Was it Satan or God?

On Saturday, as we were expecting some snow on Sunday, I jokingly asked my youngest son a question. He has recently asked some really good spiritual or theological questions and so I thought I would throw one back at him. I asked him, "With us expecting snow tomorrow, is it Satan trying to disrupt our Revival services or is it God simply causing it to snow?" Before he could answer and while he was considering it I paraphrased a few scriptures that refer to Satan's power to influence things here on earth (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3, 6:12) and reminded him of God's sovereignty over everything (Psalm 135:6, Job 42:2, 1 Timothy 6:15). He just looked at me and a grin started to creep across his face. His answer was a simple, "That's a good one."

I did not really expect my 10-year-old son to answer off the top of his head a question people have struggled with for thousands of years. Man has struggled with this question of "Was it Satan or God?" since time began. I have a feeling that it will be a question that people will ask until Jesus returns and raptures the church out of this world. Even though it is a difficult question, this does not mean we cannot get some biblical perspective on it. Because if we are going to struggle with a question of faith, then we should at least approach it in a biblical way.

Was it Satan?
We know many things about Satan from the scriptures. We know he was once an angel who rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. He deceived one-third of the angels in heaven to join his rebellion and they were cast out of heaven too. He deceived Eve into disobeying God in the Garden of Eden and he is bent on destroying God's creation, including any hope of a relationship between man and God. But we also read in places like 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Ephesians 2:1-3, 6:12 about the power Satan has at his disposal. Satan, as a former angel, is more powerful than we fully comprehend. With that being said, he wields that power over this world as he seeks to destroy God's creation. So, when we see things happening that would affect the benefit of God's kingdom here on earth, like snow on a Sunday when Revival services begin, we ask ourselves if it is Satan using his power to influence this world and God's kingdom.

Was it God?
If you are a Christian, you would naturally want to jump to the conclusion that it was God because He is sovereign over everything. This theological fact is true and a safe answer. God is in control of everything that happens involving His creation. He is in control of the earth, humans, animals, and everything in between. God is in control of the weather from the question we are considering. God is also in control of what is allowed into our lives. Whether we view it as good or bad, nothing in this life touches us without first passing through the hands of our sovereign God. This includes poor health, success at work, disobedient children, and spiritual blessings. God is in control of everything that touches your life. This also includes the things Satan does to try and destroy you and your relationship with God. Although Satan is powerful, he is not more powerful than God. He is held in-check by God, but ultimately allowed to exercise his power.

So, was it Satan causing a disruption to the day Christians meet to worship God or was it God testing His children's devotion to worship Him? We will never know on this side of eternity. But what we can rest assured of is that either way, God was completely and unequivocally in control of the situation.


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