The devil as the cause of evil
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Christian beliefs and teachings about the devil as a cause of evil.
Key learning points
- The devil is a rebellious being that opposes God.
- Christian teaching suggests that the devil is a fallen angel who is a source of wickedness and evil.
- Genesis 3 depicts the devil as a cause of evil and suffering through temptation leading to the first sin.
- The Gospels state that the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
- Many Christians believe that God is still omnipotent and omnibenevolent even though the devil causes evil.
Keywords
Evil - the opposite of good and a cause of suffering
Temptation - the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise
The devil - a rebellious spiritual being who opposes God and seeks to tempt humanity to sin
Common misconception
The devil is as powerful as God.
The devil's power is limited and defeated through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Teacher tip
You may wish to read the story of the devil tempting Jesus in further detail with students. You can find the story in the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11 and the Gospel of Luke 4:1-13.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which type of evil is caused by human actions like theft or murder?
Q2.The word means all-loving and infinitely good.
Q3.Who was the Ancient Greek philosopher who first raised the problem of evil?
Q4.The inconsistent triad suggests that God's omnipotence and may not be compatible with the existence of evil.
Q5.Which of the following best explains why the triad is considered “inconsistent”?
Q6.The term evil refers to suffering caused by events like earthquakes or tsunamis.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which passage do some Christians interpret as describing the devil being cast out of heaven?
Q2.Some Christians believe the devil appeared as a in the Garden of Eden.
Q3.What might a Pentecostal Christian believe about the devil?
Q4.According to Luke 10:18, Jesus said he saw Satan fall like from heaven.
Q5.How many times did the devil tempt Jesus in the wilderness?
Q6.Christians believe is one way the devil causes evil and suffering.
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: The devil as the cause of evil, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: The devil as the cause of evil, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Suffering: Can Christian theology overcome the problem of evil? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.