Surely, somewhere in the life of a Christian, mostly at a young age, you’ve probably asked yourself: What if the devil repented? What if Satan changed his mind? Should we pray for the devil to turn back to God and end humanity’s suffering caused by sin? After all, aren’t all Christians called to love everyone, including our enemies, and to pray for the conversion of sinners?
This question, though innocent, leads to deeper truths about the nature of angels, free will, and the scope of God’s mercy.
Why Can’t the Devil Repent?
The devil, once known as Lucifer, isn’t human. He is an angelic being, a spiritual creature without a body (Psalm 104:4 – “Who maketh his angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire”, & Hebrews 1:14 – “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”).
Angels don’t live in time like we do. Humans live through moments, past, present, and future, and can make new choices every day. Angels, however, were created with full knowledge and free will, and they made their choices instantly and eternally.
At the moment of their creation, each angel chose either to serve God or to rebel. Michael, Gabriel, and the other faithful angels chose to obey, while Lucifer (also called Morning Star) and the fallen angels chose to reject God. That decision was eternal and cannot be reversed. Scripture confirms this:
“And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.” Jude 1:6 (ESV).
“For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment…” 2 Peter 2:4 (ESV).
These verses show that the fallen angels, including Satan, are locked into their choice forever and cannot change. This means praying for the devil wouldn’t change anything.
But while we cannot, and arguably should not, pray for the devil to turn back to God, we must pray for people, ourselves included, because our short-lived time on earth is still a time of decision. Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) reminds us:
“…It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…”
Until that moment, repentance and change are possible.
The real question isn’t whether Satan can change, but whether you will. You still have time. Will you choose God? Will you help others do the same?
Compiled by Isaac Odwako O.
Thank you for reading….
More on this topic:
#1. Can Demons Repent?
#2. Can Satan, the devil, repent and be saved?
