issues of why the existence of humans as sentient, free, beings makes any logical sense if God is all good and some people will inevitably end up in Hell. Satan (who is the "anointed cherub" according to Ezekiel 28:14, not an archangel), was allowed to rebel because he is merely a tool in God's divine plan. His existence, and the existence of sin, is necessary for free will to be possible.

Man was created in God's image. God is jealous, angry, merciful, and loving. He has a full range of emotions, just as we do. He desires to be worshiped and loved. His created angels can do the former, but not the latter. Love is a choice. There needs to be a possibility for someone to not love, in order for love to have meaning. We experience this all the time with our interpersonal relationships. Those who love us are important because we understand that they can choose not to.

Thus, God created human beings with free will so that he can experience the beauty of love. However, without Satan and evil, we would not have a choice. We would be compelled to love God just like the angels, because that would be all we could do. In order to appreciate love, we need hate or apathy. In order to appreciate comfort, we need suffering. In order to appreciate pleasure, we need pain. In order to appreciate the goodness and love of God, we need the wickedness of sin and Satan.

The book of Job is the Biblical precedent for this. God allowed Satan to attack Job, and in doing so, Job chose to remain Faithful and was rewarded for it. During his trials and tribulations, Job was tested as represented by the conversations he had with his friends. Afterward, he received ten times more wealth and family than he lost. This is what God wants from all of us. He wants us to love Him, even when it is incredibly difficult to do. In the end (of our lives) we will be eternally rewarded. All we have to do is accept his gift of salvation via Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. It should be an easy choice, which is evidence of his grace and mercy. Most people seem to reject the gift, which is evidence that we have a clear choice.

This is a very complicated subject, but I hope I shed a little bit of light and logic on the topic.