Those who acknowledge that Jesus died to save the whole world, but believe that many will ultimately be lost, must face yet another important issue. The New Testament consistently describes Jesus as the conqueror of the inferior powers, including Satan. If Satan desires to steal souls from Christ, and ultimately succeeds in bringing about the permanent damnation of the majority, then how is this viewed in any sense as Christ’s victory?
If a team of Navy Seals were dispatched to safely recover a thousand people taken hostage by pirates, and they returned from their mission having permanently lost all but ten to the enemy, that mission would be an embarrassment to the team, not a victory to be heralded. Allin and Chamberlain wrote: “As odious and repulsive as the idea of endless suffering is, it is not the main point. The vital question is who will win the battle for men’s souls, God or the devil? Which is more powerful, righteousness or sin? . . . [We] believe that if the Father sent the Son to save the world, the world is going to be saved! To me, any other view basically means that the Son of God was unable to accomplish what the Father sent Him to do!”