Is God Sovereign Over Everything? Biblical Sovereignty Explained

Your child is diagnosed with cancer. A drunk driver kills your spouse. A terrorist attack shatters a city.

Is God in control?

If God is good, why didn’t He stop this? If God could have prevented this, why didn’t He?

This isn’t academic theology. This question either strengthens your faith or destroys it. And how you answer it determines whether your suffering has meaning — or whether it’s just noise.

Let me show you what Scripture actually says about God’s sovereignty — even over evil.

What Does “Sovereign” Mean?

Sovereign means supreme authority and control over all things. When we say “God is sovereign,” we mean:

1. God has absolute authority — no one can overrule Him
2. God has absolute power — nothing is outside His control
3. God has absolute knowledge — nothing surprises Him
4. God has absolute control. Full stop.

But here’s the hard part. If God is sovereign over everything, is He sovereign over cancer? Genocide? Your suffering? Evil itself?

The Bible’s answer: Yes.

The Bible Says: God Is Sovereign Over All Things

1. God Is Sovereign Over Creation

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16)

God created everything. Therefore, He has authority over everything. It’s the authority of the maker over the creation. For a deep dive into how John’s Gospel establishes this from its very first verse, see John 1 Commentary: Every Verse, Every Word, Every Layer.

2. God Is Sovereign Over Nature

“Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” (Psalm 135:6-7)

God controls the weather, the seasons, the sun and moon. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, and famines too.

3. God Is Sovereign Over Nations

“He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.” (Daniel 2:21)

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

God raises up rulers and brings them down. No government is outside His control.

4. God Is Sovereign Over Human Decisions

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)

Humans make choices — but God ordains the outcome. This raises one of the biggest questions in theology: Do Christians actually have free will? The answer is more nuanced than most people think.

But here’s where it gets harder.

5. God Is Sovereign Over Salvation

“He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16)

God chooses who will be saved. Salvation is not ultimately up to us — it’s up to Him. As Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born from above — and that birth is not something you initiate. For the full theology of regeneration, see Dead Men Cannot Decide: The Theology of Regeneration in John 3.

6. God Is Sovereign Over Evil

This is the hardest one.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20)

Joseph’s brothers chose to betray him — that was evil. God ordained their choice to accomplish His purposes — that was good. Both are true.

“I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7)

God doesn’t just allow calamity. He creates it.

“Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?” (Amos 3:6)

Nothing happens outside God’s sovereign will — not even disaster.

And here’s the most staggering example of all.

“For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:27-28)

The crucifixion — the worst injustice in history — was predestined by God. Herod sinned by condemning Jesus. Pilate sinned by crucifying an innocent man. The mob sinned by calling for His death. But God ordained it all to accomplish salvation. For the full weight of what happened on that cross, see Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

The Westminster Confession of Faith (3.1) declares: “God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures.”

The Hard Question: If God Ordains Evil, Is He the Author of Sin?

This is where most people stumble. The logic goes: (1) God is sovereign over everything, including evil. (2) Nothing happens outside God’s will. (3) Therefore, God must be responsible for sin.

But Scripture says:

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (James 1:13)

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

God is not the author of sin. God is infinitely holy. So how does this work?

The Mystery: God’s Sovereign Will and Human Responsibility

The Bible teaches two truths simultaneously: (1) God ordains everything, including evil, and (2) Humans are fully responsible for their choices.

This is called compatibilism — the theological view that God’s sovereign control and human free choice are both true and compatible. Humans genuinely choose according to their desires, yet God ordains all their choices to accomplish His purposes.

Let me put this in concrete terms.

Joseph

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20)

Joseph’s brothers are responsible for their sin — they meant evil. God ordained their choice to accomplish His purposes — He meant it for good. Both are true. No contradiction.

They didn’t consult God’s will when they were planning to do evil to their brother. They just did it. They were always going to do that — it wasn’t a factor what God’s position was on the matter. So because God knew they were going to do that, He allows it for His own purposes. Rather than casting aspersions at a Holy God, it shows the unholiness of man. We do evil by nature. Completely foreign to God’s position, desire, nature, or approval, we do evil — and we don’t really care as a humanity.

Actually, the Bible says we cannot come to God by ourselves. Our wills won’t let us. He has to bring us to Himself. And we are not off the hook, because the Law exists — we know God’s position on actions, and still we act against it.

