God’s Devil - Points to Ponder, Intro

EVIL SPIRITS SENT BY GOD

Isaiah 45:7

“I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.”

Psalm 78:49

“He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and    trouble, by sending evil angels among them.”

Judges 9:22-23

“When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, then God sent an evil  spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.”

Micah 1:12

“Now the inhabitants of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the Lord unto the gates of Jerusalem.”

Proverbs 16:4

“The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”

2nd Chronicles 18:20-22 (Ahab's false prophets)

“Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice  him, and the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out and do even so. Now, therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit into the mouth of these  thou prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.”

1st Samuel 16:15-16 & 23 & 18:10 & 19:9-10

“But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord  troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

And it came to pass on the morrow that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul...

And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand … And Saul sought to smite David... .”

Of the many instances provided by Holy Scripture concerning God sent evil spirits, it is likely that our best and clearest instruction is given in 1st Samuel. This evil spirit was “from the Lord”and was sent to Saul to trouble him.

This lesson does not teach us that God simply removed His hedge, as in the instance with Job, allowing Satan to do his work. Here we see a far deeper truth. God

SENT the spirit to do the work. Even though the hedge was removed and Satan was the instrument, we see in the final chapter of Job who actually wrought the evil.

Job 42:11 

“Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters … and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him... .”

Psalm 78:49 teaches that God even sent evil spirits, who were angels, against His chosen people.

He allowed a messenger of Satan to bring a thorn into the side of Paul and refused to remove it.

His absolute power over evil spirits was demonstrated many times in the New Testament as Jesus cast them out, including thousands of them in Mark 5.

No evil spirits ever act independently of God's sovereign and perfect will and purpose. If they approach us, it is with the goal of our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). They can only do what the Lord permits.