Is The Devil Sovereign?

One might look at the world and wonder if God is still in control. Many Christians believe in the sovereignty of God, but there are some that believe the devil is sovereign just like God. Does the Bible support such a belief?

In Ephesians 2:1-10, we read about we were outside of Christ and who we are now in Christ. The first two verses say, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience." Many take that verse and think the devil runs the show. Many think Satan has a sovereignty as much as God. Frederick Leahy, in his book, Satan Cast Out: A Study in Biblical Demonology, wrote:

There is no need to regard the passage of Ephesians as teaching that our planet is literally ensphered by satanic hosts. The Bible does not indicate any domain where Satan is sovereign.

Psalm 115:3 says that our God is in heaven and He does whatever he pleases. God never asks anyone's permission to do anything He desires to do. Satan, on the other hand, does ask God's permission to do his work. One biblical example I can think of is Job. Job was a God-fearing man who was very successful. Satan one day had a meeting with God asking to strike him down. God granted Satan permission and took everything from him except his life, which God clearly told Satan, "Only against him do not stretch out your hand" (Job 1:12).

A sovereign being would never ask another sovereign being for permission. Satan is bound and he is bound by the will of the Father. It does not mean, he cannot do someone any harm. The Bible does say he seeking someone to devour like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8).

In this world where is seems chaos is everywhere, we have hope because God is still on the throne. No one challenged Him and won. When the devil decided to do that, he was cast out of heaven. God is still sovereign. We may not know or even understand what He is doing, but He is still sovereign. He is in complete control.