“It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.” In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him” (Hebrews 2:5-8)

Have you ever looked at the world and wondered, why is there so much pain? It’s a question that echoes in the hearts of believers and skeptics alike. How can a loving God permit suffering, sickness, and tragedy? Some people even believe God causes these things to teach us a lesson or to bring us back to Him.

These ideas often spring from a misunderstanding of how God set up the world. Many assume God micromanages every event, both good and bad. While it may be a common teaching, the idea that God authors our pain to punish us or force our submission isn't supported by scripture. To find the real answer, we need to go back to the very beginning.

The Authority Given in the Garden

When we ask why God allows suffering, we inadvertently place the blame on Him for a situation He didn't create. The truth is, God is not at fault. In the beginning, He gave complete authority over creation to Adam, humanity's representative.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule...over all the earth...” So God created man in his own image...God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over...” (Genesis 1:26-28).

From the moment creation was complete, God handed the keys over to humankind. This is why Adam had the authority to plunge the entire world into sin—that power was given to him. We see this authority again when God brings the animals to Adam to be named. The animals fell under Adam's domain, not God's direct rule. He entrusted creation to us, entirely.

How Authority Was Lost to Satan

Paradise didn't last long. Deceived by Satan, Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s single command, and in that moment of rebellion, authority was legally transferred. Satan became the temporary ruler of the world, using the very system of authority God had established to usurp Adam's dominion. Because God is just, He honored the system He ordained and did not simply take back control.

Yet, even in this failure, God’s mercy was profound. He didn't reveal the full, crushing weight of what sin would unleash upon the world. Adam and Eve felt shame, but they were mercifully protected from knowing the depths of pain and suffering that would follow.

In the midst of pronouncing judgment, God delivered a promise—the promise of Jesus. He told them that a future offspring would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). A plan of redemption was already in place. Can you imagine the relief they must have felt, knowing that a path to restoration was already prepared?

In His greatest act of mercy at that moment, God banished them from the Garden of Eden. This wasn't an act of anger. It was an act of profound love. If they had remained and eaten from the tree of life, they would have lived forever in their fallen, sinful state. Imagine eternal life burdened by cancer, disease, and unending pain. So, He barred the way, not to punish, but to preserve the promise of true restoration through Jesus.

The Authority Won Back by Jesus

“What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” (Psalm 8:4-6)

Jesus came to get it all back. But why did He have to come as a human? Because a human gave away the authority. The system God ordained required that a human win it back. God looked for a righteous person to intervene, but sin had defeated everyone (Isaiah 59:15-17). So God sent His own arm, Jesus, to become a man and reclaim what was lost.

Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life under the same rules that applied to all of humanity. He was tempted, He was tested, but He never stumbled. He became the second Adam, a new representative for all humankind (Romans 5:12-21). Through His perfect obedience, He fulfilled the law and, through His substitutionary death, He undid what Adam had done.

And what did Jesus do once He reclaimed all authority? True to God's generous nature, He gave it back to us.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...” (Matthew 28:18-19).

As believers, we now operate from a position of authority. The kingdom of Satan has been disarmed (Colossians 2:15), and we have been raised and seated with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). We are co-heirs with Him, and He has once again entrusted His authority on earth to His people.

Living in the "Not Yet"

So if Jesus has all authority, why do we still see suffering? The writer of Hebrews gives us the answer: "Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him" (Hebrews 2:8). While our spirits have been made new, the physical world has not yet been fully restored. We live in the tension between Christ's victory and its final, full manifestation when He returns.

But this doesn't leave us helpless. The good news is that Satan's power over us is broken. He only has influence if we give it to him. The Apostle Peter encourages us to "Resist him, standing firm in the faith" (1 Peter 5:9). And James tells us exactly how: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). When we understand the authority we have in Christ, the enemy loses his foothold.

One day, Jesus will return, and all creation will be made new. Sickness, suffering, and death will be gone forever. Until then, we are not passive victims of circumstance. We are ambassadors of Christ's victory, exercising the authority He won for us. He has given us a second chance, a new beginning, and the power to stand firm until we join Him for eternity.

Personal Reflection Questions

1. How does Jesus reclaiming authority shape your view of suffering?

2. How can you resist evil and stand firm in Christ’s authority each day?

3. What hope does Christ’s promised victory give you right now?