If Satan is the devil, is God responsible for all evil?

[pandaflower]

I could cite the verse, but if you are going to turn everything into symbolism/allegory, we won't agree.

That's how they get out of having to study the meat of the word.

 

[Hiddenthings]

That's how they get out of having to study the meat of the word.

It’s the substance that’s missing, and Jericho knows this, Panda. The evidence wasn’t forthcoming, as I would have asked them to provide the interpretation, something that would have led Jericho down a path they prefer to avoid.

 

[Jericho]

If it's a highly symbolic verse and you do not know the interpretation of the section of Scripture, then you are wise not to quote it.

Have you considered that not everything is symbolic or that you may have confused the symbolism?

 

[Hiddenthings]

Have you considered that not everything is symbolic or that you may have confused the symbolism?

Sometimes the issue isn't whether something is symbolic or literal, but rather the notions and ideas people attach to certain words, ideas that must be tested and validated against the Word of God.

So far, those particular notions have no support in Scripture.

 

[Jack]

Many Christians equate Satan with the Devil – and insist they are one and the same. But let’s assume for the sake of argument that this identification is correct:
That Satan, the Accuser, is also the Devil – the personification of evil.

Then the question becomes unavoidable:
If Satan is the Devil – and God is sovereign over Satan – isn’t God ultimately responsible for all the evil Satan causes?

You can’t have it both ways. Either:

God permits Satan’s actions and uses him as a tool (as seen in Job 1),
or

God is opposed to Satan but somehow powerless to stop him, which undermines divine sovereignty.


Most orthodox positions choose the first: God is in control, and Satan operates only with divine permission. But that leads to an unsettling conclusion:

> All suffering, deception, war, and religious strife are part of a divine script – a cosmic drama where Satan plays his role under God’s direction.



If that’s the case, then:

Human suffering becomes a prewritten element of God’s plan.

Religious wars, mass delusion, genocide, and even the “end times” become part of a divine performance.

Human dignity, free will, and the meaning of moral choice are reduced to scripted reactions in a play authored by God.


Is this really consistent with the God revealed by Jesus?

A God who:

Weeps with the brokenhearted (John 11:35)

Wishes that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9)

Warns against religious pride (Matthew 23)

Calls us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44)


How can such a God deliberately authorize a supernatural evil force to mislead, destroy, and cause misery?

This theological trap stems largely from a medieval synthesis of biblical and extra-biblical tradition. In the Hebrew Bible, haSatan is not the devil – he is God’s prosecutor, not his opponent. The devil, as a figure of ultimate rebellion and chaos, developed later and was merged with Satan.

If we don’t distinguish between Satan (God’s tester) and the Devil (false god, deceiver), we end up with a theology where:

Evil is part of God’s plan.

People are judged for roles they were assigned.

And the Gospel becomes a rescue from God himself – not from sin or injustice.


The dignity of human life suffers under this view.
It becomes a divine chess game, where our pain serves some “higher purpose” we can never challenge – because Satan is doing God’s will.

So I ask:
If Satan is the Devil, and God is his master, how do we avoid making God the author of all evil?

And if we can’t… isn’t it time to revisit the assumptions?

Are you going to accuse God of evil on Judgment Day? I think you'll be looking for a place to HIDE!

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Many Christians equate Satan with the Devil – and insist they are one and the same. But let’s assume for the sake of argument that this identification is correct:
That Satan, the Accuser, is also the Devil – the personification of evil.

Then the question becomes unavoidable:
If Satan is the Devil – and God is sovereign over Satan – isn’t God ultimately responsible for all the evil Satan causes?

You can’t have it both ways. Either:

God permits Satan’s actions and uses him as a tool (as seen in Job 1),
or

God is opposed to Satan but somehow powerless to stop him, which undermines divine sovereignty.


Most orthodox positions choose the first: God is in control, and Satan operates only with divine permission. But that leads to an unsettling conclusion:

> All suffering, deception, war, and religious strife are part of a divine script – a cosmic drama where Satan plays his role under God’s direction.



If that’s the case, then:

Human suffering becomes a prewritten element of God’s plan.

Religious wars, mass delusion, genocide, and even the “end times” become part of a divine performance.

Human dignity, free will, and the meaning of moral choice are reduced to scripted reactions in a play authored by God.


Is this really consistent with the God revealed by Jesus?

A God who:

Weeps with the brokenhearted (John 11:35)

Wishes that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9)

Warns against religious pride (Matthew 23)

Calls us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44)


How can such a God deliberately authorize a supernatural evil force to mislead, destroy, and cause misery?

This theological trap stems largely from a medieval synthesis of biblical and extra-biblical tradition. In the Hebrew Bible, haSatan is not the devil – he is God’s prosecutor, not his opponent. The devil, as a figure of ultimate rebellion and chaos, developed later and was merged with Satan.

If we don’t distinguish between Satan (God’s tester) and the Devil (false god, deceiver), we end up with a theology where:

Evil is part of God’s plan.

People are judged for roles they were assigned.

And the Gospel becomes a rescue from God himself – not from sin or injustice.


