A Healthy Perspective on Evil

Are we giving the devil too much credit? When things go sideways who is to blame? Some people blame God, some people blame the devil, do we blame ourselves? Are we owning up to our sin? Or are we saying “the devil made me do it”? Sometimes it’s our own fault, our bad decisions, others throwing us in a pit, poor choices that cause us to fall in a pit. Who do we need to blame? Maybe we need a healthy perspective on evil?

The devil is the father of evil. He is the father of all lies. Evil entered this world with a thought that was a lie. Actually it was a half truth.. Half truths are a dangerous trap. It causes us to doubt God and it’s because it is not an out and out lie, it’s harder to identify. Read Genesis 3.

1 Peter 5:8 – “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Adam and Eve were all that the devil had to seek at the time. (how hard was that?) He told Eve a lie. Lies are a trap that leads to all kinds of sin. Lies can cause us to doubt, like Eve in the Garden. She doubted what God said, that they would die if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We know now that we don’t need an explanation from God as to why we need to obey, just obey. We know now that after Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that they would die spiritually immediately (separation from God) and a slow human death. So when God gives us an directive, we need to trust Him and obey Him. He may or may not tell us afterwards why. He is God, He can do anything He wants.

Sinning began with a lie and it still holds true today. The devil may have dominion over the world and is the father of all lies, John 8:44, but he has no place in the world or mind or life of a Christian and sometimes we open that door and let him in renting space in our minds. How many times does a thought enter our minds, one that can cause us to doubt, one that causes us to believe something suspicious about someone, or a fearful thought? Our minds are a battlefield. It’s the devil’s primary way to attack us. We need to put on the full armor of God, Ephesians 6:11, we need to protect our minds with the Belt of Truth. We need to filter each thought through God’s word. 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (NASB). Especially the thoughts that cause doubt, a fearful thought should be a warning. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (ESV). We do not have to give in to fearful thoughts. They are not from God.

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” I may not know the exact specifications of God’s will for me, BUT I know this, I can discern what is fear, I can discern what is not good and what is not pleasing to God and all that is not from God. So how do we renew our minds? By reading the God’s word daily, by praying through everything at all times without ceasing, (emphasis mine)Ephesians 6:18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17. (Just as side note here about God’s plan, He may not reveal the specifics of that plan because HE IS the plan, the Way, the Truth and the Life and while I make plans He directs my steps – Proverbs 16:9).

Look at Job. The devil had to go to God first before attacking God’s servant. Though there may not be a specific verse saying that the devil has to go to God first, I do believe that God is ultimately in control, Satan is limited right now. Satan is NOT omniscient, God has no equal, God has no rival, God’s name is above all names. Colossians 1:17 – “He is before ALL things, and in Him ALL things hold together.” (emphasis mine) God goes before us in in the valleys and on the mountain tops. Isaiah 41:10- He upholds us with His righteous right hand. Philippians 2:9-11 – “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

So though God may allow an attack from the devil, rest assured it is part of God’s plan and He is still with us through the fire and the flood. Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Job 28:24 – “For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.” Jeremiah 23:24 – “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” Here is a link to some more verses to read, for the sake of the length of this post.

The devil isn’t behind every seemingly bad situation. Sometimes it’s just our own dumb fault. Sometimes it’s just a bad choice The trial or test that comes along that appears to have the devils signature on it… have you considered that God is allowing it? The devil can meet us in the valley or the mountain top waiting for us to be find ourselves in another valley. Our Christian walk are the roads to and from the valleys and the mountain tops. We are either traveling through a valley or sitting on a mountain top. God works together all things for our good and His glory- Romans 8:28. We need to remind ourselves that if we are followers of Jesus, we are going to be attacked. Jesus said that we would have trouble in this world but He has overcome the world – John 16:33. So the devil may be behind it but God is still in control, which brings me far greater comfort than hearing someone say “Oh it’s just Satan. He knows his time is limited and he’s doing all he can.” While that may be true, personally, and I don’t know about you, but that isn’t helping me, how is that comforting? This is where, I believe we are giving the devil too much credit. It may explain a few things, but not everything. To me that statement could be a half truth. And half truths cause us to doubt. It’s not explaining that God may be allowing this trial or unpleasant circumstance to grow us. Perhaps if we are going to use that statement we need to follow it up with John 16:33 and Romans 8:28. Satan may behind something gone sideways BUT (be careful where you put your but) the more important part about this is GOD IS IN CONTROL! He will never leave us or forsake us.

Someone once told me that “God grows us through what we grow through.” So is it safe to say; we need to look for God working in every situation, not the devil’s doing? We need to own up to our sin and wrong doings and stop giving the devil credit for what God may be allowing.