Look around.
Do you see the world going crazy?
Mass shootings, wars, conflicts, economic sanctions, inflation, growing crime rate, illnesses, diseases, pandemics, famine, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes…
The list goes on and on.
It’s depressing, isn’t it?
You can’t help but ask yourself,
“Why does evil exist?
Why do the devil and demons exist?
Why does it have to be that way?”
As a pastor and exorcist, I look at the world through the lens of the Bible that has an answer to these questions.
In this post, I will explain the reason for the existence of the devil and demons. But my explanation has a happy ending.
When you finish reading this post, I promise you will feel hope for a better future.
So, Why Do the Devil and Demons Exist?
The word “devil” contains the word “evil.” So, asking about the reason for the existence of the devil and demons is the same as asking about the reasons evil exists in the world.
The word “devil” contains the word “evil.”
So, asking about the reason for the existence of the devil and demons is the same as asking about the reasons evil exists in the world.
There’s more than one reason for that.
The Bible explicitly or implicitly provides the following reasons the devil and demons exist:
- The devil is the author of evil and the first sinner who rebelled against God
- He enticed a huge number of former angels (who became demons) to follow suit
- God did not exterminate the devil and his demons right away
- God uses the devil as an integral part of His salvation plan
Let’s look at each of these reasons more closely.
Reason #1: The Devil Is the Author of Evil and the First Sinner
“Evil” is such a broad term that we can barely find one ultimate definition.
When we say “evil,” we usually mean an act/conspiracy/thought/device aimed at causing harm, destruction, or adverse consequences in the worst imaginable manner.
As for the devil, most people agree he is the mastermind behind everything that we call evil.
But God did not create the devil to be the devil. God initially created him as the most magnificent, the most splendid, and the most beautiful guardian cherub.
The Bible tells us what happened next.
“Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground…”
(Ezekiel 28:17).
Pride was the sin that caused this guardian cherub to exalt himself over God and to fall. He became God’s enemy and, subsequently, the enemy of humanity.
So, the first reason the devil exists is that he is a created entity.
Reason #2: Lucifer Enticed Other Angels to Follow Him
Apparently, the guardian cherub, who in the Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate) is called lucifer (light-bearer), was not alone.
Many former angels followed him. The exact number is unknown. But Christians traditionally believe that God cast down a third of all angels with lucifer.
There are no explicit texts in the Bible that refer to a third of angels following lucifer in his fall. But the text from Revelation 12:3-9 mentions the red dragon that swept down one third of “the stars of heaven” to earth with his tail.
The word “stars” means heavenly beings.
But the context of this passage references the period of Jesus’ birth, not the time of lucifer’s initial rebellion.
We can still conclude that a multitude of former angels rebelled with lucifer against God, and he expelled them from heaven. To make it simple, we call those entities demons.
Reason #3: God Did Not Exterminate the Devil and Demons Right Away
Another reason the devil and demons still exist is that God let them live after their rebellion.
We don’t know why. Only God knows for sure.
But this is one of the most obvious reasons.
We are the creation, while God is the Creator. He is sovereign, and he doesn’t entitle us to know why he does or doesn’t do something. It’s his will.
We should accept certain things as a fact without questioning God’s sovereign decisions.
After all, no one questions why trees or rocks exist. They just do.
Reason #4: God Used the Devil as an Integral Part of His Salvation Plan
This is the least obvious reason for the existence of the devil and his evil minions.
But just like the devil was part of Adam and Eve’s fall, God turned the devil’s evil intentions into a blessing.
By tempting Adam and Eve to sin, the devil wanted to destroy all humanity.
But God promised that the seed of Eve (Jesus Christ) would strike the devil’s head.
Fast-forward, this is exactly what happened 2000 years ago.
The devil hoped to destroy Jesus by getting him crucified. But instead, he carried out God’s plan to save us from eternal damnation in hell through Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross.
Instead of pouring out his wrath on us, sinners, God struck righteous Jesus as a sinner and justified us as though we’re righteous.
Thus, God used the devil’s murderous behavior to execute Jesus instead of us.
It’s important to note that Jesus offered himself voluntarily.
He said,
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:17-18)
These words of Jesus prove that by making a plot to kill Jesus by the hands of Jewish religious leaders and Romans, the devil actually played in God’s hands.
When Judas betrayed Jesus, Jesus stood a mock court, falsely accused, sentenced to death by crucifixion, died and rose from the dead, he defeated the devil.
By shedding his blood, Jesus suffered for sinners. By believing this simple truth, we get saved.
The Bible says that “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).
All you have to do is believe in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. When you do, he promised to give you eternal life.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).
God Has the Last Word, Not the Devil
In the confrontation between good and evil, God has the last word, not the devil.
Although powerful, the devil’s strength pales in comparison to God’s.
When you read the Bible, you’ll see the devil’s ultimate destiny. It’s the lake of fire. And he won’t be able to escape.
God, as the righteous Judge of the universe, will eventually serve him justice for all the evil he brought to humanity.
God redeemed us, his beloved creation, by the precious blood of Jesus. But the devil and his minions are unredeemable.
They have no hope because they’re utterly evil. There’s no one to rescue them from the coming wrath of God.
So…
When you ask why the devil and demons exist, you apparently sound like,
“I wish they never existed. ”
Or,
“I wish evil would cease to exist.”
Right?
Who doesn’t want to live in the world where our loved ones would not die from cancer or a heart attack?
Who doesn’t dream of the world where children would always have enough food?
Who hasn’t imagined the world without blood-thirsty dictators who start wars and destroy other nations?
When God created this world, he “saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). When he created the man and the woman, he saw that his creation “was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
God’s goal is to restore his creation to the initial state of paradise when the devil and demons will be no more.
It will be the world without pain and suffering, sicknesses and diseases, sorrows and tears.
The Apostle John writes about it this way,
“He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” .
(Revelation 21:4)
What a promise!
This promise gives hope for an unbelievably bright future for those who put their trust in God.
God defeated the devil 2,000 years ago. The latter is in agony, knowing that his days are counted.
No doubts, the devil still can cause lots of harm to humanity around the globe and he will. But God will soon put an end to this tyranny once and for all.
When I cast out demons, I witness every single time how powerful the name of Jesus is. Demons squeal, screech and beg for mercy when they can’t stay in a person anymore.
Although the devil and his demons are real, God predetermined a grim outcome for them. They know their end.
That is why we can exult in our God. He is on our side if we’re his children.
When God is on your side, his existence becomes primary, while the existence of the devil is secondary.
Last, I’d like to encourage you with the following biblical text,
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
(Romans 8:31).
Final Thoughts
When you sit there and think about the reasons the devil and demons exist, simply switch your focus to God.
God is greater and more magnificent for us to ignore him.
I’m not saying that you should never think about the devil. In fact, the Bible encourages us to be aware of his presence in this world and his purpose to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
But when you switch your glance to God, your heart will be full of joy, peace, and love.
Let the fact that the devil’s existence is temporary while God’s existence is eternal comfort you and give you hope for eternal life with God, who loves you.