When God sent Lucifer down to earth, Lucifer was not yet sinful. The name “Lucifer” carries the sense of “morning star” or “light bearer”. He became Satan when he lied to Eve. “Satan” means “adversary,” and he became the chief adversary of God.

Ezekiel 28:12-15 (ESV), 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.’”

In these scriptures, the king of Tyre must be symbolic because there was no king of Tyre in the Garden of Eden. These scriptures explain that God placed Lucifer in Eden as an anointed guardian angel. His purpose was to guard and bless Adam and Eve. Instead, Lucifer saw his chance to become a ruler over the human race. That was when unrighteousness was found in him.

Why did God permit Satan to stay as the evil ruler of mankind?

Adam and Eve were created perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4) with free will in God’s image. They had the perfect ability to resist the temptation to disobey God. But they did not appreciate the horrible results of sin. They had only experienced the peace and joys of righteousness in Eden. When they sinned, they began to experience the consequences of evil.

Now, all of mankind is learning that disobedience/sin brings pain, suffering, and death. But there is a purpose to God’s permission of evil. In the resurrection, Christ will rule with an iron rod. No sin will be permitted and the willing will learn righteousness. Jeremiah 31:34, “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Finally, in the little season of Revelation 20:3, Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit and try to tempt people to sin again. But this time, the results will be different. People will have experienced the consequences of disobedience. The great majority of mankind will choose to love God and righteousness. They will be rewarded with perfect human, everlasting life. (See Revelation 21:4.) Satan will then be destroyed forever. Isaiah 14:15 (NKJV), “Yet you (Satan) shall be brought down to sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit.” 

Many have dismissed the existence of God because they could not understand why He would allow evil to prosper. In this wonderful booklet the Biblical answer reveals a wisdom and justice that is fitting of a God worthy of our praise.

Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1266: “Why Doesn’t God Just Destroy Satan?”
Satan’s history and God’s righteous reasons for keeping him alive
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

For children, parents and Bible class teachers:
Animated video: What does the Bible say about Satan?
Animated video: Why didn’t God stop Satan from tempting Eve?

Download PDF Booklet: “Why God Permits Evil”