God's Devil: The Incredible Story of How Satan's Rebellion Serves God's Purposes

by Erwin W. Lutzer, R.C. Sproul (Foreword)

“It is the best treatment of the person and work of the enemy I have ever read.” — R.C. Sproul, from the foreword to God’s Devil Many Christians are oblivious to the Devil and his schemes, and this is precisely the problem. If you don’t know why you need to know about the Devil, then this book is especially for you. In God’s Devil, pastor and scholar Erwin W. Lutzer takes us to the corners of Scripture to which we seldom go. With surprising insights and potent quotes at every turn, God’s Devil Martin Luther once said, “Even the Devil is God’s devil.” So while this is a book about Satan, it is even more about God’s sovereign power over him. Read it for comfort, read it for peace, and read it for strength. Consider digging deeper with the God’s Devil DVD and study guide.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Faith

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Erwin W. Lutzer is senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago. A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Loyola University, he is the author of numerous books, including the Gold Medallion Award winner "Hitler's Cross" and the best seller "One Minute After You Die". He is also a teacher on radio programs heard on more than 700 stations throughout the United States and the world, including "Songs in the Night," "The Moody Church Hour," and the daily feature "Running to Win." He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area and have three married children and seven grandchildren.

Reviews

[Rod Horncastle · Rating 4 out of 5]

First complaint:
I always enjoy Erwin W. Lutzer's books - (especially HItler's Cross). So I jumped at this book... then after I finally got around to reading it I noticed that it came out earlier as a book called "The Serpent Of Paradise". I read that book about 3 years ago, so I kind of want my money back. But it appears this NEW edition is about 50 pages longer - not sure how - but that was enough to inspire me to go the distance.
(NEXT TIME - it should say on the front or back cover that this is an old book just under a new name. Basically to match my laziness or literature disposing memory.)

So is the Devil actually GOD'S DEVIL? You bet he is.

And R.C. Sproul reminds us: " there can be no sound theology without a sound demonology." Quote from Dr. Berkouwer. So if we have no Satan, we have no sin, we have no temptations, we have no rebellion, we have no Hell, we have no need of a Savior. So thank God there's a Devil eh?

In this day and age we have numerous so-called liberal theologians who claim to LOVE Jesus yet don't actually believe in a Satan, or a hell, or the power of sin, or a factual Resurrection, or a reliable literal Word of God. So their Jesus is really good for... ummmh? Stuff, I guess. Basically these people are once again making the same statements as that Snake in the Garden that started it all. "Did God REALLY say? You won't surely Die? You will be like GOD?".

Apparently nothing has changed in 6000 years. (same BUTTHEADS! Different outfits.)

So if you remove a healthy Biblical study of demonology (that Satan guy) then you can indeed end up with some nasty waterdowned comprehension of the God of the Universe...which leads to a faulty understanding of Jesus and man.

This book is great because it isn't simply about old Satan and his abilities - It's about how it all fits together and where Jesus fits in. From Genesis to Revelation God has a plan, and surprisingly, Satan is very useful in this plan. Eventually we would all sin without him - but Satan sure speeds up the process (what a relief eh?).
My thoughts:
We don't need Satan to sin - we Need Satan to create false religions and distract from God's worship.

In the introduction of the book, R.C. Sproul mentions that he disagrees with Erwin Lutzer on a few issues, as do I. Are they essential? No.
Does Satan have a perfect understanding of Jesus? Erwin says Yes, I say No.
Satan tempted the eternal King of all existence with some dirt cities. I don't think Satan fully comprehended the SON OF GOD bit. Satan is most likely spiritually blind and a raging ego-maniac - that would easily get in the way of any serious theological scholarship on Satan's part.

Does Satan go back and forth between Heaven and Earth?
I don't think so. We need to be careful how we read JOB 1:

6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?”

I'm not convinced SONS OF GOD means Angels necessarily. I could mean those who are righteous before God. This is also somewhat similar to Cain and Abel making their sacrifices: Genesis 4.

