People often ask why God allows so much evil, pain and suffering in the world. But who is really to blame for this dysfunctional and troubled world?
People often wonder, Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why would God allow this to happen? The numerous wars, weather disasters, murders, shooting rampaging, rapes and injustices around us should not be allowed by a loving God, right?
People cannot understand why God cannot fix all the problems out there or help this person or that situation. But rarely do you see the devil get blamed for anything. God is good and the devil is evil, so why does God take the blame for everything?
Satan’s blame game
From the beginning, Satan has tried to get men to think that anything bad is God’s fault since God is in charge. The devil then tries to make his own way seem better.
Consider Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit. The devil told Eve that the fruit was not bad for her, and then he proceeded to tell her why it would actually be good for them. He made it sound like his way was better and that it was God who had lied to them.
Satan has masterfully placed himself as the underdog and constantly tried to ridicule the ways of God. He casts blame on God for everything bad that happens.
God’s way does not work, Satan says. Satan labels God’s way as too restrictive and legalistic. We must cast off restraint and go another way—a way that seems right, looks right, feels right and sounds right, but is not right.
False advertising
Humanity generally looks to science, education, government, human reasoning, other gods, etc., to find supposed fixes to our problems.
The devil cannot directly sell “Satan’s ways” as great, because many would be suspicious of his name brand, and then recognize his ways for what they are. However, he can change the packaging, give them some truth along with error and make them sound like they are good for everyone. With this kind of false advertising, it can seem like he offers real solutions to the problems we are facing.
God’s ways portrayed as too hard
The Bible shows that if everyone lived God’s way, the problems of this world would eventually be solved. Breaking God’s laws is the ultimate cause of evil and suffering.
But Satan turns things around. He has used mankind’s proven inability to obey God’s law perfectly to convince people that God’s law is the problem. Since it cannot be obeyed fully, it must all be thrown away. But God’s laws are not the problem. Really, Satan is the main problem, along with our willingness to believe him, whether or not we recognize his existence.
For the most part, mankind has unwittingly listened to Satan. We have tossed out God’s ways and His commandments. Since nothing much is being done to solve the problems we face, many have declared that God does not exist or that He couldn’t care less.
Does Satan hide?
If we think God does not exist, then we will think Satan doesn’t exist either. In fact, even many who believe God exists no longer believe in the devil. Satan has masterfully made himself disappear in the minds of humans. As a matter of fact, he has more Americans believing he does not exist at all, according to a Barna study.
If Satan is not around, then someone else has to be blamed.
The god of this age
Most people think the Creator God is the god of this world, and therefore they blame Him. Yet the Bible says differently in 2 Corinthians 4:4: “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
The devil has been allowed to rule this world during this evil age, but he has placed in the mind of people that he is not in charge, and therefore cannot be blamed for anything.
Don’t get me wrong. God is the One with the ultimate authority and control; but for the present, He is allowing Satan to run the show as the god of this world.
The accuser
Satan’s ways involve all forms of lying (John 8:44), cheating, stealing, hating and the list goes on. Not only does he accuse God, he accuses people who follow God’s ways as well. He is called the accuser of our brethren (Revelation 12:10). He does nothing to solve the issues but likes to point the finger and place blame.
The problems of this world are caused by Satan’s influence and the poor choices of humans. God, the ultimate authority, has allowed this, because He wants to give mankind the freedom to choose. Otherwise why not create us all as yellow pencils or robots?
The coming solution
Christ, the true King, will step in and end Satan’s governorship one day soon. Don’t be fooled into believing God’s ways don’t work, that He does not care and He is not watching. He is very much tuned into what is going on; and when the time is right, He will send back His Son to usher in a time of peace.
Until then, let’s place blame where it really belongs, not on God, but on the grand accuser, the devil himself.
Adam Sanders is a member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, and attends the Columbus/Cambridge, Ohio, congregation with his wife and four children.