The Crucifixion

“This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts 2:23)

God predestined the crucifixion — “definite plan.” Humans are guilty for killing Jesus — “lawless men.” God’s sovereignty doesn’t erase human guilt.

Pharaoh

“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.'” (Romans 9:17)

God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12). Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15). Both are true. God didn’t force Pharaoh to sin. God ordained Pharaoh’s sinful choice to accomplish His purposes.

Here’s the part nobody talks about.

How Does This Work?

Honestly? We don’t fully know.

I heard John MacArthur say something in his sermons about this that I loved — these things seem contradictory because they are not yet finished. Redemptive history is not complete yet. And to our finite minds, what seems the irreconcilable works of an infinite God is really us looking at an unfinished eternal work.

Scripture reveals that God is sovereign over all things. It doesn’t always explain how.

What we know:

1. God ordains the ends — what happens
2. God ordains the means — how it happens, including human choices
3. Humans genuinely choose — not puppets
4. God is never the author of sin (James 1:13)

Imagine a master playwright writing a play. The playwright ordains the plot (sovereignty). The characters act according to their nature (human responsibility). The characters’ choices are real (not forced). But the playwright accomplishes his intended ending (God’s purposes). The analogy breaks down — all analogies do. But it helps.

If this tension between sovereignty and human choice intrigues you, the Job 1 Commentary explores it through one of the most vivid scenes in Scripture — where God and Satan have a direct conversation about a man’s faith, and Job 1 Theology unpacks the deepest implications for the doctrine of sovereignty and suffering.

Why God’s Sovereignty Matters

1. God’s Sovereignty Gives You Comfort in Suffering

If God is not sovereign over your suffering, then your suffering is random — meaningless. God is surprised — not in control. God can’t guarantee a good outcome — limited power.

But if God is sovereign:

“And we 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)

God will use your suffering for good — because He’s in control. Your suffering has a purpose, and a purpose for a good outcome. Take comfort in this: the Almighty who allowed your pain will also secure its intended outcome. God won’t let one ounce of your suffering be in vain. It will produce what He means to produce, and that, at least, is worth something.

2. God’s Sovereignty Ensures Salvation Is Secure

If salvation depends on you, you could lose it — your will is fickle. You could fail to persevere — you’re weak. You have no assurance — your faith fluctuates.

But if God is sovereign over salvation:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)

Your salvation is secure — because God holds you, not because you hold Him. If salvation depended even 0.000001% on us, we would all be destined for Hell. It’s 100% His work — monergism, salvation as the work of God alone — so that no one may boast. God doesn’t owe anyone anything. Any good He does is completely by His grace, given to people who don’t deserve it.

And this is where it gets practical.

3. God’s Sovereignty Means Nothing Is Wasted

If God is not sovereign, your pain is pointless. Your tears are meaningless. Your struggles serve no purpose.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Your suffering is preparing you for glory. Every tear, every sleepless night, every prayer that felt like it hit the ceiling — it’s all being woven into something you can’t see yet.

4. God’s Sovereignty Means History Is Headed Somewhere

If God is not sovereign, history is chaos. Evil might win. The future is uncertain.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)

Christ will return. Evil will be defeated. Justice will be done. History is headed exactly where God planned.

Common Objections to God’s Sovereignty

“If God ordains evil, He’s a monster.”

God ordains evil for a greater good — not because He delights in it.

“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23)

God doesn’t delight in evil. But He ordains it to accomplish purposes we cannot see. The cross was the worst evil producing the greatest good: salvation. Joseph’s betrayal was evil producing good: saving a nation. God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). He thinks in dimensions we can’t access yet — we’re playing checkers while He’s orchestrating eternity.

“If God ordains everything, we’re just robots.”

No. We genuinely choose. Scripture affirms both:

“The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” (Proverbs 16:4)

“Choose this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15)

We’re not robots. We’re accountable agents whose choices God ordains to accomplish His purposes. For the fullest treatment of how divine sovereignty and human choice work together, see Do Christians Have Free Will? What Reformed Theology Actually Teaches.

“If God is sovereign, why pray?”

Because God ordains the means (prayer) as well as the ends (answers).

“You do not have, because you do not ask.” (James 4:2)

Prayer is the appointed means by which God accomplishes His will. God has ordained what will happen and how it will happen — including your prayers.

