The definition of Evil

1. The definitionof Evil – 23rd May 2017
“Woeto those who call evil goodandgood evil,who put darknessfor lightand lightfor darkness,who
put bitter for sweet andsweet forbitter.”(Isaiah5:20).
Evil iswhat ismorallywrong,sinful,orwicked.Evilisthe resultof sinful andbad actionsstemmingfrom
a bad character. Biblically,evil isanythingthatcontradictsthe holynature andwill of God. Evil is
wickedness,anattempttocause harm… to deceive people. Evil cantake many formssuch as Evil
thoughtsandEvil behaviororactions. It isan attitude of malice andis ultimatelyisanintentiontodo
that whichiscontrary to the will of God - evenif a persondoesn'tknow whetherornotGod exists.
Evil thoughtsand behaviorcanbe placed intotwocategories: Evil committedagainstotherpeople
(murder, jealousy, theft,adultery) and Evil committedagainstGod(unbelief,idolatry,blasphemy).From
the disobedience inthe Gardenof Eden thatbegins withthe bookof Genesistothe bookof Revelation,
the Bible speaksof the existence of evil. Therefore formanycenturiesChristianshave struggledwith
boththe existence andthe nature of evil.Mostpeople wouldacknowledgethatevil isreal andhas
alwayshaddevastatingeffectsonourworld.Fromthe sexual abuse of childrentothe horrificterrorist
attacks spreadingrampantlyworldwide,evil continuestorearitsuglyheadin our owntime.Many
people are leftwonderingwhatexactlyisevil andwhy doesitexist.
The existence of evil hasbeenusedasa weaponbyopponentsof theism—andChristiantheismin
particular—forsome time.The so-called“problemof evil”hasbeenthe subjectof variousargumentsby
atheistsinanattemptto demonstrate that a God whois goodsimplycannotexist.ByimplyingthatGod
mustbe the creator of evil,God’sholycharacterhas beencalledintoquestion.There have beenmany
argumentsusedtoindictGod as the cause of evil.Here isone of them: 1) God isthe creatorof
everythingthatexists. 2) Evil exists. 3) Therefore,Godisthe creator of evil. The logicof thissyllogismis
sound.The conclusionfollowslogicallyfromthe premises.ButdoesthissyllogismdemonstratethatGod
isthe creatorof evil?The problem withthisargumentisitssecondpremise,thatevil is something?For
evil isnota thing;it isa lackor privationof a good thingthatGod made.As ChristianphilosopherJ.P.
Morelandhas noted,“Evil isa lackof goodness.Itisgoodnessspoiled.You canhave goodwithoutevil,
but youcannot have evil withoutgood.” Thislackof ‘Goodness’isevil…the powerof Satan.The
Psalmistdescribes: “Hismouthis full oflies and threats; troubleand evil are under histongue.”(Psalm
10:7).
In the world today,some people donotbelieve thatthere'sanactual beingcalled Satan,whoisevil by
nature.But the Bible clearlytellsusthathe existsandhe worksto thwart the righteousandholyworkof
God. We can learnfromthe bookof Matthew 4 where JesuswastemptedbySatan.We can learnfrom
Matthew 4:5-7, “Then the devil took him to the holycity and hadhim standon the highest pointof the
temple. 6
“Ifyou are the Son of God,” hesaid,“throw yourselfdown.For it is written: “‘He will
commandhisangelsconcerning you, and they will liftyou up intheir hands, so that you will not strike
your footagainsta stone.’” 7
Jesus answered him, “Itis alsowritten: ‘Do not putthe Lord your Godto
the test.’” Satan’sobjective isto oppose God. He isevil inthathe iswickedinhisinnermostbeingand
seekstoharm us anddefyGod. He wants to distance usfromGod’spresence throughhisliesandsinful
ways.
In the contextof discussinghim,we enterintothe realmof thatwhichisevil bynature.Satanisevil in
hisinnermostbeingand,itseems,hisevil canbe experienced.Now,we don'twanttomake doctrine out
of suchexperiencesbutthere have beencountlesspeople whoclaimtohave hada profoundexperience

2. of the presence of evil.Theydescribe itasterrifying,cold,malevolent,hateful,ugly,foul,etc. Whether
or not these experiencesare real isnotthe issue here.Butwhenenoughpeople,thousandsof people,
describe asimilarsense of forebodingwickednessassomethingthatispalpable,thenthe suggestionis
there isa cause to it.Biblicallyspeakingwe couldsaythatthe demonicrealm, whichisevil,andheaded
by Satancan oppresspeoplesufficientlythatthe sense the verypresence of evil.
Despite the horrible effectsof evil onourworld,the Christianbelievercantake comfortin the wordsof
the Lord JesusChristrecordedforus inthe Gospel of John, “I have toldyou these things,so that inme
you mayhave peace. Inthis world youwill have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”
(John16:33). More importantly,we lookforwardwithgreatanticipationtoourhome in heavenwhere
the ultimate evil,death,will finallybe destroyedalongwiththe “mourning,cryingandpain”whichit
inevitablyproduces.Therefore we are advisedin 3John11, "Beloved,do not imitate whatis evil, but
what is good.The one who does goodis ofGod; the one who does evil has not seen God."