Why does Satan work so hard? What's in it for him?

[Neoplatonist]

I get that the angels fell because of pride and that they wanted to serve the self rather than God. What I have never quite understood, though, is that if Hell is such an awful torment outside the umbrella of God’s redeeming love/presence, why would they be motivated to tempt the will and souls of human beings?

Of course, I also don’t understand how/why there is room in their minds or their daily schedules, so to speak, to bother with any of that either.

Thoughts?

 

[CaitlinSiobhan]

I don’t know the “real” answer, but I always viewed it as a sort of revenge for wounded pride. Because the Father chose humans over fallen angels, as imperfect as we are. I don’t know if that’s theologically correct, but maybe someone can expand on or refute it.

 

[M-Dent]

By the devils own choice its the only purpose left for its existence.

 

[DaveBj]

Why does Satan work so hard? What’s in it for him?

Because he’s a fool who thinks he can still win?

 

[dallasb]

I don’t think the devil uses reason or logic when he makes decisions. He is driven more by pride and emotions which is why he is in the trouble he is in.

 

[Peebo]

We are created out of Gods perfect love…we are his children who he loves beyond measure…he wants all of us to be with him for all eternity…he sent his only son to die for our sins so we might be reconciled to him because he loves us so much…why would Satan NOT work so hard to take from God those who he created in his image…that’s what’s in it for him.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

The phrase that comes to mind is “Misery loves company.”

 

[Neoplatonist]

So I seem to be hearing that you guys think even with an angelic intellect he is just too stupid to realize it isn’t helping anything?

“Thinks he could still win” - win what? Is he also too stupid to realize that God is infinite and he is not?

Take over Heaven? But isn’t Heaven, by definition the presence of God? How could he “take over” the presence of God?

 

[Charlemagne_III]

What I have never quite understood, though, is that if Hell is such an awful torment outside the umbrella of God’s redeeming love/presence, why would they be motivated to tempt the will and souls of human beings?

Misery loves company.

More to the point: what’s in it for anybody who rejects even the idea of God, never mind the love of God?

 

[Mintaka]

I’m pretty sure Satan knows he can’t win. It’s all spite and stubbornness.

Well, actually it’s more than that, if you look at “angelology” as taught by theologians. Once an angel makes a choice, he is that choice for the end of eternity. That’s just how spirits are. So it’s not so much that he has spite and stubbornness as that he can’t have anything but spite and stubbornness. That’s what he chose.

 

[pianistclare]

He knows he’s blown it. He wants to hurt God. In his mind, the only way to do that is to lead us away from God. Think about it. The truly bad people of the world are already in his pocket. He goes after God-lovers. Holy people. People who will fall the hardest. Like he did. He was once holy. But he blew it.
Pride.
Envy.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the devil is not smart. He’s brilliant. He uses our everyday foibles to teach us that we aren’t worthy of love, forgiveness, and that God doesn’t really care anyway. In our world we call it “spin”.
He’s not called the prince of lies for nothing.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

So I seem to be hearing that you guys think even with an angelic intellect he is just too stupid to realize it isn’t helping anything?

I think you misunderstand what we’re saying. It’s not a matter of him being stupid, it’s a matter of him being blinded by pride and rage. That’s an entirely different state than stupidity.

“Thinks he could still win” - win what? Is he also too stupid to realize that God is infinite and he is not?

Every soul he leads away from God is a win for him, so there’s still plenty he can ‘win.’ He can’t win in the end, and he knows that, but he’s going to take as many people down with him as he can.

Take over Heaven? But isn’t Heaven, by definition the presence of God? How could he “take over” the presence of God?

No-one has mentioned Satan taking over Heaven… I don’t know where you got this from.

 

[Bonnie]

Who says he works hard? We do a lot of sinning on our own initiative.

 

[Peebo]

So I seem to be hearing that you guys think even with an angelic intellect he is just too stupid to realize it isn’t helping anything?

“Thinks he could still win” - win what? Is he also too stupid to realize that God is infinite and he is not?

Take over Heaven? But isn’t Heaven, by definition the presence of God? How could he “take over” the presence of God?

Satan isn’t stupid…he was the greatest of angels before pride saw him driven out of heaven…I’m sure he knows just how much we…(who were created by God in his image)
mean to God…he also knows that he is already defeated…but until Christ returns he is free to lie and deceive all who he can…so yes…he can “win” for a time…win millions of souls from God because he knows we are created beings who God loves most

 

[M-Dent]

“Thinks he could still win” - win what? Is he also too stupid to realize that God is infinite and he is not?

Scripture and the Church has been clear enough the evil one seeks to ruin souls. He desires company of those weaker in the state he knows he is damned.

The Gospel of John speaks of “the prince of this world” as being the devil. And that world being of sin.

Jesus gave us the most definite glimpse of the mind of the enemy; when the devil revealed Who he desired to be: **“All these I will give you, if you will but fall down and worship me” **(Matt 4:9). St. John Chrysostom stated: “saying, that all that is the Fathers was his, and was endeavoring to make himself out to be God, as artificer of the universe…”

Venerable Fulton Sheen spoke of Satan and tied this to belief in the Gospels. Since our Lord was approached by the devil we may be able to understand why he commented, "Satan stations more devils on monastery walls than in dens of iniquity, for the latter offer no resistance."

We ought not give the devil more power than he has but also we are warned to be very wary he is seeking us.

.

 

[esieffe]

Think of who we are talking about! The source of all evil! He takes pleasure in what he does.
Rage? sure, why not… makes sens… Stubborn? I suppose… probably. Pleasure, exploitation, greed for souls to add to his account. I would guess these reasons are closer to the mark. Revenge, now there’s a thought.

 

[Gregory_Olson]

I get that the angels fell because of pride and that they wanted to serve the self rather than God. What I have never quite understood, though, is that if Hell is such an awful torment outside the umbrella of God’s redeeming love/presence, why would they be motivated to tempt the will and souls of human beings?

Of course, I also don’t understand how/why there is room in their minds or their daily schedules, so to speak, to bother with any of that either.

Thoughts?

What a good thread idea!

I think we are confusing ourselves by assuming Satan has virtues that he must necessarily lack.
God is infinitely good, and all his creation is totally good because it comes from him and is a reflection of him. Sin is nothing more than a perversion or reduction of this goodness. So, God is perfectly rational, and absolute sin would be perfectly irrational. God is perfectly loving, absolute sin would be perfectly indifferent. God is perfectly charitable, absolute sin would be perfectly cruel. In absolute sin would be perfect despair, fear, wastefulness, jealousy, etc.
Absolute sin is nothing more than total separation from God, which is what the devil has chosen for himself. The only reason he can operate at all is because he still makes use of, like a zombie or an out-of-control robot, the angelic traits that God gave to his being.
What the devil does must necessarily be destructive, wasteful, pointlessly cruel, and not make sense; anything else would only put him closer to God, and since there is zero Godliness (goodness) left in him, it is impossible for him to do this. He is like an unruly supercomputer stuck on wanton depravity.
To keep his sin to himself is not the most evil thing the devil can do; to put his fullest effort into the corruption of other creation is. So, this is what necessarily happens. He doesn’t have anything as logical as a reason for doing this; it’s part of his totally fallen nature.
Unfortunately for us, the fullest effort of what once was an archangel is no small potatoes. It’s a good thing God is omnipotent, and loves us infinitely.

Just my two cents. Take what I say with a grain of salt; I didn’t get this from the Catechism but my own thoughts, so I might be completely off.

-Greg