If God is omnipotent, why can't He smite the devil?

[Blissman]

If God is omnipotent, why can't He just smite the devil and be done with it? Why do we have a devil? Is perhaps, the concept of A DEVIL, or THE DEVIL, a metaphor for something inside of each of us?

 

[brie]

Because He needs a scapegoat.

 

[Crazy Liz]

I haven't researched this yet & am not an OT expert, but my Hebrew prof said something in passing last week about Satan being a member of the divine council (referring to Job & I don't know what else) as "the adversary."

Having served in various organizations as the resident contrarian or "devil's advocate," it gave me a whole bunch of new food for thought...

IOW, Satan seems to have a function God has in some manner ordained.

Hmmm....

 

[Unquenchable]

If God is omnipotent, why can't He just smite the devil and be done with it? Why do we have a devil? Is perhaps, the concept of A DEVIL, or THE DEVIL, a metaphor for something inside of each of us?

Perhaps the thought should read: Why doesnt God, rather than why cant..

I believe the Bible clearly indicates He can. He lets Satan have time to attack Job... and in Revelation Satan is clearly defeated....

Why Satan is allowed to have time to rule here on earth at all? I need to study theology a bit more because, although 'crazy liz' seems to be going down the right line, it would been interesting to know more.

As for the devil inside each of us..... THERE AIN'T NO DEVIL INSIDE OF ME, LOVELY!

If we believe as Christians that when we accept Christ as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit dwells within each of us... and that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit; and that God will not stand in the presence of evil... and it is sin that separates us from God... it is then surely not possible for your statement to be true. Unless you are without faith.... or possessed by an evil spirit.

In which case - God help you, because ontly He can!

 

[water_ripple]

If God is omnipotent, why can't He just smite the devil and be done with it? Why do we have a devil? Is perhaps, the concept of A DEVIL, or THE DEVIL, a metaphor for something inside of each of us?

The devil or satan (if one prefers) gets a regular smack down every day. For within a Christian lies the Holy Spirit and no he is not always successful at temptation or making us stumble. And in the end satan will be so smote that never will he be released to tempt or torture anyone again.

 

[ZaraDurden]

The OP smells something foul, and rightly so. There are two options. A) God is not omnipotent, because the devil has the power to go against his will or B) God desires the devil to exist and tempt people. According the Job, as aforementioned, its B. But then we run into the problem of God's omnibenevolence....

 

[TruthTraveler]

THERE AIN'T NO DEVIL INSIDE OF ME, LOVELY!

He is still in me.

But I found a Bible verse that helps
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

God has a PLAN for the Devil, his time is "at hand".

 

[onionring]

He is still in me.

But I found a Bible verse that helps
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

God has a PLAN for the Devil, his time is "at hand".

I don't believe "flee from you" mean from inside you. The devil does not reside in you. Especially not, if you are a Christian (Christ lives in you). Rather he will flee from your pressence (and cease to tempt/bother you).

So to state "He is still in me." would seem to imply one of 2 things (in my opinion):
1) One is demon posession.
2) One still possess sinful-nature

Both of which, disallow for a Christianity claim.

 

[Blissman]

The OP smells something foul, and rightly so. There are two options. A) God is not omnipotent, because the devil has the power to go against his will or B) God desires the devil to exist and tempt people. According the Job, as aforementioned, its B. But then we run into the problem of God's omnibenevolence....

I agree, however there may be other possibilities and certainly there are many questions, one of which is who rules the earth? Does the devil rule, and man is to seek God and not the devil.

It also raises disturbing questions:

Where is God?
Does He want us to struggle? If so, why?
Did man invent God?

 

[Blissman]

I agree, however there may be other possibilities and certainly there are many questions, one of which is who rules the earth? Does the devil rule, and man is to seek God and not the devil.

It also raises disturbing questions:

Is God Cruel?
Where is God?
Does He want us to struggle? If so, why?
Did man invent God?

 

[Blissman]

I don't believe "flee from you" mean from inside you. The devil does not reside in you. Especially not, if you are a Christian (Christ lives in you). Rather he will flee from your pressence (and cease to tempt/bother you.

How many Christians can say that they are never tempted or bothered by the Devil?

 

[Unix]

Christ has won over the devil

 

[biggiefjca8]

One of the main reasons why i think God allows Satan to tempt is to show the victory and power one can have in Christ-and to show us individually that He is more than able to deliver us. Being depenent on God to deliver us creates even more trust and more of a personal intimate relationship with God

 

[HeatherJay]

The OP smells something foul, and rightly so. There are two options. A) God is not omnipotent, because the devil has the power to go against his will or B) God desires the devil to exist and tempt people. According the Job, as aforementioned, its B. But then we run into the problem of God's omnibenevolence....

God's omnibenevolence is not fundamental to mainstream Christian belief. God is full of love and mercy, but he also demands obedience. Just my opinion

Love, Heather

 

[A.J.A.]

God can and will smite the devil. He simply chooses not to prior to His own intended time.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev. 20:10)

 

[revolutio]

The devil or satan (if one prefers) gets a regular smack down every day. For within a Christian lies the Holy Spirit and no he is not always successful at temptation or making us stumble. And in the end satan will be so smote that never will he be released to tempt or torture anyone again.

Why take his time? Even if a million of years is nothing to God he surely realizes that it is something to us.

 

[Jesusfreekwanabe]

!
to everthing under the sun there is a time and a season - paraphraze

no God is O-nip-a-antant (cant spell )

God will never break his promises to do that is complealty agnest God . i think there is a LOT of stuff that went on in heVen that we r lead to belive - that is when saitan GOt kicked out and the relationship between God and the Arc angles
is saitan real ?
Did Jesus not cast out deamons ?
dose witch craft , voodoo , DEVEL worship , not exist ?
did the bible lie when it said to stay away from thease things ?
also to add 3-eye , wicca , voodoo .

have u never heard the testominy of some one who has been torchered day and night buy a demon and then relived ?

a torcherd man will not lie and say he is not hungery thristery or in pain but will tell u just waht happend to him weahter he belives in Jesus or not !

, with great greff thows who r traped under witchcraft it is nearly impossable to get out , for i have heard the testominies .
i have also herd the testomonies of those who fell form Jesus and went to witch craft oh great greif !
but if u ask both of then the one who came fom witch craft is scarred to go back , the x-christian can throw a few spells but as i have seen is utterly misserable .
- lest this is wht my eyes have seen

 

[Routerider]

God can and will smite the devil. He simply chooses not to prior to His own intended time.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev. 20:10)

If you saw an unruly child hanging out with your child somewhere in the neighborhood would you wait a while until you did something about it? Would you wait days, months, years?

 

[Routerider]

One of the main reasons why i think God allows Satan to tempt is to show the victory and power one can have in Christ-and to show us individually that He is more than able to deliver us. Being depenent on God to deliver us creates even more trust and more of a personal intimate relationship with God

That's like an alchoholic keeping a bottle of gin in his cabinet to show, along with AA he can overcome alchoholism...sounds silly right.

 

[1John5:3]

Why did God not destroy Satan?


​

​

Had the devil been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question. Sin must run its course that its enormity may be fully abhorred; but it will be finally eradicated, along with its instigator.


...Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, and it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes ... and never shalt thou be any more. Ezekial 28: 18-19