Is it possible to make a deal with the devil?
Is it possible to make a deal with the devil?
Answer
What if Satan or one of his demons offered you a deal: he will give you anything your heart desires—wealth, power, beauty, great skill, etc. In exchange, he owns your soul for all eternity.
The idea of making a deal with the devil was explored in the classic legend of Faust, a scholar who made a bargain with a demon named Mephistopheles. Many similar stories have been told around the same theme. In some of the legends, the person tricks the devil in some way, escaping the contract and getting his soul back. In others, the devil wins with deception or a double-cross.
In any case, the idea of forfeiting one’s soul in a deal with the devil is much more cultural and literary than it is biblical. The Bible never records an account of a human being bargaining with Satan or demons.
The Bible does depict the devil as a dealmaker, of sorts. In the book of Genesis, for instance, the serpent promises Eve good things: “Your eyes will be opened,” he says, “and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). All Eve has to do is take the fruit that she can easily see is “good for food and pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). It was a trick, of course, and Eve received a curse instead of a blessing (verse 16). Satan got what he wanted—or so it seemed. He also received a curse in the end (verses 14–15).
When Jesus Christ was beginning His public ministry, the devil attempted to make a deal with Him. In exchange for the Lord’s worship, the devil offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor” (Matthew 4:8). Jesus sends Satan away with a rebuke from God’s Word (verse 10).
The Bible gives no support to the notion that people can make a deal with the devil, but some people have attempted to make such a bargain unilaterally, pledging themselves to Satan in hopes of receiving some special favors from him. In a sense, that’s the nature of idolatry and witchcraft as described in the Bible. When a pagan worshiper dedicated a sacrifice to his gods, he hoped for something in return—fruitful crops, victory in battle, etc. (see 2 Chronicles 28:23). When a sorcerer or witch practiced her craft, she attempted to complete a transaction, hoping to gain special knowledge, power, or control.
From the Bible’s perspective, even if it were possible to make a deal with the devil, doing so would be unwise for several reasons:
The Bible reveals Satan to be a liar. He is adept at deception and duplicity. Jesus condemned Satan as “the father of lies” (John 8:44). The devil takes what is true and twists it to corrupt and destroy human beings. Anyone who would attempt to deal with such a being is a fool.
While Satan has some measure of authority as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2, ESV), his power is not absolute—only God has absolute power. Also, the pleasures of sin endure only “for a season” (Hebrews 11:25, KJV), and any theoretical pact made with Satan would end in misery. He is a thief whose goal is “to steal and kill and destroy” (see John 10:10).
Satan cannot own human souls. All souls belong to the God who created them (Ezekiel 18:4). Hell is not Satan’s kingdom. Despite all the jokes and stories to the contrary, Satan will not reign as master of hell, relishing his power over human souls; no, he will be sentenced to the lake of fire as a prisoner himself (Revelation 20:10).
The truth is far worse than the legend of Faust would imply. According to God’s Word, every human soul is already bound for hell. No deal with the devil need be struck to ensure that fate. Because of our sin, we are “by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). We st and “condemned already” (John 3:18). Apart from a change of course, our souls will end up in hell without ever having to trade them away to Satan.
We don’t need a deal with the devil—we’re already on his side—we need a deal with God. We need Him to save our souls, to change our destination. The problem is that we have nothing to offer Him in trade. He needs nothing from us (Romans 11:33–36), and all our attempts to appease His wrath through religious observance are futile (Isaiah 1:11). But the good news—the gospel—is that God loves us and has offered us a unilateral “bargain” of His own: He will save our souls, giving us everything our hearts truly desire for eternity, in exchange for nothing but our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. In a great exchange, Jesus has appeased God’s wrath for us, taking our sin and its penalty upon Himself (1 John 4:10; 1 Peter 2:24). In Christ, God will make us alive when we were dead. He will fill our futile lives on this side of eternity with meaningful work and joyful anticipation. See Ephesians 2:1–10 to read more about this pact that God offers.