The dignity of human life suffers under this view.
It becomes a divine chess game, where our pain serves some “higher purpose” we can never challenge – because Satan is doing God’s will.

So I ask:
If Satan is the Devil, and God is his master, how do we avoid making God the author of all evil?

And if we can’t… isn’t it time to revisit the assumptions?

God allowed evil to enter creation for His reasons. Mankind has not been told why and to make guesses if foolishness.

 

[Hiddenthings]

God allowed evil to enter creation for His reasons. Mankind has not been told why and to make guesses if foolishness.

Correct through the creation of a shrewd Serpent to test the first pair.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Correct through the creation of a shrewd Serpent to test the first pair.

NO, SATAN HAD ALREADY FALLEN AND IN HABOITED THE SERPENT. His goal wwas to get them to disobey so he could gain temporary control of the earth as he did.

 

[soberxp]

The Bible tells us that God saw all that He had made, and it was good.

Good. Remember, understand, comprehend, and believe unconditionally.

Then, let’s discuss evil.

Evil is a monstrous distortion born from what was originally good.

For example, turning pure love into lust—
this is the perversion of what is natural into what is unnatural.

Perhaps some may briefly think that a little evil isn’t so bad,
yet they forget that these very sensations stem from what was originally good.

So why chase after the twisted sensations of evil
and abandon what was good from the beginning?

This is the true meaning behind the name "Satan"—foolishness."傻蛋" in Chinese language.

So God can't destroy a man or Satan because of his stupid existence, God is trying to educate his creation, Either way, God is responsible for good, not evil.

 

[Hiddenthings]

NO, SATAN HAD ALREADY FALLEN AND IN HABOITED THE SERPENT. His goal wwas to get them to disobey so he could gain temporary control of the earth as he did.

There is no evidence, this is simply hearsay, where someone imagines something and repeats it so often that people stop seeking proof and accept the falsehood as truth.

 

[Sabé]

If Satan is the devil, is God responsible for all evil?​

On March 5th, 1944, Maria Valtorta took a dictation from Jesus, writing down what He said about the origin of evil: Below is an excerpt:

"...evil is a force that originated by itself like certain monstrous diseases in the most wholesome body.

Lucifer was an angel, the most beautiful of all the angels, a perfect spirit, inferior only to God, and yet in his bright essence a vapour of pride arose and he did not scatter it. On the contrary, he condensed it by brooding over it. And evil was born of this incubation. It existed before man. God had hurled him out of Paradise, the cursed incubator of Evil, who had desecrated Paradise. But he is the eternal incubator of Evil and as he can no longer soil Paradise, he has soiled the earth." (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. I)

Maria Valtorta also received visions of scenes from Jesus's life on earth. Below is an excerpt of what she saw and heard Jesus speaking about regarding evil and Satan (previously known as Lucifer):

"...Satan is not the work of God, but of the free will of the rebellious angel. God had made him His glorious minister and thus had created him for a good purpose. Now, speaking to your own ego, you are saying: 'Then God is foolish because He gave glory to a future rebel and entrusted His Will to a disobedient angel.' I reply to you: 'God is not foolish but He is perfect in His thoughts and deeds. He is the Most Perfect One. Creatures are imperfect, even the most perfect ones. There is always a point of inferiority in them, as compared with God. But God, Who loves them, has granted them free will so that through it the creature may be perfected in virtue and thus become more like God Father.' And I also tell you, o mocker and shrewd seeker of sin in My words, that God draws a good purpose also from evil brought about voluntarily: that of making men possess a glory they deserved. The victories over evil are the crowns of the chosen ones. If evil could not give rise to good consequences for people full of good will, God would have destroyed it. Because nothing in Creation must be completely devoid of incentives or good consequences." (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. IV, December 9th, 1946)

"But the hour will come, the final hour, when evil will be defeated, and in a beauty even more infinite than that foreseen by your spirit, the chosen ones will be the only People, the eternal, holy true People of the true God." (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. IV, April 27th, 1946)

 

[Hiddenthings]

On March 5th, 1944, Maria Valtorta took a dictation from Jesus, writing down what He said about the origin of evil: Below is an excerpt:

Jeremiah 23:21 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.”

 

[Sabé]

Jeremiah 23:21 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.”

There have been true and false prophets of God. Maria Valtorta wasn't a prophet, though her Works where God is the Author remain inspired.

 

[Hiddenthings]

There have been true and false prophets of God. Maria Valtorta wasn't a prophet, though her Works where God is the Author remain inspired.

Please, Sabe, let's maintain integrity in what we share. Posting content like this claiming “the Lord spoke to me” without clear scriptural grounding only adds to the spiritual confusion already present among believers. If every personal claim of divine revelation were shared publicly, we would face even more chaos, especially among Christians who struggle to rightly interpret the written Word of God.

 

[Sabé]

Please, Sabe, let's maintain integrity in what we share. Posting content like this claiming “the Lord spoke to me” without clear scriptural grounding only adds to the spiritual confusion already present among believers. If every personal claim of divine revelation were shared publicly, we would face even more chaos, especially among Christians who struggle to rightly interpret the written Word of God.