3In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7If you do well, will you not be accepted?

Were Cain and Abel in Heaven making offers to the Lord? NO. The Term "Sons Of God" is very tricky. Are Angels sons of God? Any more than Adam (a human) is? It is interesting how often we read things INTO the Bible based on our desires and assumptions - and yes, even Bible translators do this. Does it make the Bible wrong? Not really, just challenging fun.

But this has a lot to do with the actual powers and abilities Satan and his demons have. Erwin claims some of his Christian friends are demon addicted and possessed/harassed. I would hold off on calling them Christians. I know many non-Christians who read the Bible, speak well of Jesus, go to church, talk about the Kingdom...but they don't know Christ. They are still fodder for Satan and the demons. Thankfully, I haven't found it necessary to battle demons yet. I mostly deal with the stupidity of man - Demons not necessary for that.
_______________________________

I did like Erwin's theory that:
"Not all Bible scholars agree, but I believe that those who died in faith in the Old Testament went to Hades, and not until the ascension of Christ were they taken up to heaven. Paul wrote that when Christ ascended, "he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men" (Ephesians 4:8). Perhaps that means that those who were in the righteous compartment of Hades were taken to heaven at that time.

Now that's systematic theological fun. Kind of makes sense. When Abel died was he lonely in Hades? Possibly - then it sure would be nice that God maybe took Enoch there so he would have a friend. Genesis 5:24

24: Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Which fits kind of sneakily with 1 Samuel 28
9The woman said to him, “Surely you know what (King) Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

15Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

Fun stuff to think about. Not essential though. But it gets us thinking about Hades, Death, Pits for Demons, Hell, the Endtimes. The challenge is always to get as deep into the text of the Bible as possible - and not to read books by people who claim to have been to Heaven and Back, or Hell and back, or possessed by demons and back... best just to go to the Biblical source.

One of the most fascinating things about demons is: They don't get to go back to Heaven. They have no possible freedom of getting righteousness BACK. Although there is that one verse:

1 Peter 4:6
For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

1 Peter 3:19
After being made alive, (Jesus) he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits

Interesting stuff. Not sure if this agrees with Lutzer's Hades, or is simply announcing to those awaiting judgement that the Messiah has come...and they MISSED IT! Just an FYI. Either way - I don't think this is Demons that are being preached to.

So Erwin Lutzer's book is well worth reading. He sure left out a lot of possible Bible references. But his intent wasn't a thorough demonology of all Biblical text. But simply to say "Satan is God's satan, Focus on Jesus and everything will turn out for the better."

P.S.
Please don't try to send Satan or Demons to an early hell or abyss. God made them for a reason. He gave them jobs for a reason. And this verse should horrify anyone who tries:
Matthew 7
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not...and cast out demons in your name...?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Better to KNOW Jesus, and not play with demons or spirits from the beyond. We have a living Christ.

[Brandon Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great read, so biblically sound and informative. A work like this is so essential in a day where so many people simply do not recognize our enemy. Lutzer had a few angles on certain things that I’ve never really thought about. The only small cons were at times it was a little dry, and then other times I felt like Lutzer spoke with too much certainty concerning things that scripture is just not that clear about, one example being Satan‘s motivations in certain situations. But a really great read overall

[C.H. Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lutzer writes about our great enemy Satan, calling on both the Scripture and his experiences in helping troubled souls. He does a good job demonstrating the reality of Satan's existence and the dangers he presents to Christians as well as the unsaved world. The book delivers on the title: Satan is shown to be wholly confined to acting only under God's permission, and what Satan intends for evil, God always turns to accomplish His own good purposes.

Though there are places in which doctrinal precision is lacking, nonetheless the book is a good contribution to believers who are struggling to understand how God can use the purveyor of evil to accomplish His good intentions. Lutzer writes in a very clear and accessible style.

