It seems that Satan was created with the sole purpose of sifting men. God knew that Satan and the other angels would turn from him, before he even created him... Can Satan be held accountable, if he was created to tempt mankind? -- Neil
God knew Satan would defect, but that does not mean he was created for that express purpose. Satan, like all the rest of us, has free will.
We must not confuse God's foreknowledge with predestination. (Scan the website for articles on their intricate inter-relationship.) Satan is therefore completely accountable. He was created to have a relationship with God. His envy led him to twist the truth, lead the angelic rebellion (accepting the traditional view, which I believe has a lot of merit), and attempt to drag as many of us down with him as possible (Revelation 12).
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