Why do you fear? Jesus taught how to recognize true and false spokespersons of His. Where's your faith? What will it take for you to trust that God will make His true and false spokespersons known, just as He's always done?

 

[Hiddenthings]

Why do you fear? Jesus taught how to recognize true and false spokespersons of His. Where's your faith? What will it take for you to trust that God will make His true and false spokespersons known, just as He's always done?

Sabe, accept the warning and please don’t assume a higher faith, especially when you know that quote is impossible to substantiate!

You post comes with a touch of arrogance.

What's next? Bleeding statues?

 

[Sabé]

Sabe, accept the warning and please don’t assume a higher faith, especially when you know that quote is impossible to substantiate!

You post comes with a touch of arrogance.

What's next? Bleeding statues?

What's next? Hopefully you answering my questions in post #95.

 

[Hiddenthings]

What's next? Hopefully you answering my questions in post #95.

I'm not about empowering arrogance Sabe.

March 5th, 1944, Maria Valtorta took a dictation from Jesus, writing down what He said about the origin of evil: Below is an excerpt:

Can you prove this?

Knowing you cannot what is the point of your post?

August 11th, 2025, Hiddenthings took a dictation from Jesus, writing down what he said about the origin of evil...

 

[Sabé]

I'm not about empowering arrogance Sabe.

How would answering my questions in post #95 empower my "arrogance"?

March 5th, 1944, Maria Valtorta took a dictation from Jesus, writing down what He said about the origin of evil: Below is an excerpt:
"...evil is a force that originated by itself like certain monstrous diseases in the most wholesome body.

Lucifer was an angel, the most beautiful of all the angels, a perfect spirit, inferior only to God, and yet in his bright essence a vapour of pride arose and he did not scatter it. On the contrary, he condensed it by brooding over it. And evil was born of this incubation. It existed before man. God had hurled him out of Paradise, the cursed incubator of Evil, who had desecrated Paradise. But he is the eternal incubator of Evil and as he can no longer soil Paradise, he has soiled the earth." (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. I)

Can you prove this?

Regarding the excerpt above, Jesus said, "The metaphorical tree proves this truth. God had said to the man and the woman: 'You know all the laws and the mysteries of creation. But do not infringe on My right of being the Creator of man. My love will suffice for the propagation of the human race and it will spread among you and will excite the new Adams of the race without any lust of the senses but with purely charitable pulsations. I have given you everything. I am only keeping for Myself this mystery of the formation of man.'

Satan wanted to deprive man of this intellectual virginity and with his venomous tongue he blandished and caressed Eve's limbs and eyes (not literally, @Hiddenthings), exciting reflections and a perspicacity which they did not have before, because malice had not yet intoxicated them. She 'saw'. And seeing, she wanted to try. Her flesh was aroused. Oh! If she had called to God! If she had hurried to Him saying: 'Father! The Serpent (not a literal serpent, @Hiddenthings) has caressed me and I am upset.' The Father would have purified and healed her with His breath, which could have infused new innocence into her as it had infused life. And it would have made her forget the snake's poison, nay it would have engendered in her a disgust for the Serpent, as it happens in those who bear an instinctive dislike for diseases of which they have just been cured. But Eve does not go to the Father. Eve goes back to the Serpent. The sensation is a sweet one for her. 'Seeing that the fruit of the tree was good to eat and pleasing and agreeable to the eye, she took it and ate it.'

And 'she understood'. Now Malice was inside her and was gnawing at her intestines. She saw with new eyes and heard with new ears the habits and voices of beasts. And she craved for them with insane greed.

She began the sin by herself. She accomplished it with her companion. That is why a heavier sentence is laid on woman. Because of her, man has become rebellious towards God and has become acquainted with lewdness and death. Because of her, he was no longer capable of dominating his three reigns: the reign of the spirit, because he allowed the spirit to disobey God; the moral reign, because he allowed passions to master him; the reign of the flesh, because he lowered it down to the instinctive level of beasts. 'The Serpent seduced me' says Eve. 'The woman offered me the fruit and I ate of it' says Adam. And the triple greed has ruled the three dominions since then.

Only Grace can relax the hold of this ruthless monster. And if Grace is alive, nay thoroughly alive, and kept more and more alive by the good will of a faithful son, it will succeed in strangling the monster and will no longer have anything to fear. It will not be afraid of internal tyrants, which are the flesh and passions; neither will it be afraid of external tyrants, these are the world and the mighty ones on the earth. It will dread neither persecutions nor death. It is as Paul the Apostle says: 'I fear none of these things, neither do I care for my life more than I care for myself, provided I carry out the mission and the ministry the Lord Jesus gave me, and that was to bear witness to the Good News of God's Grace.'" (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. I)

Additionally, see the chapters on proofs in support of Maria Valtorta's writings having a supernatural origin in A Summa and Encyclopedia to Maria Valtorta’s Extraordinary Work.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

There is no evidence, this is simply hearsay, where someone imagines something and repeats it so often that people stop seeking proof and accept the falsehood as truth.

No that is the bible.

REad Gen. 3, Isaiah 1412-14, Ez. 28:12-18 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.