Many times, Christians – and I include myself in that group, will talk about the One True God – and we will make the statement that there is only God and that there is no other. And this statement is true but it has to be understand in the context in which it is made. When we say that there is only one God, what me mean is that there is only one True God, that is, there are no other gods that should ever be worshiped outside of the God who made the heavens and earth according to the Book of Genesis. However, saying there is only one god is not strictly true for the Bible speaks of another god as well. It is having an understanding of this other god that will help us in answering the question, “Why Is There Suffering In The World?”
This other god is mentioned in 2 Corinthians,
2 Corinthians 4:3, 4
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. [KJV]
You will note here that this other lower case ‘g’ god is called the “god of this world” and he is attributed with doing his best to hide the gospel so that people will not believe the truths regarding Jesus Christ. So from this verse we see that this other god is at odds with the purposes of the True God. This is also clear from the Book of John,
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. [ESV]
Jesus Christ is speaking here and he calls this other god, “the thief” and tells us that his only purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. At this point it should be rather obvious why there is suffering in this world: stealing, killing and destroying is the calling card of the god of this world. He is referred to by many titles in the Bible : satan, the serpent, Baal, Beelzebub, the adversary, the devil and so on – but these all refer to the same entity – the evil god of this world. The spiritual battle that exists between the One True God and the devil is highlighted by the following verses from I Peter.
I Peter 5:6-9
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith … [ESV]
It is the god of this world that is seeking to devour people, seeking to steal, kill and destroy their lives and we are told to resist him. In contrast, the One True God asks us to be humble to him and to cast all of our anxieties on him for he cares for us. The difference is very obvious – isn’t it.
As you read through the Scriptures, you will see time and again that it is the devil or satan that is responsible for the oppression of God’s people. I know that some people think that it is the True God who causes suffering and it is not something that can be attributed only to the devil. If people choose to walk in their own ways and not humble themselves to the Almighty God as they are told to do, they open themselves up to the evil influences of the god of this world and ought not to lay the blame for ills that come their way on the True God. He has consistently told his people that if they walk in obedience to the Scriptures, he will be their fortress, their high tower, their peace and their protection. Does that mean that nothing bad will ever happen to God’s people – no, of course not, for the spiritual battle between good and evil is ever present. If people want to avail themselves of all that has been accomplished for them by Jesus Christ, they must draw near to God and humble themselves before him. Only then will they understand that the victory over suffering and death has been won by the work of Jesus Christ and the eventual victory over all of the evil that satan has done and tries to do is just over the horizon – when the lord returns. Until then, under the protection of the Almighty God is the best place to be.