Based on our studies on angels, one of the questions that usually comes up is whether or not God created Satan. The short answer to this is “No.” If angels are unable to be tempted and to sin, they could not have rebelled against God and therefore Satan cannot be a fallen angel. Consider also the character of God, the character of His creation and the character of Satan.

First, all things in existence were either created by God or are eternal. Not only did God create the world in which we live (Gen 1:1) but all that has been created is created by God (Joh 1:3). Not all things are created, though; otherwise God Himself would be in need of a Creator! We cannot simply say then that Satan exists and therefore was created. Such would have to be demonstrated positively from the Scriptures.

Secondly, all that was created by God is inherently good. Moses records that, “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31). After all “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1Jo1:5) so He could not have created anything that would be contrary to His Divine character.

Thirdly, we must understand that Satan is inherently evil. When it comes to Satan there is not a more heinous being in existence. So strong is this influence that Jesus warned even His own followers of Satan’s criminal record. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof” (Joh 8:31, 44, emphasis added). In other words, Satan has always been evil and does not have a single bit of truth in his being.

It follows then that since Satan exists and he is inherently evil, he could not be part of God’s inherently good creation. The only other conclusion we could come to then is that Satan is an eternal being, the father of sin and therefore has an existence that is apart from God. Now many have confused this position with what theologians call dualism, claiming that if Satan is eternal he must also be a god and that Jehovah is therefore not the only God (cf. Deu 6:4). These points, however, do not necessarily lead to that conclusion. Though Satan does indeed exist from eternity, this does not mean he is as powerful as God nor that He shares any other qualities with the Divine Nature. Just as humans can share God’s spiritual nature (Gen 1:27) and yet be entirely finite, Satan can share God’s eternal nature and remain just as distinct from Deity.

Thankfully, however, no Christian has anything to worry about the ultimate fate of our greatest Adversary. God has already removed the ability of Satan to stand as a plaintiff before His throne of judgment through the sacrifice of His Son. For “he that is called the Devil and Satan . . . was cast down to the earth, and his [messengers] were cast down with him. And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death” (Rev 12:9-11). So for this reason, we can say along with the apostle Paul, “[T]hanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Co 15:57).