Beginning of the End: Why Didn’t God Destroy Satan?

 Even when Satan was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy him. The loyalty of God’s creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and love. At that time, the inhabitants of heaven and of the world could not have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he 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 completely eliminated. For the good of the entire universe through eternity he must be allowed to more fully develop his principles. In this way Satan’s charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light and the justice of God and the unchangeable nature of His law might be forever placed beyond question.

Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages—a testimony forever to the nature of sin and its terrible results. The history of this experiment of rebellion was to be an eternal safeguard to all holy beings to prevent them from being deceived regarding the nature of transgression.

“His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4).