Temptation and trials – what is the different between the two?  Who gives us trials or do we put ourselves in them?  Who gives us temptations or do we put ourselves in them?  Why do we go through both?  Is it a test for us to pass or to build us up spiritually?

Sincerely,
Trying

Dear Trying,

The Bible says that God never tempts us to do evil (Jas 1:13).  God never purposefully puts us in a situation with a desire for us to sin.  The devil wants to devour you with sin, but God never does (1 Pet 5:8).  However, God does put us in situations in order to find out what we are made of.  God tested Abraham when He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Gen 22:1).  God put Abraham in a position where he could succeed or fail – but the key is that God wanted him to succeed (Gen 22:14-18).  Abraham was tried by God (Heb 11:17), so God could bless him.  God may put us in circumstances that are difficult, but His desire is always to benefit us.

On the other hand, the devil tempts us for the purpose of destroying us – just like he did with Jesus in the wilderness (Matt 4:1).  That is why God promises us that He will never allow the devil to tempt us beyond what we are able to handle (1 Cor 10:13).  The devil tries to set us up for failure, and the Lord tries to set us up for success.

     Can we taunt Satan or demons?

Sincerely,
Angry At Evil

Dear Angry At Evil,

You can, but you shouldn’t.  Jude 1:8-9 says that even the angels are careful to not rail against Satan – vengeance and rebuke belong to the Lord, not us.  1 Pet 5:8 says that the devil is a roaring lion.  Wisdom dictates that we ought not to taunt a lion, best to avoid him.  Satan may be evil, but he is also very powerful, and God recommends we flee instead of play with fire.  Leave the taunting and punishment to God.

Jesus said that He created hell for Lucifer and his angels.  Can you please help me understand why humans are also subjected to the same fate as these demons if humans don't make it to heaven?  I mean, why didn't God make a lesser-tormented place than hell since hell was meant to be for the demons in the first place and was not made for humans?

Sincerely,
Horrified By Hell

Dear Horrified By Hell,

In Matt 25:41, Jesus says that the eternal fire was prepared for the devil (‘Lucifer’ is not a name used for the devil – read “Sans Satan” for more details) and his angels, but it doesn’t say they were the only ones the fire was prepared for.  We simply don’t have enough information to know that hell was prepared for the devil first and humans were added to that equation later.  All we know is that rebellious angels await the Great Day of Judgment as much as humans do (Jude 1:6).

If God is so powerful and mighty, can't He just destroy the devil and evil?  Why doesn't He just be, like, “BAM!”… and the devil and the evil in the world be gone?

Sincerely,
Ka-Pow

Dear Ka-Pow,

God does have the power to destroy the devil and all evil, and eventually, that is exactly what He will do (Matt 25:41).  God tells us that the reason He hasn’t destroyed all evil is because that would involve destroying all sinful people as well.  After all, sin is what causes evil.  God, in His abundant patience, is waiting to give as many people as possible the chance to repent and turn to Him, so they can be forgiven (2 Pet 3:5-9).  God promises that one day He will destroy all evil; the really question is: whose side will we be on in that day?

In 2 Corinthians 4:4, when Paul said, “god of this world”, is he referring to Satan?  Also, who is the morning star?  Jesus or the devil?

Sincerely,
Name Tamer

Dear Name Tamer,

The ‘god of this world’ referred to in 2 Cor 4:4 is the devil.  The devil seeks to make us subservient to him by enslaving us to the cares and the lusts of this world (1 Jn 2:16).  He deceives people into blindly following their earthly desires and becoming ensnared to sin (Pr 29:6).  When we are completely enthralled with worldly living, there is no room in our hearts for the gospel to shine.

As for the title ‘morning star’ – Jesus is given that title in Rev 22:16.  He is the Bright and Morning Star sent by God to shine His light in a dying world (Jhn 1:9-10).