If you are going to read this book, be sure to read David Powlison's "Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare" which has a much more exegetically sound perspective on spiritual warfare. That book is, unfortunately, out of print and a little harder to find. "Safe and Sound: Standing Firm in Spiritual Battles" by Powlison is in some ways the application of the exegesis in "Power Encounters," and is excellent. Both of these volumes contain what I consider to be a more doctrinally precise presentation of spiritual warfare.

Lutzer's book is four stars. Recommended.

[Kianna_3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing read! I definitely will have to reread it because of the amount of information, but it was one of the most theologically intriguing books I’ve ever read.

[Allen Haynie · Rating 1 out of 5]

RC Sproul forwarded this book and stated "It is the best treatment of the person and work of the enemy I have ever read.” So, on Sprouls integrity I bought the book. I saw that Erwin Lutzer was senior pastor of Moody Church for over 30 years and figured his theology must be ok. I started reading the book and I did enjoy the read up to chapter 8. I thought he was insightful in his various discussions about the ways of the devil up to that point. When I got to chapter 9 this is where the author got on shaky ground. I continued to read and I read it all the way through chapter 10 and at that point Lutzer said there was a lady in his church who was bitter and did not get along with anyone. He said she was a Christian and he knew so for a fact. He said he counseled this lady and stated that in this counsel session a demon talked from this ladys mouth. Before this discussion about this lady, Lutzer said he did not believe that a Christian could be demon possessed, but demon oppressed. The author's claims that a born again Christian, a new creation in Christ having the Holy Spirit living inside them can have a demon use you as a mouth piece is cause for concern. Even though this book was helpful for the first 8 chapters I would have passed on it had I known the author held this view. For me Dwight Pentecost's, Your Adversary the Devil was better.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be helpful for any believer looking go get a clearer understanding of the devil & his standing before God & before both believers & unbelievers.
The overarching theme of the book is satan isn't in charge of anything & is not free at any point in time since he was created to do as he pleases.
Many helpful insights into how he currently functions in the earth & the extent of his influence.

I figured the book would contain some sort of eschatological position regarding satan's future & the author presents a premilennial view/framework that is very popular today although not one I agree with.

Nevertheless apart from that it's definitely a worthwhile read & would be an eye opener to many who haven't read much on this topic or find the subject matter rarely taught in their church.

[Kimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I concur with R.C. Sproul's statement that "I found this book a veritable treasure of biblical insight. It is filled with lucid insights that I have never considered."

For me, this book answered many questions I had regarding the devil and his role.

GOD WINS!

[Randall Hartman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author of “God’s Devil,” a book suggested by a friend, states that he “attempts to give an overview of the career of Satan and his interaction with the Almighty.” The foreword was penned by the eminent R. C. Sproul with high recommendation: “If biblical revelation is taken seriously we must take seriously what Scripture teaches concerning the satanic realm…this book is the best treatment of the person and work of the enemy I have ever read.”

The overall messages of the book are: God has absolute sovereignty in His universe, such that even evil is a part of the larger plan of God; God uses our conflict with Satan to develop character, opportunities of having our faith tested; and Satan was and is a defeated foe. As a spoiler, I recommend desiringgod.org and John Piper’s books, “Desiring God” and “Providence,” for a much more Biblically grounded, fulsome treatment of those important doctrines.

Lutzer starts with what scripture says about Satan, but he augments it extensively with inferences as to the devil’s thinking and motives that cannot be proven or disproven. While much of what he asserts is reasonable, and perhaps is consistent with scripture, unfortunately, a larger-than-desirable portion of the content is speculation and elaborations based on it.

He provides few additional references to the Bible to support his many assertions, which I would have expected given the book’s purpose of accurately introducing us to Satan — where else can we find such information, and if that is the source, it’s disappointing that so little is cited. In a couple of instances I believe he is actually mistaken in what he asserts as I can think of scripture that contradicts his views.