There’s this notion that if you pray for somebody’s salvation, it won’t matter because God ultimately chooses who gets saved. It does matter — in the sense of how they arrive at salvation. One day God will reveal the results of your work as a believer, and that will be a good day. Imagine this: you prayed for your dad for years to come to Christ, and eventually he does and calls you — telling you the news. But one day, God will show him your prayers, and the effect they had, and your relationship with your dad, and with God, will be deeper and richer because of it. It’s not pointless — it’s God inviting you into His work. You get to participate in something holy and eternal.

“If God is sovereign, we have no free will.”

Define “free will.” If “free will” means humans are autonomous — outside God’s control — no, we don’t have that. If it means humans genuinely choose according to their desires — yes, we have that.

We choose freely. But God ordains our choices. Look at it this way: outside of Christ, you don’t have the free will to stop sinning. You do have the free will to pick your sin.

How to Live Under God’s Sovereignty

1. Trust God’s Purposes, Even When You Don’t Understand

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

You don’t need to understand why. You need to trust who.

2. Rest in God’s Control

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22)

You’re not in control. And that’s good news. Because God is. The sooner you realize that, the better. I’ve almost destroyed my mental health, and my marriage, trying to force situations in my life that are not in my control. Even right now, I’m at the end of a season of depression trying to get an overnight job while caring for my newborn son as a stay-at-home dad. Because I’m used to being the breadwinner, I’m not used to this new role, I’m not used to depending on my wife’s income.

And the harder I’ve struggled to change this situation, the worse it’s gotten. Until finally, I’ve had to recognize — God has me exactly where He wants me. If He didn’t, the circumstance would be different. And when He decides this season for my life is over, the circumstances will change. So… we cast our burdens.

3. Pray Bold Prayers

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

If God is sovereign, your prayers matter. Pray boldly.

4. Take Responsibility for Your Choices

God’s sovereignty doesn’t erase your responsibility. Don’t blame God for your sin (James 1:13). Don’t excuse passivity — “God will do what He wants anyway.” Live as if your choices matter — because they do.

Final Thought: God’s Sovereignty Is Good News

If God were not sovereign, your suffering would be meaningless, your salvation uncertain, history chaotic, and evil might win.

But God is sovereign.

Which means your suffering serves a purpose. Your salvation is secure. History is headed where God planned. Evil will be defeated.

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

You’re not in control. And you don’t need to be. Because the God who is in control is good, wise, and faithful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is God sovereign over evil and suffering?

Yes. Scripture teaches that God ordains all things, including evil, to accomplish His purposes (Genesis 50:20, Isaiah 45:7, Acts 4:27-28). However, God is not the author of sin — He remains holy and without darkness (James 1:13, 1 John 1:5). Evil agents are fully responsible for their choices, even though God sovereignly uses those choices for good.

How can God be good if He allows evil to exist?

God doesn’t merely “allow” evil — He ordains it for purposes beyond what we can see. The clearest example is the cross: the worst injustice in history became the means of salvation for millions. God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and He promises that all things work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Does God’s sovereignty eliminate human free will?

No. The Bible teaches compatibilism — that God’s sovereign control and genuine human choice coexist without contradiction. Humans choose freely according to their desires, and God ordains those choices to accomplish His purposes. Scripture commands us to choose (Joshua 24:15) while affirming that God establishes our steps (Proverbs 16:9). For a full treatment, see Do Christians Have Free Will?

If God controls everything, why should we pray?

Because God ordains the means as well as the ends. Prayer is the appointed means by which God accomplishes His will (James 4:2). When you pray, you participate in God’s sovereign plan — your prayers are part of how He brings about what He has purposed.

What is compatibilism in theology?

Compatibilism is the view that God’s absolute sovereignty and human moral responsibility are both true and compatible. God ordains everything that comes to pass, yet humans genuinely choose and are held accountable for their choices. The Bible consistently presents both truths side by side (Acts 2:23, Genesis 50:20, Philippians 2:12-13).

Related reading:

• Do Christians Have Free Will? What Reformed Theology Actually Teaches
• Does Job Fear God for Nothing? The Theology of Sovereignty and Suffering
• Dead Men Cannot Decide: The Theology of Regeneration in John 3
• Why Did Jesus Have to Die? (The Gospel in One Question)
• Psalm 1 Commentary: Two Trees, Two Paths, Two Destinies