God’s sovereignty over devils and men.

In the Institutes, chapter 4 of Book II, Calvin describes God’s sovereignty over man and the devils. Happily, as Scripture testifies God is more sovereign than man, Satan, or the devils.

1. Scripture reveals that man is enslaved to evil, but it says he is also a child of the devil. Is man enslaved to sin or to the devil? And is the devil outside the control of God?

2. Good questions indeed! Calvin says, “It consequently remains for us to determine the part of the devil and the part of man in the action. Then we must answer the question whether we ought to ascribe to God any part of the evil works in which Scripture signifies that some action of His intervenes” (Pg., 309).

3. These questions are answered by using the illustration of Job’s trial. [Job 1]

a. The Lord permits Satan to afflict his servant.
b. He hands the Chaldeans over to be impelled by Satan, having chosen them as his ministers for this task.
c. Satan with his poison darts arouses the wicked minds of the Chaldeans to execute that evil deed.
d. They dash madly into injustice, and they render all their members guilty and befoul them by crime (Pg., 310).

4. Calvin concludes. “Satan is properly said, therefore, to act in the reprobate over whom he exercises his reign, that is, the reign of wickedness. God is also said to act in His own manner, in that Satan himself, since he is the instrument of God’s wrath, bends himself hither and thither at His beck and command to execute His just judgements” (Pg., 311).

5. Calvin then discusses the hardening of the heart in the reprobate, although noting that the church fathers “sometimes scrupulously shrink from a simple confession of the truth because they are afraid that they may open the way for the impious to speak irreverently of God’s works” (Pg, 311). Calvin approved of this soberness by the way. But I wonder why Calvin said, “simple confession of the truth?” There is nothing simple about this as he goes on to show quoting Augustine and alluding to others, none of whom had a clear answer on how and why God hardens the heart of the reprobate devils and men.

This was Calvin’s answer. “To carry our his judgements through Satan as minister of his wrath, God destines men’s purposes as he pleases, arouses their wills, and strengthens their endeavours” (Pg, 312). Not clear at all to me. Yes, for example, it is true that because God willed to destroy Egypt and Sihon he prepared their ruin by hardening their heart, yet it is still a mystery. After all God is sovereign. These passages show God’s sovereignty and involvement in making people hard hearted. [Job 12:20 cf. Ezek 7:26; Job 12:24 cf, Ps 107:40; Is 63:17; Pharaoh Ex 4:21; 7:3-4; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8; Deut 2:30; Ps 105:25; Is 5:26; 7:18; 10:15; Ezek 12:13; 17:20; Jer 50:23]

6. Satan is a servant of God. [ Job 1; 1 Sam 16:14; 18:10; 19:9; 2 Thess 2:10-11 etc] “Yet in the same work there is always a great difference between what the Lord does and what Satan and the wicked try to do. God makes these evil instruments, which He holds under His hand and can turn wherever He pleases, to serve His justice. They, as they are evil, by their action give birth to a wickedness conceived in their depraved nature” (Pg., 313).

7. Both the devils and man are under the sovereign dominion of God Almighty. God is more sovereign than Satan, devils or, man’s so called free will. This is good news.