Deal with the Devil

Is it possible for a person actually to make a deal with the devil?

The concept of making a deal with the devil or selling one’s soul to Satan in exchange for something is rooted in secular literature and folktales, but has no Bible basis. Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s fictional Dr. Faustus made such a deal with the devil. Other fictional stories are based on that premise, notably short stories by Washington Irving, (The Devil and Tom Walker) and Stephen Vincent Benet (The Devil and Daniel Webster). To repeat, the Bible has no example of a person “selling his soul” to Satan, and Scripture never implies that making a bargain with the devil is possible.

At the heart of such a concept is some truth and lots of error. The truth part takes Satan seriously. He is powerful, deceptive, and constantly seeking to lead people away from revealed truth of Scripture and saving faith in Jesus Christ. The error in all this forgets that the devil is really not an independent agent and warden of hell; he is an inmate in hell and subject to God’s authority and will. Those who do evil and choose to despise Christ and God’s gracious will for their faith and faith-life end up joining Satan in opposition to God and will forfeit divine blessings as they receive expressions of God’s just judgment just as Satan does and will continue to do. The devil doesn’t ultimately cause all this; they do, tragically and unnecessarily. This is their own fault. They really sold their soul to wickedness and forfeited divine blessing.

General word of wisdom: Neither underestimate nor overestimate the power and deceptive nature of the devil. Be alert to his working yet never forget he is already defeated and not an independent agent who enjoys freedom to work evil. And never neglect or underestimate the power and comfort of the gospel of Jesus Christ for ourselves and the world!