Even when he was cast out of heaven. Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would be the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully developed his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question.

Selv da Satan var udstødt af Himmelen, tilintetgjorde Gud i sin evige visdom ham ikke. Eftersom det kun er kærlighedens tjeneste, der er antagelig for Gud, må hans skabningers troskab hvile på en overbevisning om hans retfærdighed og velvilje. Himmelens og klodernes beboere, der på det tidspunkt var ude af stand til at fatte syndens natur og følger, kunne ikke have indset det retfærdige i, at Gud havde dræbt Satan. Hvis han straks var blevet udslettet, ville nogle have tjent Gud af frygt i stedet for af kærlighed. Bedragerens indflydelse ville ikke være blevet fuldstændig tilintetgjort, og oprørets ånd ville ikke helt have været fjernet. Til bedste for hele universet gennem evige tider måtte Satan have anledning til at udvikle sine principper, så alle skabte væsener kunne se hans anklager imod Guds regering i det rette lys og så Guds barmhjertighed og hans lovs uforanderlighed for stedse kunne være hævet over enhver tvivl.