The book provides certain lessons for us, principles and conclusions that are unaffected by the speculative narratives, based on what we do know from the Bible: We must never think that obeying God is less than what is best for us; no decision can be considered good if eternity proves it to be bad;
The battle is between Satan and God, and God is the victor; in this life we are in training, which takes suffering, discipline, faith, and discernment; we are in a war, and Satan wants us to sin and reject God’s authority; the ultimate destiny of all who reject God is the lake of fire, eternal torment justly deserved for rejecting the infinite and only God.

I cannot echo Dr. Sproul’s glowing recommendation, and because of the pervasive speculative content and the lack of substantive scriptural support in numerous cases, I cannot recommend the book: the serious student of scripture will find it lacking in authoritative support; the apologist will similarly find it difficult to defend because so much content is opinion rather than based on the Word of God; and the skeptic could have a field day challenging all the inferences that lack objective, Biblical backing. I recommend sticking with the Bible to tell us all we need to know about the devil.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of this book is very good. The Biblical insights on the devil are enlightening and encouraging. Knowing that while the devil is strong, he is not omnipotent; while he is smart, he is not omniscient; and while he has many companion demons, he is not omnipresent. I particularly loved the insight that while the devil knows so much, he has no control over the outcome of his devices. He can tempt and assign someone to kill another but has no control over whether Gid allows it to happen or not. As I said, most of the book and the end of the book is of this wonderful quality.

However, in chapter 10 and slightly before he develops a theory based on his experience with at least one woman whom he identifies as a believer, that demons, while he says they cannot possess a Christian, can demonize them in such a way that the demon speaks through the Christian. Now, I am no theologian but if a demon controls my vocal cords, I believe it could be assumed that he controls ME. That would be defined as possession as I see it. Lutzer spoke to the demon etc. Which I think is a very bad idea. The woman he describes as a Christian shows no fruit of the Holy Spirit. She is bitter, angry, the demon in her taunted the preacher, she hated the preacher, and she was fully aware that a Spirit was speaking through her. That CANNOT be a Christian. To make things worse, Lutzer shares a letter from the woman which is supposed to show us how God defeated the demon. But in the letter she fails to mention her repentance or her complete trust in the death of Christ on the cross for her salvation. She does mention: low self-esteem, experiencing victory, belief in God's love for her, victory in Christ, victory over the devil, accepting her position in Christ, being a joint heir with Him, and enjoying Christ's privileges. Those words COULD indicate that she has become a believer (which would solve the devil issue) but seem more like the talk of a Charismatic professor and nothing she said indicates an understanding that salvation in Christ frees us from the devil. But, there is much good in this book so I soldier on.

Since none of us believers have ALL truth, we can forgive each other for nonsalvific misinterpretations and acknowledge that there is a "slight" chance of our being in error. In any case, enjoy this wonderful book.

[Carter Hemphill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually really enjoy Erwin Lutzer books, but with this book, I was disappointed. The author speculates about the conflict between Satan and God and describes from Satan's perspective how he continues to wage war against God. I found some of the chapters to be more practical, while others seemed to be more along the lines of theological speculation and could have used more theological support to make it more believable. I'll likely find this book helpful for specific chapters than the whole book at large.

[Allie MacPhail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly interesting read. Challenges even the most Reformed of minds to consider the extent of God's Sovereignty. He is sovereign over all, even the devil. in a world that wants to turn a blind eye to the uncomfortable idea of the devil, this books makes you consider what you hold as true.
Decent read, felt like Lutzer made a few jumps with having to fill in the blanks where we just can't know for sure.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

p. 14, "Let us boldly affirm that whatever mischief Satan is allowed to do, it is always appointed by God for the ultimate service of and benefit to the saints. God is watching Satan's every move and will not let him have the final victory."
p. 32 "Satan was God's worship leader, the director of choirs and coordinator of praise."
p. 44 “no decision in this life can ever be good unless it is good for eternity. Only a being who knows the future and the past can prescribe what is best for us. We make judgments in time; only God can reveal the judgments of eternity.”
p. 58, "False prophets and Satan himself can speak with soothing tones of reassurance and hope. The only sensible recourse for Eve would have been to compare the words of God with the words of the serpent."
p. 201, "A change in attitude can come when you begin to give praise to the Lord. It is one of the most effective weapons against the enemy."

