A
Creator

Origin of Evil

  

  “ He persistently defended his own course , maintained that he had no need of repentence , and fully committed himself , in the great controversy , against his Maker . All the powers of his master mind were now bent to the work of deception , to secure the sympathy of the angels that had been under his command . Even the fact that Christ had warned and counseled him was perverted to serve his traitorous designs . For those whose loving trust bound most closely to him, Satan had represented that he was wrongly judged, that his position was not respected , and his liberty was to be abridged . From misrepresentation of the words of Christ , he passed to prevarication and direct falsehood accusing the Son of God of a design to humiliate him before the inhabitants of heaven . He sought also to make a false issue between himself and the loyal angels . All whom he could not subvert and bring fully to his side he accused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings . The very work which he himself was doing he charged upon those who remained true to God .

  And to sustain his charge of God's injustice toward him , he resorted to misrepresentation of the words and acts of the Creator . It was his policy to perplex the angels with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God . Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery , and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah . His high position , in such close connection with the divine administration , gave greater force to his representations , and many were induced to unite with him in rebellion against Heaven's authority . God in His wisdom permitted Satan to carry forward his work , until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt . It was necessary for his plans to be fully developed , that their true nature and tendency might be seen by all . Lucifer , as the anointed cherub , had been highly exalted ; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings , and his influence over them was strong . God's government included not only the inhabitants of heaven , but of all the worlds that He had created ; and Satan thought that if he could carry the angels of heaven with him in rebellion , he could carry also the other worlds . He had artfully presented his side of the question , employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects .

  His power to deceive was very great , and by disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood he had gained an advantage . Even the loyal angels could not fully discerned his character or see to what his work was leading . Satan had been so highly honored , and all his acts were so clothed with mystery , that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his work . Until fully developed , sin would not appear the evil thing it was . Heretofore it had had no place in the universe of God , and holy beings had no conception of its nature and malignity . They could not discern the terrible consequences that would result from setting aside the divine law . Satan had , at first , concealed his work under a specious profession of loyalty to God . He claimed to be seeking to promote the honor of God , the stability of His government , and the good of all the inhabitants of heaven . While instilling discontent into the minds of the angels under him , he had artfully made it appear that he was seeking to remove dissatisfaction . When he urged that changes be made in the order and laws of God's government , it was under the pretense that these were necessary in order to preserve harmony in heaven .