Question:
I have heard that there are some Christians who are praying to God on behalf of Satan, specifically for his salvation. Is it correct to do this?
Unfortunately, this is true, there are people who do not remain with in the confines of the Word of God, going over and above what is clearly written in the Bible. As in this case, when people do this, they usually end up living contrary to God’s will. There are some, as you have stated, who have begun a mass prayer chain to pray for Satan’s repentance and salvation. They erroneously interpret the following passage as a way to justify their actions.
And He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (Luk 18:27)
Nowhere does the Bible claim that Satan has the opportunity of being forgiven. He has no second chance. There is also no mention in the Bible of the fact that we should pray for Satan. His eternal outcome has already been etched in stone. God has made this decision and nothing or no one can change it. The Apostle John writes in the book of Revelation, that after the 1,000 year kingdom ends:
And the Devil who deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were . And he will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Rev 20:10)
The Devil is condemned and there is no turning back for him. He has no second chance. His sentence has been proclaimed and at the right time, God will carry out the punishment. In the Gospel of Matthew, we find that Satan’s eternal outcome, along with his angels, has already been decided:
Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. (Mat 25:41)
Someone may say, “but God is merciful and He can change His plans once someone repents so if Satan would repent then God could forgive him and things would change”.
First of all, we have to keep in mind that God is omniscient, that is, He knows all things at all times. All at once He knows the past, present, and future. He already knows who will repent and who will not repent. Still. He does not force His will upon people, instead, He allows free will. If God has made this decision in view of Satan and His angels, He did so knowing what the future would hold before making the decision and is justified in His decision.
Secondly, when people have a second chance to repent and return to God, He announces this second chance beforehand, in His Word. Take a look at how God does this through the Prophet Jeremiah.
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says Jehovah; though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken. (Isa 1:16-20)
The people of Israel were given two choices. They could repent and live happily before the Lord or they could refuse God’s offer and deal with the consequences.
The message of the Gospel is exactly like what we see in Jeremiah. All people have been offered a second chance. We have a chance to repent and receive forgiveness for all of our sins which leads us to salvation. We all have a choice, either we will accept the second chance, or we will refuse to accept it. A day is coming however, when that second chance will no longer be available.
He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. (Joh 3:36)
Things are not like this for Satan, on the other hand. Satan was never given a second chance. Is eternal outcome has already been decided. If you believe that Satan could one day be forgiven then that means that you also believe that the entire plan laid out in the Word of God can also be changed. This, my friend, will never happen because as Jesus said, “not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law (Bible) until all is fulfilled”. In fact Jesus said that heaven and earth would pass away before the Word would ever go unfulfilled.
There are situations in the Bible when God forbids others from praying for certain people because their eternal outcome has already been decided and they do not have any more chances to repent, receive forgiveness, and be saved. Once again, in Jeremiah, we see God speaking to the prophet and here is what He says.
Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up cry nor prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you. (Jer 7:16)
And you, do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them. For I will not hear them in the time they cry to Me for their trouble. (Jer 11:14)
God says that He will not hear the prophet’s prayer for his people because they have declined to repent too often. They missed the bus when it came to repentance. Their time of grace was over. God says that He will not even answer them when they cry out to Him in their despair. If God can be this harsh with His own people (even though He loves them) how much more harsh will He be with Satan? God will not listen to people’s prayers for Satan’s repentance.
Then Jehovah said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My soul could not be toward this people. Send them out of My sight, and let them go out. And it will be, if they say to you, Where shall we go? Then you shall tell them, So says Jehovah: Those who are for death, go to death; and those for the sword, to the sword; and those for the famine, to the famine; and those for the captivity, to the captivity. (Jer 15:1-2)
As you can see from this text, God had already made up His mind in view of these people and His decision is irrevocable. Even the most holy and righteous men who lived on this earth could not change God’s will.
In John’s first epistle, we see that there are certain people we are not to pray for; those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit:
If anyone sees his brother sin a sin not to death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for those that do not sin to death. There is a sin to death, I do not say that he shall pray for it. (I John 5:16)
From the context of this epistle, it is very clear that the sin that leads to death is presenting the person of Jesus Christ and His work in a heretical or false manner, instead of presenting Him as He is explained in the Word of God. John says that the people who teach that Jesus did not come in the flesh are of the devil. These people during John’s day were known as Gnostic believers. There are many groups today who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit the same way that the Gnostic believers did back then.
Please let no one think that he is more merciful and holy than God is. If God has chosen to condemn Satan for all eternity, then we must accept God’s decision. When we pray, we need to pray according to the Word of God so that we do not pray against God’s will.
If you have never been reconciled with God then please do not abuse the grace period by ignoring repentance and faith. Return to God while you can because once you die there will not be a second chance. Hurry before it is too late.
Translation by: Erik Brewer