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What About Evil?
Many wonder:
Does evil exist in our world? Is there a devil? How should I react to evil?
The Nature of Evil
- Evil is not the opposite of
good
- Evil is the corruption of a
good thing
- Evil must have a good thing
to corrupt in order to exist
- Evil is like a spot if mold
on a good piece of bread. The existence of even a small amount causes the
whole to be useless.
The Cause of Evil
- Man’s desire to sin is what
created and allows evil to exist.
Did God cause
or create evil?
- God is absolutely perfect
- God cannot create anything
imperfect
- Therefore God cannot produce
evil
- Sin and evil are as far apart
from God’s nature as the East is to the West
- God created Satan as an
angel. Satan rebelled against God through his own free will.
The Nature of
the Devil
- Evil personified is the
Devil.
- The Devil does exist, he is a
real personal force of evil who is active in the world today.
- Once we have come to believe
in a transcendent God, it is logical to believe in a devil.
- Many western society find it
harder to believe in the devil than God
- Much of this comes from our
society stereotype of a red-horned devil with a pitch-fork.
- God and the Devil are not two
equal and opposite beings. God is the Creator of the universe, the Devil is
a part of creation - a fallen part.
- This only works in the
devil’s favor:
”Like any general who can persuade the opposition to underestimate him,Satan…
must be enchanted at the present state of affairs which leaves him free to
operate with the maximum of ease and efficiency, confident that nobody takes
him seriously. The more he can blind people’s minds to the true state of
affairs, the better his aims are furthered.” –Michael Green
- The devil’s goal is to entice
every human to follow a path of evil that leads to destruction.
The Christian
Position
- First and
foremost we must realize the devil is a conquered enemy by the power of Jesus’
death and resurrection. The war is not over, but the outcome is decided. We
are in the ‘mop up’ stage of the battle.
Scripture:
”And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of
them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15
- Defend: The apostle Paul gives us
guidance in the area of defending ourselves in the book of Ephesians,
Chapter 6. He uses the analogy of a warrior’s tools:
- The Belt of Truth (vs. 14):
We should learn and study the knowledge and lessons found in the Bible
- Breastplate of
Righteousness (vs. 14): Righteousness is what is produced from our
relationship with God. This helps us to resist the Devil.
Scripture:
”Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7,8
- Attack:
We
can also attack evil through:
- Prayer: Just as the hymn
states “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees.”
- Action: Our good work
helps to thwart the influence evil has in this world.
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