Did God create evil?

This is a controversial subject and many have disagreed with me that the bible teaches that God created evil; this is the reason I have decided to address this topic and discuss it in some detail below.

The short answer to the above question is YES, God did create evil and what follows is the proof straight from the pages of the bible.

Proverbs 16:4
The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Wicked: H7563 rāšā‛: An adjective meaning wicked, guilty, in the wrong, criminal, transgressor. This adjective is used 264 times, many more times than the verb formed from it. It means essentially someone guilty or in the wrong and is an antonym to the Hebrew word ṣaḏḏiyq (H6662), meaning righteous, in the right.

The bible clearly states that the LORD, Jehovah, has made all things for himself including the wicked. The wicked of course would include Satan whom the bible addresses as the ‘wicked one’. Matthew 13:19 and 13:38, 1 John 2:13, 2:14, 3:12, 5:18 all refer to Satan as ‘the wicked one.’ Can someone please explain to me how God did not create evil when the bible clearly teaches that he created the evil one? Furthermore the following scripture clearly teaches that all things were created by God: Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Eph. 3:9 and Rev. 4:11 also tell us that God has created all things, and last time I checked all things included Satan, included evil. But to satisfy the doubters Col. 1:16 specifies that God has created principalities and powers; now Eph. 6:12 tells us that at least some of these principalities and powers are Satanic, are evil, so does this not then prove that God created these evil powers and evil beings? They did not create themselves did they? But why would God whose understanding is infinite according to Psalm 147:5 create these evil creatures and thus bring evil into his perfect world? According to Col. 1:16 all things, including the devil and evil, were created by him, and they were created for him. He created evil because evil serves his purposes, that’s all there is to it. With his infinite understanding it stands to reason that Satan and evil serve his purposes otherwise evil would not exist.

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

In the above scripture God plainly states that he creates darkness and evil, states it plainly yet I have heard all kinds of fanciful explanations for this verse that try and prove that it does not mean what it says. This word DARKNESS is the very same word that is used in Genesis 1:2 which tells us that darkness was upon the face of the deep. This darkness that was upon the face of the earth was not a physical darkness but rather a spiritual darkness, just as the light that God commanded to shine in Gen. 1:2 was spiritual light. Physical light that comes from heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon and stars did not come into existence till the fourth day so the light that shone on the first day was spiritual light. This spiritual light did not become visible to man until Jesus Christ was incarnated and came down to Earth. John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. It is obvious that the light that John was writing about was not physical light for the sun was certainly shining in Jesus’ day and such light was fully comprehended and appreciated by men. What they did not comprehend was spiritual light, which is the knowledge of God, because they were in spiritual darkness. The point here is that this spiritual darkness was also created by God by creating the devil; we understand that the devil was not created evil in the beginning but became so at a later date but the fact still remains that the very purpose for which Lucifer was created was so that evil would be born into the world through him. Now no one will question that God created Lucifer and Lucifer became evil, so if God with his infinite understanding did not want evil, all he had to do was to not create Lucifer – problem solved! If you and I can think of this solution then do you not think that God would also have thought about it yet he went ahead with his plans, why?

The answer is that he needed evil to be present in the world and so he purposed that it would arise through Lucifer; that is the whole sole reason for the creation of Lucifer, to be the evil one, and since God created Lucifer for this purpose he created evil, even if it was by proxy. God makes no excuses for it either, he states it plainly that he did so; all things were created by him, and for him. The very Hebrew word for evil, RAH, as used in Isa 45:7 is the same word as used in Gen 2:9 to describe the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It’s that evil that God says he created, not Lucifer or Satan or any other creature that created it. Does it then make God evil? Not in the least bit, and that is the paradox, God, the one who is absolutely good, created his mirror opposite so that he could use the darkness of evil to reveal the goodness of his own light to his chosen creatures. Satan is not God’s adversary, he is man’s adversary; Satan is God’s servant, created simply to do his bidding. 1 Kings 22: 19–23 proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that evil spirits are not only subject to God, they are the subjects of God, under his absolute control. The story of God, Satan, and Job also illustrates this very principle and does it not make sense that if God created evil and evildoers to serve his purposes that they should be under his absolute control?

Darkness H2822ḥōšeḵ: A masculine noun meaning darkness. As in English, the word has many symbolic uses. In its first occurrence, it is associated with disorder (Gen_1:2) and is distinguished and separated from light (Gen_1:4).

Evil: H7451 rā‛āh: An adjective meaning bad, evil. The basic meaning of this word displays ten or more various shades of the meaning of evil according to its contextual usage. It means bad in a moral and ethical sense and is used to describe, along with good, the entire spectrum of good and evil; hence, it depicts evil in an absolute, negative sense, as when it describes the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen_2:9; Gen_3:5, Gen_3:22)

Isaiah 54:16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

Waster: H7843 / šāḥaṯ: A verb meaning to spoil, to ruin, to destroy, to pervert, to corrupt, to become corrupt, to wipe out.

