Why Did God Make the Devil?

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Isaiah 14:12; KJV)

The devil is real. The devil is wicked. He is destructive. He is unholy. He is destined for hell.

And so if a being can be / is so evil, so wretched, how could God make him in the first place? I mean, God made everything, didn't He?

Well, not necessarily. God didn't make the devil. He created Lucifer, a magnificent and powerful angel according to the Scriptures (at least initially).

The Old Testament book of Ezekiel talks about Lucifer's beauty...

"You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you." (Ezekiel 28:12b-13)

The reference to "settings and sockets" is translated "tambourines and flutes" in one study Bible. The King James Version has it as "thy tabrets and of thy pipes." Some see "pipes" as a reference to something like an organ (or keyboard?) woven into Lucifer's very body. It seems He may have literally been a musical instrument in his person. (The ultimate soloist!)

Lucifer was also the covering angel, the watchman, if you will, in charge of all the angels and the very throne room of God...

"You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created." (Ezekiel 28:14-15a)

The problem with Lucifer was he blew it. He became prideful over who he was. He chose of his own free will to rebel against God.

The Old Testament book of Isaiah explains it...

"But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'" (Isaiah 14:13-14)

For this insolence, Lucifer was cast out and took a third of the angels with him. (Revelation 12:4a) Our Lord witnessed the event...

And Jesus said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning." (Luke 10:18)

This is how the devil came into being.

You might also be interested in:

• 10 More Lies of the Devil
• The Devil at the Door