Why did Satan rebel?

[Biggie]

Where did Lucifers rebelliousness come from? Before the devil, it seems there was no evil in existence. So from where did the temptation of pride come from to tempt Lucifer? And why would a good spirit be weak (not having the same wounded nature of humans after the Fall) ?

My own sense is that Satan’s fall does not connote weakness in the way human temptation and sin do, but rather a conscious decision to rebel. And against what? Against the primacy of God, the necessity of God. Either Satan denied his own state as a created (second) being which requires his communion with God, or he doubted God’s state as the prime (uncreated, first) being, therefore superior rather than first among equals. And why? Perhaps he was narcissistically impressed with his own being, so that he could not believe such could or should be subject to anything or anyone.

In any event, I think Satan (The Accuser) accuses God of lying about God’s own nature and about God’s relationship with his creatures. He does not believe God created man and material out of love for man, but as a servile creature to satisy God’s own vanity. And I think he has always believed that through the destruction of man, in light of such a defective creation, God would himself be debased, exposed as a liar and supreme manipulator, and unable henceforth to advance love as a condition of existence.

 

[Charlemagne_III]

In any event, I think Satan (The Accuser) accuses God of lying about God’s own nature and about God’s relationship with his creatures. He does not believe God created man and material out of love for man, but as a servile creature to satisy God’s own vanity.

In this way you could say that it is Satan who is the master manipulator, in that he manipulated himself into a self destructive lie that he was willing to believe; confirming at the start of all Creation the scriptural admonition that pride goeth before the fall.

 

[shoe]

Sin basically is making choices that separate us from the love of God. Sin has a tendency to puff us up with our own self importance; and sin always gets back to free will, which God gave not only to mankind but also to angels. And although God created the angel Lucifer perfect, that does not indicate God deprived Lucifer of his freedom to make free-will choices, even making choices contrary to God’s will. Therefore, if God is to create creatures with the freedom to make choices, then the possibility to choose either obedience or disobedience to God’s will must go with that freedom. God gave Lucifer (Satan, Devil) freedom of choice, and he chose disobedience.

James writes: “Never, when you are being put to the test, say, ‘God is tempting me’; God cannot be tempted by evil, and he does not put anybody to the test. Everyone is put to the test by being attracted and seduced by that person’s own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin reaches full growth, it gives birth to death” (James 1:13-15).

 

[Charlemagne_III]

James writes: “Never, when you are being put to the test, say, ‘God is tempting me’; God cannot be tempted by evil, and he does not put anybody to the test. Everyone is put to the test by being attracted and seduced by that person’s own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin reaches full growth, it gives birth to death” (James 1:13-15).

It’s true that God did not tempt Lucifer to rebel. What God did do was to create Lucifer with the power to choose between good and evil. So the prospect (awareness) of evil (pride) was planted in Lucifer by God even though God did not urge Lucifer to succumb to the prospect. Indeed, in all likelihood, God gave Lucifer the necessary grace to refuse to to succumb to pride, but Lucifer’s “desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin reaches full growth, it gives birth to death.” In the case of Lucifer, death is the creation of everlasting hell.

 

[Biggie]

In this way you could say that it is Satan who is the master manipulator, in that he manipulated himself into a self destructive lie that he was willing to believe; confirming at the start of all Creation the scriptural admonition that pride goeth before the fall.

Yes exactly! I agree.

 

[sKriptary2]

Pride. Satan may have had knowledge of God’s infinite goodness and dominance, but he was like a rebellious teenager. He rejected God because he didn’t want to have to need Him. He wanted to be his own god.

 

[mikekle]

If Satan had not done what he did, there would be NO evil in the world, so he basically had no choice (no free will for Satan in this case).

 

[Charlemagne_III]

If Satan had not done what he did, there would be NO evil in the world, so he basically had no choice (no free will for Satan in this case).

Can you explain this further?

If Satan had no free will, how is he to blame for rebelling against God?

 

[z_0101]

If Satan had not done what he did, there would be NO evil in the world, so he basically had no choice (no free will for Satan in this case).

Can you explain this further?

If Satan had no free will, how is he to blame for rebelling against God?

Don’t fall for this argument… This will lead us to the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination or double predestination.

 

[tonyrey]

Pride. Satan may have had knowledge of God’s infinite goodness and dominance, but he was like a rebellious teenager. He rejected God because he didn’t want to have to need Him. He wanted to be his own god.

Welcome to the forum with your powerful opening post!

 

[mikekle]

Can you explain this further?

If Satan had no free will, how is he to blame for rebelling against God?

Well, its difficult to ponder, but if Satan HAD NOT fallen and had not taken 1/3 of the angels with him…what or who would be the alternative to God? How could there be an alternative if nothing was there to tempt men?

If there had been no Satan to tempt adam and eve in the garden, we would be living in a much different world, but you have to wonder, if there had been no original sin, would humans even have true free will…I dont think they could because without an alternative to God and his ways, there is nothing else for people to choose.

So, in a sense, God needed Satan( or someone) to go against him for there to be another choice, if there was no other choice but God and his ways, that is not really free will, but just a lack of an alternative.

 

[livingwordunity]

Well, its difficult to ponder, but if Satan HAD NOT fallen and had not taken 1/3 of the angels with him…what or who would be the alternative to God? How could there be an alternative if nothing was there to tempt men?

If there had been no Satan to tempt adam and eve in the garden, we would be living in a much different world, but you have to wonder, if there had been no original sin, would humans even have true free will…I dont think they could because without an alternative to God and his ways, there is nothing else for people to choose.

So, in a sense, God needed Satan( or someone) to go against him for there to be another choice, if there was no other choice but God and his ways, that is not really free will, but just a lack of an alternative.

If when God gave the angels free will to accept him or reject him and if none would have chosen to rebel they would have all still been making a choice. Therefore would have all still had free will. We don’t need temptation to have free will. Proof of that is the fact that Satan didn’t have anyone to tempt him when he rebelled.

 

[Tzimisce]

Why did Satan rebel against God?

Is there anything more than sheer speculation to explain why?

Humans have a very easy time rebelling against God. Maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on the Angels.