When people experience tragedy due to weather, such as during a hurricane, flood, or tornado, they often wonder if Satan was involved. Does Satan have the power to control the weather?
God controls all things, yet allows Satan to live as the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30). This means there may be times God allows Satan to bring attacks on people that involve weather.
Job 1—2 stand as a clear example. As part of Satan's temptation of Job, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you" (Job 1:16). Some kind of lightning strike caused a fire that killed Job's sheep and workers.
After this, "a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you" (Job 1:19). Satan used a windstorm or tornado to bring death. However, it was only as part of God's overall purpose and plan. God ultimately used this tragedy to prove Job's faithfulness and blessed him with twice as much in the end as he had in the beginning (Job 42:10).
While Job's example could cause concern, the Bible encourages us to know, "that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). He uses all things for His perfect plan. Satan has no control over weather that God has not already planned for His ultimate good.
Another important example can be found in the life of Jonah. God called him to preach in Nineveh, yet Jonah fled instead in the opposite direction. In this case, God sent a storm (Jonah 1:4). He used it to ultimately bring Jonah to the place where He had called him. The result was the repentance of an entire city and its escape from God's judgment. Satan was not involved in the change of weather, but to Jonah at the time it likely felt like it.
Regardless if the weather is influenced in some way by Satan or directly by God, God is ultimately in control. We need not fear that Satan will change the weather to harm us. Instead, we trust in the Lord, pray to Him regarding our needs, and realize He oversees our steps. He knows the number of hairs on our head and cares for every detail of our lives (Matthew 10:30). Nothing happens that He does not notice or understand. We can trust Him with the weather as well as with our lives.
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