Evil is a rather unpleasant topic. Although we see it all around us and experience its ubiquitous presence in our world daily as victims, observers, or perpetrators, it is still unnerving and hard to talk about. This may be because there’s something discomfiting about the fact that there are people among us who delight in doing unspeakable evils, and, under the right circumstances, any of us can become the perpetrator of some evil (ask Judas, Peter, Paul, or King Saul or David). It’s no exaggeration to say we are often just one (selfish) decision removed from it.
Jesus knew evil all too well. He came face to face with it in the wilderness, saw it in the condition of the poor and oppressed and in the eyes of the lost and harassed. He felt its cold hand in the jealous hatred and false accusations of the religious leaders who hounded him and heard its voice in the mocking sneers and laughter of those who sought to discredit and belittle him. He also heard its deceptive whisper in the suggestion of a beloved disciple before feeling its cruelty in the betrayal of a one-time friend. He would bear the marks of evil on his body before dying at its hands.
Christ knew the ruthlessness and destructiveness of evil, but he was not afraid of it and he did not run from it. Instead, he faced it, opposed it in word and deed, and challenged his followers to do the same. James called this active opposition to evil “resisting the devil” (Jas. 4:7) and Paul called it “giving no room to the devil” (Eph. 4:27), both commands understood as only possible in a life that’s yielded to God. I believe this New Testament teaching is unequivocal because evil is an insidious and persistent force that knows no boundaries. If ignored or passively tolerated, it only grows, spawning all manner of sin and wickedness—everything from wrong inner attitudes such as selfishness, jealousy, anger, greed, and so on, to wicked conduct.
Christ opposed evil by undoing its harms and transforming the human heart so it would resist rather than be an incubator of evil. Occasionally, he verbally confronted evildoers and called the devil out when he saw him at work, but he mostly focused on overcoming evil with good. This attitude enabled him to forgive his enemies rather than allowing his heart to become a womb for hatred, bitterness, anger, and all their ugly children and grandchildren.
Jesus overcame evil by bringing healing to the sick, comfort to the grieving, hope to the discouraged, salvation to the lost, forgiveness to sinners, relief to the oppressed, food to the hungry, truth to the deceived, liberty to captives, life to the dead, and so on.
How are you dealing with evil? Are you overcoming evil or is it overcoming you?
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21)