There Is such A Thing As Evil

There is such a thing as evil.  Whenever we watch the news, surf the internet, or read the paper,

we are confronted with reports of evil acts every day around the world, from thefts to mass shootings and terrorist attacks.  Anyone who would say, "I don't believe in evil" is suffering from a delusion and deception of the worst sort.  It has been said that the greatest deception pulled on anyone was that evil did not exist, but the more proper saying is that the greatest trick the devil performed was convincing the world that he did not exist in an attempt to lull as many as possible into a false sense of peace and security. 

But do we fear the dark without cause? When we step outside on the most darkest of nights, do we not feel vulnerable? Does not the slightest bump in the night startle us?  When insults are hurled at us, do we not feel our honor being assaulted? And if our loved ones are denigrated, do we not take that as an attack on their honor? When our property is either vandalized or stolen, do we not feel wronged? When we have been lied to, has not a trust been broken? When we have been promised something which is not delivered, do we not feel betrayed? When engaged in business dealings, if the deal fails to deliver on what was guaranteed, do we not see that we have been swindled?  When a dog is kicked or beaten, do we not call it cruelty? When a child is molested, do we not hold the molester in contempt?  When an armed man shoots several innocent children at an elementary school, are we not infuriated? Are we not horrified when we hear of people being subjected to the most nightmarish of tortures and atrocities? When an intrusive government attempts to restrict our use of the liberties we hold dear, do we not feel oppressed, and when a nation suffers injury by a foreign power, is that not a cause for war?  And do we not feel empathy towards them that are victims of evil acts?  How then can anyone say that there is no such thing as evil?

I'd venture to say that anyone who would deny the existence of evil might be among the first to take pleasure in doing those things which are evil and look with favor upon those who do evil and I am also suspicious of those who would attempt to make excuses for the child molester, the rapist, the serial killer, and the terrorist, and whenever I hear those who attempt to defend the wicked against the punishments they justly deserve, I must question as to whether they are enabling and giving power to the wicked and encouraging more wickedness.

When an overt form of evil is recognized, we form rallies against it, take up arms against it, and call for that evil to be stamped out wherever it may be found.  Whenever a terrible act of wickedness takes place, such as a mass school shooting or a terrorist attack   various opinions are given as to what is to blame and how to best prevent more like acts from transpiring in the future, but often times, our attention is focused upon the acts of evil themselves rather than the motivating factors and inspiration behind the evil done, and the aspect that is the least discussed, is where evil originates.

Neither is it taken into account that evil does not always manifest itself in an overt and recognizable fashion.  Granted that there are many overt manifestations of evil that take place every day, but what most are oblivious to is the evil that infiltrates, blends in, disguises itself as something harmless, or even beneficial, taking on the appearance of that which is good, even going so far as to perform good and even heroic deeds in order to gain the admiration and trust of those it seeks to victimize, but it is the kind of evil that goes largely undetected.  This is how it manages to infiltrate homes, churches, religious and political organizations, schools, universities, businesses, media outlets, entertainment venues, and even and ultimately, our government institutions and the political arena.

There is an evil that clouds our perception, warps our worldview, perverts truth, distorts facts, tries to manipulate us into its schemes, distracts us and keeps us blind to its true intent, and will exploit to its own ends whatever it can.

But evil best takes root when complacency and apathy are widespread, when it can succeed at causing those who might otherwise resist to cower, and it is victorious when it can demoralize those who attempt confront it, but when "good people" do nothing against evil, when those who have been called to keep watch for the works of darkness become complacent and fail to warn others, when we give in to cowardice and fail to take an unyielding stand, when we allow ourselves to become demoralized and forget why we must confront and fight against evil, when we rely on appeasement, when we become too selfish and too cowardly to be willing to make those necessary sacrifices for the forces of good and light to triumph over the powers of darkness, then that is when evil flourishes best.

But before we can even begin to be an effective force against the forces of evil, we must learn to recognize it when it appears.  We must be able to see through its facades, its lies, clever deceptions, and elaborate manipulations.  And we must also educate ourselves to its strategies that we may know

in what way we must respond, but first, before we can confront the external evils, we must first confront and deal with the evil in our own lives.  For it is not enough to hate what is wrong and dark in others, but we also must hate the evil that lives in everyone of us.  That is not to say that we are all evil people at heart, or that we all knowingly take pleasure in those products of darkness, but there is an evil inherent within us since the first man and woman from whom all mankind is descended.  When the universe came into being, it was not as we see it today.  It was a place of perfection without death or suffering of any kind and without any evil and undefiled by the presence of decay.

