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[Fruitcake]

i often hear Christians say that people were tempted to sin by the devil. if this is the case then Satan is obviously having adverse effects on mankind so why doesn't god just eliminate him entirely

[jimwalton]

> i often hear Christians say that people were tempted to sin by the devil.

The Bible never says that we are tempted by Satan. Satan is a deceiver. I'm not aware of anywhere in the Bible where it claims Satan tempts us. Instead, James 1.14 is clear that we are tempted by our own desires.

> if this is the case then Satan is obviously having adverse effects on mankind so why doesn't god just eliminate him entirely

God doesn't get rid of Satan because Satan has a role to play. He serves a purpose. As Frodo said to Sam about Gollum: He was evil, and trouble, but he had a part to play in their quest. We could debate for a while whether Gollum was necessary or not. It's very possible that Frodo and Sam could have found their way on their own. But he was certainly useful and helpful, despite his evil.

[Fruitcake]

i didn't mean the bible said that, I've just heard it from various Christians before so i thought it was canon. anyway, how is Satan useful and helpful

[jimwalton]

OK. And I did get that you said, "I often hear Christians say..." But I have no idea how much you know about the Bible, so I was just putting that in in case it was helpful.

> how is Satan useful and helpful

For instance, Satan is a deceiver. But I find, at least for myself, that when I hear something questionable, it motivates me to do research to find out what the truth is. False messages make me doubt, and doubt makes me think, and thinking helps me find the truth.

Satan could also be useful if he causes suffering. There's nothing like suffering to motivate people to think about spiritual things, and sometimes people actually come to the truth because of things like suffering and pain. C.S. Lewis writes that suffering is God's megaphone: Something is wrong here!

Satan could also be helpful or useful because difficult times, deceit, and opposition can motivate people to courage, compassion, study, thinking through things, and even nobility. It is the hard times that often build character.