If you recall, our previous lesson revealed that Satan was cast out of heaven along with his angels. We don’t have to ask where Satan went; the Scriptures clearly reveal his destination.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9

From this text, it reveals that Satan and the angels that rebelled with him were cast out of heaven to this earth. However, the way the text is worded may give the impression that God sent Satan to this earth. Yet when we read other verses about Satan, it becomes clear that he was not forced to this earth. The Bible reveals an interesting encounter between God and Satan after Satan’s expulsion from God’s paradise.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. Job 1:6

It appears that God met with a group of His created beings. It is obvious that this meeting did not take place on planet earth, yet, Satan had the ability to come to the location of this meeting. Knowing that Satan had full reign to travel outside of earth’s boundaries reveals that Satan was not initially forced to this earth, but rather chose to make this planet his home. Therefore, we must understand that when the Bible says he was cast out into the earth, it simply means Satan chose earth as his home base, and because he chose earth, his casting out of heaven was essentially a casting into this earth.

How did Satan make this earth his home?

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Genesis 3:1-6

From this account, it appears that when God created the first man and woman (Adam and Eve), He placed them in a beautiful garden. This garden also had a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil there and our first parents were told not to eat of this tree.

Satan, however, used his powers of cunningness and deceived Eve into eating the fruit from the tree. Adam, who was in the vicinity with her, but probably wasn’t paying close attention realized that his wife had disobeyed God and he knowingly took the fruit that Eve offered him and ate it as Eve had already done.  The Bible confirms Adam’s informed decision when it says, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” 1Timothy 2:14

What happened once Adam partook of the fruit from the tree?

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:12

After Adam sinned, everything changed. God had created the human race to live eternally. However, after sin entered this world, God removed man’s ability to eat from the tree of life and thus humans begin dying as soon as they are born. This act of disobedience not only brought death to humanity, but vegetation, and animals began dying too. Leaves began falling off of trees, the atmosphere started getting colder and hotter. The creatures began hunting each other. The beautiful earth with its bountiful trees and flowers began to deteriorate and up in their place came weeds and thorns. 

Sin entered this world and has been in this world since Adam ate of the tree. Now we know how sin entered this world, but now the question is— Why did God allow sin to enter this world?