Since Satan always tempts people to do wicked things, why does God not destroy Satan? Also, did God know that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? If not, does it mean God was not powerful enough to control it? -- Song

First, God's way is to prove that his system is better than Satan's. While he could certainly settle everything in a split second--as Jesus "could have called ten thousand angels"--the Lord's way is to support those who by their own free will choose to follow him.

Second, God certainly knew what the first couple would do, and the scriptures affirm that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was anticipated and in fact prepared before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20).

Third, if by "control" you mean "prevent," it should be quickly said that the Lord is most able to prevent all our sin. And yet where would we be? Would we still be human? He could have created a race of automatons, but the essence of personality is free will. And even though the Lord knows only a minority of his creatures will accept his sovereignty and Lordship--most will be lost--this is evidently better than the alternative of removing the capacity for wrong choices. (Otherwise, God would have created that kind of a world!)

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