Why doesnt satan just change his mind?

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UKcatholicGuy

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One thing I’ve always wondered, and never really heard a satisfactory answer to (sorry, I know that sounds conceited): Why does the devil keep on doing evil? He knows that he has been defeated by Jesus. He knows he will come to an end at the second coming. So why doesn’t he just repent? I’ve heard the answer that an angel’s decision is eternal. But if that’s the case, how did he ever choose against God in the first place? Please shed some light, it’s really hurting my faith. Part of me secretly wonders if the idea of the devil was just thrown in to explain evil . . . Please help. Thanks and God bless
 
Angels are different than humans in that they cannot change their wills once they’ve made up their minds. Satan decided he would not serve the disgusting cockroaches that were men and thus chose against God’s will. He can never change it back. For a more in depth and intelligent sounding explanation, see Thomas Aquinas’ writings on angels in Summa Theologica. 👍
 
In hell there is no rhyme or reason only hate.🙂 Nice thought though. It would sure make my life easier if he would change his mind.
 
It freaks me out that no one has replied to this…

I have no idea. Maybe that’s the devils nature, he won’t repent, that’s what he is, unrepentant, hateful, stubborn, full of pride, thinks why should I repent when I’m better than God?

We all know people like this it’s not hard to imagine, “cutting off your nose to spite your face”

I don’t know. Makes me uncomfortable thinking about it. You shouldn’t let this hurt your faith. There must be someone with a good answer for this one?
 
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UKcatholicGuy:
I’ve heard the answer that an angel’s decision is eternal. But if that’s the case, how did he ever choose against God in the first place? Please shed some light, it’s really hurting my faith.
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The angels were tested just as Adam and Eve were. The fall from “heaven” was not the heaven of glory. Once anyone is in glory, they can never fall.

Church teaching:

  1. *] In the beginning of time God created spiritual essences (angels) out of nothing (De fide)
    *] The nature of the angels is spiritual (De fide)
    *] The angels are by nature immortal (Sent. communis)
    *] God set a supernatural final end for the angels, the immediate vision of God, and endowed them with sanctifying grace in order that they might achieve this end (Sent. certa)
    *] The angels were subjected to a moral testing. (Sent. certa / Sent. communis)
    *] The evil spirits (demons) were created good by God; they became evil through their own fault.

    2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment

    Role of angels:

    1. *] The primary task of the good angels is the glorification and the service of God (Sent. certa)
      *] The secondary task of the good angels is the protection of men and care for their salvation (De fide)
      *] Every one of the faithful has his own special guardian angel from baptism (Sent. certa)
      *] The Devil possesses a certain dominion over mankind by reason of Adam’s sin (De fide)

      Hope this helps.

      hurst
 
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UKcatholicGuy:
So why doesn’t he just repent? I’ve heard the answer that an angel’s decision is eternal. But if that’s the case, **how ** did he ever choose against God in the first place?
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That is faulty reasoning. One thing (a definitive choice) does not exclude the other (making that choice).

Perhaps you meant why? The probable answer has been given: Pride.
 
Fidelis, good call.

To others: thank you for your insights. They were indeed helpful. As I find this topic interesting, please continue to post if you have anything else to share. Thanks and God bless.
 
Recall that the nature of an angelic being is to have a perfect intellect and a perfect will. When Satan made the choice against God it was with the use of that perfect will and perfect intellect. There was absolute clarity in his choice to choose against God. Combine this with the fact that in the spiritual world there is no time. Therefore the decision against God had an infinite quality and because in heaven (or hell) there is not a succession of moments the No of Satan is caught up in the infinite Now of God’s time. Further, even if there was some sort of time such as aeveternity the essential quality of the decission being made with a perfect intellect and will would be sufficient for the choice to be static.

A person repents because he literally sees the error of his ways and realizes that his choice was not for the good even though at the time he thought it was because he percieved it as a good through his fallen intellect and his fallen will and thus he repents because his intellect has now percieved that the wrong choice was made on faulty information. Angelic beings, having perfect intellects only percieve what is absolutely true and thus if they will something it is impossible for them to will the opposite because they already have all the information upon which to make a judgment.
 
John Milton had the devil say, something like, “Tis better to rule in hell than to serve in Heaven”…As irrational as it seems to us, I think this is probably the truth: satan just doesn’t want to repent. Even if he could, he wouldn’t, I think…
 
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UKcatholicGuy:
One thing I’ve always wondered, and never really heard a satisfactory answer to (sorry, I know that sounds conceited): Why does the devil keep on doing evil? He knows that he has been defeated by Jesus. He knows he will come to an end at the second coming. So why doesn’t he just repent? I’ve heard the answer that an angel’s decision is eternal. But if that’s the case, how did he ever choose against God in the first place? Please shed some light, it’s really hurting my faith. Part of me secretly wonders if the idea of the devil was just thrown in to explain evil . . . Please help. Thanks and God bless
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I highly recommend the book Theology For Beginners by Frank Sheed-- he covers this very topic quite well in this book. He discusses the nature of man and the angels and how each fell and why they are different and the angel’s choice irrevocable.
 
I’d ask why doesn’t Kate Michaelman, the head of Planned Parenthood wake up, look at what she’s done and change her mind on abortion?

Surely if humans can be so obdurately evil, an angel can be the same.
 
vern humphrey:
I’d ask why doesn’t Kate Michaelman, the head of Planned Parenthood wake up, look at what she’s done and change her mind on abortion?

Surely if humans can be so obdurately evil, an angel can be the same.
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Amen!

Thanks, all, for your responses. They are truly helpful. God bless.
 
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NiceFundamental:
Is it not correct that Satan is not in hell yet?
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The double-negative form of this question is confusing.

However, I think I know what you are asking. You are wondering if Satan is currently in hell. This is an interesting question. The answer to this is rather complicated and touches on some other issues concerning the world of the spirit. However, for the time being I think it is sufficient to say that yes Satan in indeed in hell.
 
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