The God Who Controls Satan: Lucifer's Fall and Divine Sovereignty

From the Editor: Sabina tackles one of Christianity's hardest questions in this article, if God controls everything, not why does Satan still exist, but why he was created in the first place? Her answer might challenge how you think about God's sovereignty.

Honest Questions and Wondering

When God was creating Lucifer, I wonder what was going on in His mind. As He put the elements together to make him complete, was He sad? Did He feel pain, anger, or empathy? I ask this because God knew how Lucifer would ultimately turn out. He knew everything about his future; it was laid bare before Him. What baffles me is that it did not stop God from creating him.

Lucifer served God, rebelled against Him, was cast down to earth, and eventually played a role in the fall of mankind. This became the story of Lucifer’s existence, yet the mystery remains: God knew this story before it unfolded. Since the beginning, he has always opposed God, trying to compete with the One who created him — a battle he could never win.

Why would God create him, knowing he would one day come after the children He loves? Why allow him to exist among us when there are countless galaxies beyond our own? If God intends to save mankind, why allow something that would make the journey more difficult?

When I ask questions like this, I sit still and look up, hoping God will give me a simple answer. Sometimes what comes to mind is: He is God, and He controls all things. That is true. But reflecting further always reveals something I may have missed before.

The Judas Iscariot Parallel

Thinking about this, I remembered the story of Judas Iscariot — a man whose actions were known to God before they happened. In John 17:12, Jesus says: “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.”

Judas was part of the story of our redemption. He walked with Jesus, ate with Him, witnessed His miracles, and experienced His presence. Yet Jesus knew the role Judas would play. But this raises another question: Was there no other way for Jesus to be crucified except through the betrayal and destruction of a man? Why did God allow evil to become part of the story of saving mankind?

Did Judas truly have a choice, or was everything destined to happen exactly as it did?

I believe Judas did have a choice. God knew his future, but his decisions were still his own. He had opportunities to repent. He walked with Jesus and saw the works of God firsthand. Knowing the ending of a story does not mean forcing every action within it.

It is like how God may call someone into ministry, but they choose not to follow that path. God’s purpose does not collapse because of human choices; He can still accomplish His will. If Judas had chosen a different path, Jesus would still have fulfilled His purpose. The plan of God was never dependent on one person’s failure.

God Works Through Evil, Not Around It

And this makes me wonder if we sometimes limit God in our minds. We often view Him as the author of only good things, but throughout Scripture, we see God working even in the midst of evil. Evil does not surprise Him. It does not overpower Him or stop His plans from being fulfilled.

When God created the world, He created beings with the ability to choose. He did not create evil as something good, but He created a world where rebellion was possible. Yet even when evil entered that world, it never escaped His authority.

I think of Lucifer in a similar way. His choices were not the same as Judas’, but both reveal a mystery: God can know the ending of a story without losing control of the story. The devil is not outside the boundaries of God’s rule. God is still in control. The devil’s future is already known, and his rebellion will not change the final outcome. He is not the author of the story; he is only a character within it.

What makes us focus so much on him is the damage he caused, the separation between humanity and God. But even that did not remove God’s plan. God had already made a way.

So should we be afraid of the devil? Absolutely not. Was Jesus afraid of Judas? There is no way He was. Jesus knew exactly what was happening and remained faithful to His purpose.

The devil’s plans are not hidden from God. Jesus reminded us many times (John 8:44, Luke 22:31–22, Mark 4:15, John 12:31) to be aware of him, but awareness is not the same as fear. As we live our lives, we know he exists, but he does not have the power to destroy what God has spoken over us.

The devil is like background music playing in a room. It exists, but it is not the focus. The moment we stop paying attention to the One leading the story and begin focusing on the noise, we allow it to influence us. The devil is not the main character. God is, and nothing can stop what God has already spoken.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:38–39)

© 2026 Sabina Kumi. 

Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Rethinking Doctrine.

Continue exploring God's sovereignty and Satan's limitations:

• The Sovereignty and Care of God in an Unsteady World by Randy DeVaul — Discover how God's control extends to every circumstance, even chaos.

  
  

• Is Satan the King of Hell? Not Even Close by Jane Isley — Challenge the misconception about satan's authority and learn what Scripture actually reveals.

  
  

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