Today’s Question: Dear Tom, please help me answer this question that my ten year old granddaughter asked me. I didn't know how to answer her. She asked, "Why does there have to be a devil?"

Gerri

Bible Answer: I would answer your granddaughter by saying that God did not make the devil as he is now, but God made him to be a beautiful angel, named Lucifer (see Ezekiel 28). However, God gives angels as well as humans the right to choose to follow God or not. If God did not give free will then angels and humans would be puppets. God wants us to serve Him because we choose to follow Him. In the case of Lucifer, he chose to rebel against God. So God threw him to the earth. God took what who was evil, and has used him for his purposes. The ultimate purpose of Satan is to test men.

We all need testing to show whether or not we are prepared to graduate. As we succeed in overcoming Satan's tests and temptations, we prove that we are ready to graduate to higher levels in God. Ultimately, we graduate to heaven.

Not only does Satan test us, but the original test of Adam and Eve resulted in their fall from God. The fall even proves useful to God, because without the fall there would be no need for redemption, and without redemption God could not have shown how much He loves us. Through Christ’s death, God reveals this love. No greater love is this: that a person lay down his life for another. In summary: everything works out perfectly. Tell your granddaughter that God knows what He is doing, and not to be afraid of the devil. She has authority to overcome him. And in the end, God will get rid of Satan's influence in the world and in our lives.

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