The universe was created within a time frame of six days as recorded in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, and after each day of creation, the God who made the universe and all things therein said that what He had made was good.  It was created exactly to be as He intended, but when He created man, He gave man only one rule:

To not eat the fruit from a certain tree that was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17) but man disobeyed His Maker and ate from that forbidden fruit (Gen. 3).  After that, everything changed.  Death as a consequence of sin, entered into the world, first to man, and then to all of creation (Rom. 8:19-23) which is why people and animals die, the reason for famines and diseases, why clothes wear out and machines breakdown, why stars burn out and in some cases even explode.  It is why beasts feed upon one another and in some cases, even upon man himself.  Sin and the curse that came as a consequence is the reason for all the pain, suffering, and death we witness.  Sin is what causes men to harm one another and why people may resort to committing the most unspeakable acts, and it is sin that causes us to be sentenced to eternal condemnation.

No matter what we do, we cannot cleanse ourselves of it, nor can any amount of goodness on our part erase it.  It is what prevents us from attaining to a moral standard of perfection.  Should we be allowed into Heaven uncleansed, we would with our sin taint the Holy Kingdom, therefore, unless we are redeemed, God has no choice but to, as required by justice, to sentence us to eternal punishment for our sins, for if He did not, He Himself would no longer be good or holy, but would be giving approval to sin. 

Though the problem of sin and fall of man started with Adam and Eve who are the parents of all of humanity, evil itself did not start with man, but started with an angelic being who in his pride tried to make himself equal with God (Is. 14:12-14) but instead, he and his followers lost their place in heaven, condemned, and those men who align themselves with them, to suffer eternal torment in a place called the lake of fire, that final hell which will be the final resting place of the wicked

(Rev. 20:10-15).  Nonetheless, this fallen angel through a serpent, tempted and deceived Eve into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil who then shared the fruit with her husband Adam (Gen. 3:1-15).  This angel was once called Lucifer, who is now known as Satan whom our Lord Jesus called a liar and a murderer from the start. 

He through elaborate subtleties, crafty lies, masterful deceptions, and ingenious strategy, has enslaved countless people unawares, the undoing of institutions, the ruin of communities and cities, the destruction of nations, and the downfall of empires, and has led billions into damnation.

I couldn't even at this point begin to tell anyone of the complex elaborations of his numerous devices, but it is a subject that the church at large has failed largely to discuss, but what I've already written and what scripture says concerning that great adversary of both God and man, should already remind you that the next time calamity strikes you and before you decide to lash out at God, remember that there are dark forces at work as well, but there is hope in that the doom of this spiritual adversary is certain; he has already suffered defeats, one of those defeats being in the form of a purchase of our redemption through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord who gave Himself as that perfect sacrifice for our sins that we might be liberated from the condemnation into which we are born because of our sin, and in rising from the dead, He conquered death, and is returning again to reign upon the earth to restore to the paradise it once was before Satan brought his evil into it, and Satan will no longer have a place in this world and will face a final and permanent defeat (Gen. 3:14-15, Rev. 20:10).

That is why it is said of us who are in Christ that we already have the victory, because the victory is destined, even though the age long war between God and Satan still rages on.  Therefore, in spite of the growing darkness, and no matter how great the odds against us may seem, we must still continue to faithfully serve and follow Christ and serve Him in a spirit of victory, not allowing ourselves to be demoralized or intimated by the threats of the enemies of our Lord.  The cost of service may be great, but greater still is the reward to come, for as the Apostle Paul once said:

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared

with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom. 8:18)

The price required of us is no more or less than what was required of those faithful followers of our Lord who have even laid down their very lives in order that lost souls might have the chance to hear the Gospel of Salvation which liberates from damnation and from the bonds of darkness.

It is because of that victory in Christ, we can take a bold and unwavering stand against the forces of evil, and how greatly might that victory manifest itself if we would diligently pursue the calling Christ has placed in each and everyone of our lives, use the gifts and talents He has given us for the furthering of His Kingdom and the Gospel, prepare ourselves to take any opportunity presented to us to make known our faith, take a vigilant stand for the truth of God and for those things right in His sight and "earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 3), not give into cowardice, and remain steadfast in our devotion to Christ, living our lives in such a way that represents Him best, and maintaining an undying zeal for our Lord.

There is no defeat in Christ who offers salvation to any who will call upon Him to be saved out of their sins (Rom. 10:13), but for they who continue to reject His love and His mercy and choose instead to side with those forces of darkness, there can only be defeat and that defeat will be an everlasting one.  Therefore I urge any who have yet to turn from their sins to place your trust in Christ today and make Him your King that you may be on the side destined for victory.

Scripture references:

1.  Gen 2:17

2.  Gen 3

3.  Rom. 8:19-23

4.  Isa. 14:12-14

5.  Gen 3:1-15

6.  Rev. 20:10-15

7.  Gen. 3:14-15, 

8.  Rev. 10:20

9.  Rom. 8:18

10.  Jude 3

11. Rom. 10:13