Many singularly blame the devil for every bad thing that happens in life, portraying him as all powerful and to be feared, depicting God as incapacitated and unable to save man, so you hear things like “what was God looking at when it was happening?” “Couldn’t God have saved him, or prevented it?” Thereby putting the bulk of responsibility at His desk and blaming Him for every outcome. 

Even when we know He is not the author, we conclude that after all He permitted those things to happen so He must be culpable. This essentially depicts man as an innocent, helpless victim, a pawn in the hands of God and Satan. But is this the true picture? Is man really an innocent victim? Or is man responsible for the things that happen to him? Does God permit evil to happen to innocent people? 

Let us examine what the scriptures say?

God’s plan and provisions for us are of good and not of evil, but is this always our experience? NO, even though His plans for us are of good, even though He has made provision for our progress and well-being. Albeit, He did not leave us in the dark concerning challenges, difficulty, trials etc. He said “in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” If we have this understanding our attitude will be different in odd situations.

James 1:2-3 says “Count it all joy when you fall in into diverse temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, let patience have its perfect work that you may be entire lacking nothing.” But are all trials a testing of our faith? Is God the one trying our faith? Or is the devil responsible for all the negative things we go through? If yes, but I thought Jesus has defeated him? If No, then what could be the problem?

To be continued…