By the above definition, the title of WASTER would certainly apply to the devil. God is once again plainly stating that he has created the waster, the evil one and he has created him to destroy. The bible clearly teaches that in the human realm it is God who appoints principalities and powers, all kings and rulers are appointed by God to serve his purposes, both good and evil. Daniel 4:32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The point here is that just as God determines human principalities and powers and uses them for his own purposes; even so does he not do the same with heavenly principalities and powers?

Now let’s turn to the New Testament and really step on some traditional false doctrine toes and further prove that God is a Sovereign Omnipotent God who does whatsoever he wills including the creation of evil if that suits his purposes. Let me demolish the false doctrine of FREE WILL once and for all and prove that the bible teaches that only God has a free will, everyone else is a slave to that will, both for salvation or perdition. Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Rom. 3:23 which is probably the second most quoted Bible verse after John 3:16 states that ^‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’ Think about that for a minute: if all are equally sinners in God’s eyes and yet some are saved and some are not, then is it not God who elects upon whom he will have mercy, upon whom he will have compassion, and against whom he will harden? Jesus himself said that many are called but few are chosen; everyone is not called for salvation let alone chosen for it! This I’m sure flies in the face of the everyone can be saved (false) doctrine but so be it! The bible teaches no such thing. On the contrary it teaches that God himself picks who will be the vessels of his wrath, and who will be the vessels upon whom he will have mercy independent of their actions.

God chooses and predestines not only those whom he saves but also those who will go on to perdition independent of their actions. This tough doctrine is well illustrated in Romans 9 in the story of Jacob and Esau: the apostle Paul teaches that even before Jacob and Esau were born, and before they had done anything at all, good or evil, God chose to love Jacob, and to hate Esau; yes the word used in Romans 9:13 is HATE! Now go preach that in Sunday school that God chooses to hate some people simply because he chooses to do so, not because of anything they might have done, but simply because it serves his purposes. Where does that leave this so–called doctrine of free will, leaves it in the dust I say for it sure is not in the bible and please don’t quote 2 Peter 3:9 about God not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance to try and prove me wrong. It is only because evil and death exist, and must exist, that there is a need for salvation. It is truly not God’s desire that any should perish but at the same time he is well aware that some must perish (why it must be so is too complex a subject to broach here at present, what I’m addressing here will already be too tough for many to handle so I will leave the subject of why some must perish for another time.) God knowing that some must perish and if left to our own free will all would perish predetermined both the ones who would be saved and the ones who would not be saved. This then is the meaning of the following scripture: Rom. 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? The apostle Paul taught that God according to his own will pre–determines both the vessels of mercy and the vessels of wrath. Technically the vessels of wrath could argue that they had no choice in the matter, that there was no way for them to escape their pre–determined (by God) fate; this argument though perhaps correct is not acceptable as an excuse for their actions. God’s answer to anyone trying to blame God for his wickedness is Rom. 9:20 ‘Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?’ So God himself fits some vessels for destruction, and then condemns them to judgment; and even though this was their pre–determined destiny they cannot escape judgment simply by arguing that they were only fulfilling God’s will. Romans 9 gives the example of Pharaoh in Moses’ day; that no matter what the Pharaoh did there was no way for him to repent and change and escape the judgment that befell him.

So just as God created the earthly Pharaoh of whom it is written in Rom. 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. God’s power is demonstrated when there is resistance to that power. No matter how much Pharaoh wanted not to resist God he was powerless to do so, even though he may not have wanted to harden his heart against God he had no choice in the matter since God had hardened his heart against Pharaoh, he was a condemned man even before he was born. Even as God suffers earthly evildoers because it serves his purposes, so too did he suffer the heavenly Pharaoh, the heavenly ruler of darkness to arise and become darkness just so that God’s light would shine to its full brightness in the presence of that darkness! In conclusion I will say that our God is a Sovereign, Omnipotent Creator who has created ALL THINGS, both good and evil. Ask yourself this question that if God is truly Almighty (all powerful,) and his understanding is infinite then could he not have created a cosmos without evil ever arising in it unless it served his purposes? If it does serve his purposes why is it so strange that he created it?

The understanding of such tough topics that most church pastors would not touch with a ten foot pole requires that we lay aside all pre–conceived ideas and teachings about the nature of God; rather let us study his Word in which he tells us plainly who he is and more importantly what he is: Omnipotent, Almighty, Sovereign, in absolute control of every atom in the universe. Let us not try and short change him by trying to make him out be somebody he is not, he is not afraid of anyone finding out that he created the devil, or that he uses Satan for his purposes, he proclaims it loud and clear in his Word, all you have to do is to read it!