It may sound cliché, but all you have to do is turn on the news to see just how broken our world is. Or maybe you’ve seen it up close, in your small group, where week after week, prayer requests range from everyday struggles to heavy burdens like chronic illness, addiction, or depression. The needs are endless, and often overwhelming. If you’ve ever wondered why a good and sovereign God allows so much pain and suffering when He is King, you’re not alone, and this post is for you.
So, who is really in control?
The bible clearly states that Satan influences the systems of this world.
2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV – The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The god (lowercase g) of this world refers to Satan, who uses confusion. This blindness is spiritual and can look like pride, distraction, love of sin, false religion, and idols, etc. Satan influences the current world system that is in rebellion against God.
1 John 5:19 NIV- We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
As believers, we are children of God, and we can be confident in our standing with God, because it’s rooted in truth. We are his children, in his family, under his care. The “world” here doesn’t mean people in general; it refers to the world system, the culture, values, priorities, and all the behaviors that reject God. Things like greed, pride, lust, selfishness, corruption, anything that pulls us away from Christ. As believers, we don’t belong to that world; we belong to God. WE can have confidence and hope because our lives and future are secured in Christ.
John 12:31 NIV – Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
This explains why the world often feels so broken, unfair, and upside down. In John 12:31, God Himself called satan “the ruler of this world.” But, he is not in ultimate control; God is. So while we live in a world heavily influenced by sin, we can live with confidence knowing that the ultimate power of evil has been defeated.
Why Does God Allow Satan Any Power?
You’re probably wondering, If God is sovereign and all-powerful, why would He allow Satan any authority at all? Why does he allow suffering?
To Allow Genuine Free Will
God doesn’t force us to love or obey Him, and He didn’t create us to be robots. He gives us a choice. For love to be real, it must be chosen, and that also means there must be the option of rejecting him. Satan represents that rebellion.
Deuteronomy 30:19 – This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live.
God is presenting a choice. We can choose obedience, which leads to life and blessing, or disobedience, which leads to death and curses. Choosing God leads to flourishing in every area of life.
To Test and Strengthen Our Faith
It’s often in the hardest times that we experience the deepest spiritual growth. God often allows the enemy to test us, not to destroy us but to refine us. Kind of like resistance training, our faith grows stronger under pressure.
James 1:2-3 NIV – Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
I love James’ perspective shift here. Instead of seeing trials as just obstacles or setbacks, we are invited to see them as opportunities. There’s a lot of lessons and stretching of faith in trials.
Look at Job’s story. God allowed Satan to test Job, but the end result was Job’s deeper trust and a greater revelation of God.
If life were easy and perfect, we would never need to cling to God in desperation.
To Show God’s Glory & Victory
God even uses Satan’s schemes to show His power and bring glory to Himself. Look at the cross, it’s the ultimate example. Satan thought he had won when Jesus was crucified, but God turned it into a victory over sin and death.
Colossians 2:15 EASY – On the cross, Christ took away the power of the bad spirits that have authority to rule people. He showed clearly that he himself has won against them. Now everyone can see that those bad spirits have no power.
Our Hope in a Fallen World
So yes, Satan influences this world, but it is limited, temporary, and always under God’s authority. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus already won the ultimate victory.
John 16:33 EASY – I have told you these things so that you will have peace. You will be like that because you live together with me. In this world, you will have trouble. But be brave! I have destroyed the power of this world.
Romans 16:20 EASY – God gives us peace in our minds. He will quickly help you to win against the power of Satan. I pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to be kind to you.
Revelation 21:4 EASY – God will take away all the tears from their eyes. Nobody will ever die again. Nobody will be sad again. Nobody will ever cry. Nobody will have pain again. Everything that made people sad has now gone. That old world has completely gone away.
So, who is really in control?
Not Satan. Not evil. Not suffering. God is.
Even though this world is fallen, He is using everything, even pain, for His greater purpose. He is strengthening our faith, drawing us closer, and reminding us that this is not our home.
Final Encouragement
Take heart today: the enemy may roar, but his time is short. Jesus is victorious, and His Spirit lives in you.
1 John 4:4 – My little children, you belong to God. You have won against those people with a false message. You have been able to do that because God’s Holy Spirit is in you. He is more powerful than the spirit that belongs to this world.
So when the world feels dark, broken, and overwhelming, remember, the one who holds you has already overcome it. We can live with confidence, trusting in God’s protection and strength, knowing that no matter the challenges of this world, our true home is with Him.