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, guy reads Bible and just interprets it however he wants, only quoting occasionally. I feel like this was more fanfiction than serious commentary. I mean I know you have to already believe to really get anything out of these, but this seemed lax. Its 4+ Star review seems to indicate that Christians love it, so perhaps I'm mistaken. My Dad told me to read this to determine why the serpent was punished when, according to his interpretation, it was Satan the whole time. Lutzer alternates between two views: Satan hypnotized the serpent and Satan shapeshifted into the serpent. Neither of which really got me to an answer.

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read this book for a bit and I am not upset that I finally got around to it. There are two extreme views I hear about the devil from people; he has an incredible amount of power and is equal to God and we should be in fear of him 24/7 or he has absolutely no power at all and we should just completely shrug him off and pay no mind. This book does a great role of expanding on those two extreme ideas and leaving us in a middle ground with the devil. This book for sure has some repetitive thoughts throughout, but I say it is something every Christian should read at least once.

[Mark Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erwin W. Lutzer is a fine, and prolific author who has tackled a subject not many Pastors are brave enough to handle.

As the title suggests, and the Bible shows, nothing that the Devil undertakes is outside of the will of God, and His glory. Although God allows us to be tested, we are always given the ability to triumph over the wiles of the Devil. Lutzer does show that some familiarity with the Bible helps overcome the Devil while he is testing you.

This was a great read, and would round out a Christian's knowledge.

[Rachel Grepke · Rating 5 out of 5]

We talk often of heaven and all the glories of what that will be like, yet rarely speak of hell and who satan really is. Throughout these pages you will come face to face with the reality of the devil, the way he operates, how to stand firm in temptation and the reality of his eternal destination. Using Scripture as the guide, there are many things we do know about the father of lies. We need to be aware of him and his schemes. Lutzer is an amazing writer and it is always good to read his work. This one was no exception. Highly recommend.

[Gwendolyn Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Lutzer brings our perception of the demonic back in line with what the Bible has to say about it. Not only is our enemy *not* omniscient or omnipresent, his attempts to thwart God are always turned for good. In this way, Satan is still God’s servant, even though everything he does is in rebellion against God.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does a good job of summarizing the devil's activity throughout the Bible. However, I feel it is lacking in the part of showing how the devil's activity helps God. The author does briefly mention the example of the book of Job, but overall I was disappointed after reading the book since I feel the devil does more harm than good.

[Annamarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes you think about how Satan really is used by God for things, even though he is trying to hurt God's people. I think it is a deep look at what we know about Satan and to rethink about the power we give him that he doesn't actually have.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough treatment of Satan and demons at an understandable level. Filled with scripture evidence and insightful thoughts. This book will set your mind on the biblical reality of the war raging in the spiritual realm.

[Criss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Erwin Lutzer's first edition of this book and it blew my mind. So did this one. If you want to understand how Satan is nothing more than a puppet used by God to achieve his purposes, this is absolutely a MUST READ.

[Kevyn Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Aleena Grosjean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It makes me want to re-read The Screwtape Letters because it talks about the devil's tactics, but then shows how God uses them to refine us. Worth the time to read.

[Lora Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am rereading again before I review. I want to rethink some of my theology. I admit I don’t like the title, but I don’t have an argument against it.

[TIffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible!!!

[Paul Drawdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Places a solid theology of Satan. He is a devil, but he is God's devil.

[Eric Schick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, not bad.

[Sean Melvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Dr. Lutzer. I've never read a better treatment of the sovereignty of God over the devil.

[Cooper Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read! Not only theologically precise, but very practical. Love Lutzer’s work!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Even the Devil is God’s devil.”
- Martin Luther