Bible Question:

Does God love Satan?

Bible Answer:

The Bible does not say very much about the relationship between God and His angels. Apparently, God was more interested in telling us about our relationship with Him.

Yet, we can discover the answer by asking, “What do we know about God’s character and what has He taught us about Himself?” Most of the answers to questions like this are found in a knowledge of the character of God (Jeremiah 9:23-24).  So, lets ask what do we know about God’s character? While we know that God is holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, infinite, and many other things, the one truth about God that touches our emotions is that He loves. 1 John says this about God.

. . . God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NASB)

And in John 3:16 we read that God loves all of us.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB)

What do we know about God? We know that He loves and He loves even those who do not like Him according to the next verse.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men . . . Luke 6:35-36 (NASB)

Did you see the last part of the verse? God loves even “. . . evil men.” If God loves us and loves evil men, then we have discovered an important truth about God’s character. That is, God loves those who like Him and those who are ungrateful and unkind to Him. He must love everyone including the holy and evil angels. He must love Satan too! So when God asks us to love others, He is asking us to follow His example.

You have heard that it was said, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . . Matthew 5:43-44 (NASB)

Conclusion:

But this does not mean that God loves evil or sin as Proverbs 8:13 indicates,

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate. Proverbs 8:13 (NASB)

Consequently, Satan will at some time in the future spend all of his eternity in punishment because he has rejected God. Satan is committed to being evil.

And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire . . . will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10 (NASB)

And all evil men will join him in the Lake of Fire because they reject Jesus Christ.

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.  John 3:18, 36 (NASB)

Satan cannot escape his future judgment but we can by believing in Jesus Christ and depending upon Him to forgive our sins.

Suggested Links:

Should we love Satan? — Or, should we hate Satan?