Subject: Why does Satan believe he can win? |
Bible Note: Dear Ocelot, I understand your consternation. Theodicy is, by no means, a simple topic. However, asserting one attribute of God in order to explain away another attribute simply doesn't wash. This is one of the reasons that systematic theologies seek to carefully balance the truths of Scripture in such a way that we do not neglect one truth by letting it overshadow or displace another. (Theology proper is the study of the attributes of God as He has revealed Himself in the Word.) You are correct that our God is loving. Not only are we told that He is loving, He demonstrates it clearly in the Incarnation, death, resurrection, and glorification of His Son. This also manifests His mercy, another of His attributes. God's omniscience, wisdom, faithfulness, goodness, love, mercy, holiness, peace, righteousness, jealousy, wrath, will, freedom, omnipotence, perfection, blessedness, beauty, and glory are the "communicable" attributes carefully explained to us in the Word. However, Ocelot, we must never construe that these attributes are every conflicted in any way. On the contrary, God is always wholly and completely what He is. When He extends mercy, His justice is appeased. When He is jealous, His righteousness is not compromised. When He pours out His wrath, He does not cease to be a God of love. Indeed, we can describe Him accurately by combining attributes in different ways as we meditate on our wonderful Lord. He is perfectly free and freely perfect; jealously loving and lovingly jealous; righteously wise and wisely righteous; mercifully wrathful, and wrathfully merciful; etc. etc. Furthermore, God cannot be other than what He is. He cannot be different than His nature. He cannot cease His truthfulness. He cannot cease His holiness. He cannot cease His justice. He cannot cease His love. Etc. Etc. Nor can He, Ocelot, cease His Sovereignty. Since He is perfect, He would never choose to be otherwise, even if He could change in any way. As N. T. Wright put it in his commentary on Colossians, "There is no sphere of existence over which Jesus is not sovereign, in virtue of His role both in creation (1:16-17) and in reconciliation (1:18-20). There can be no dualistic division between some areas which He rules and others which He does not." God is sovereign over the entire universe (Psalm 103:19; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11). God is sovereign over all of nature (Psalm 135:6-7; Matthew 5:45; 6:25-30). God is sovereign over the angels, including Satan (Psalm 103:20-21; Job 1:12). God is sovereign over nations (Psalm 47:7-9; Daniel 2:20-21; 4:34-35). God is sovereign over human beings (1 Samuel 2:6-7; Galatians 1:15-16). God is sovereign over animals (Psalm 104:21-30; 1 Kings 17:4-6). God is sovereign over "accidents" (Proverbs 16:33; John 1:7; Matthew 10:29). God is sovereign over the free acts of men (Exodus 3:21; 12:25-36; Ezekiel 7:27). God is sovereign even over the sinful acts of men and Satan (2 Samuel 24:1; 1 Chronicles 21:1; Genesis 45:5; 50:20). Consequently, Ocelot, whoever teaches that God ever "sets aside His sovereignty" knows nothing of the God of the Word. Instead, he is teaching something that has its origins -- at the very best -- in the imagination of fallen men. In Him, Doc |