For the last two weeks we have watched the images pouring out of Israel and Gaza in horror. One young Israeli who escaped death by pulling a body on top of himself spoke of looking into the eyes of a killer and seeing “nothing, just dead eyes.” The violence of war has brought death to thousands, homes and communities destroyed. It is a story as old as humanity and it is born of evil.
I read a biography of Corrie Ten Boom this week (The Watchmaker’s Daughter). She was a Dutch woman who joined with her family to resist Nazi efforts to kill Jews. When the Gestapo caught up with her she was enveloped by a storm of hatred, of murder, of cruelty. Horrific suffering was poured on weak and helpless people for no reason other than those with power could do it and they did! How did ordinary farmers, shopkeepers, mechanics, and carpenters turn into sadistic people? Evil!
Evil is more than a psychological
thing, more than the actions of some maladjusted individual of questionable
mental state. Evil is real, fed by the Devil who hates all things God and good.
Evil is everywhere, disciple.
* I have witnessed an unthinkable evil possess the minds two people who were once in love and watched as they entered into power plays that destroy their marriage and sometimes even their lives.
* Good people rise to places of authority to be seduced by evil. Dreams of ‘public service’ are replaced by schemes to secure more power, perks, or money for themselves. Lives are destroyed as well as they companies, organizations, or even church they lead.
* Benevolent nations enjoy prosperity and gain strength, only to become imperialistic bent on conquering the world and horrible suffering results.
* Sex, a gift of God designed to create life and bond a man and woman intimately for life, can be twisted by evil into an ugly thing called lust which turns people into objects to be used for personal pleasure.
... and the list goes on and on.
Jesus says that there is Evil that exists only to "kill and destroy!"
The Bible speaks of the Devil repeatedly as the 'enemy.'
Peter compares Satan to a 'roaring lion seeking for someone to devour.'
The book of the Revelation
speaks of the reality of Evil in powerful images "the Dragon, that old
Snake-the very Devil, Satan himself!" (Revelation 20:2, The Message)
In our so-called sophistication some of us have rejected the idea of evil as just
leftover medieval superstition. I am not
advocating witch hunts or supersititious rites. But it is a mistake, one that
is costly and blinds us to reality, to say 'Evil is not real. It is just an illusion, the
result of lack of opportunity, misunderstanding, or ignorance!' Rightly
discarding the silliness of a horned devil in a red suit carrying a pitchfork,
some Christians also throw away the truth that evil is orchestrated by a fallen
spiritual being named Lucifer, and bent on destroying all that God has made and
loves! There is a real Devil. Where he is given unchecked access to people he infects
people and evil grows like a weed.
So, what are we to do?
Some choose to pretend evil is not real, closing their eyes, shutting their ears, blissfully apathetic- until evil finds them!
Some 'make nice' somehow thinking that only saying positive words and being kind is the answer, until they are stabbed by someone they thought they could change with their niceness.
God calls us to War! But, the war is not one of fists, guns, or swords;
nor even of words! It is a strange war that Paul describes this way: "We
use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s
strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps
people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas,
and we teach them to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-6, NLT).
We live in Truth – committed to seeing life as He reveals it to us. We learn the truth from the Word and the living Christ- a truth that condemns us as sinners, then frees us from our sinfulness when we confess our utter depravity and grab hold, in faith, of the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
We live in Love - changed from the inside out by the radical love of God, shown us in Christ Jesus. Seeing His love which brought Him from Heaven's perfection to the sewers of sin, and experiencing that love firsthand, we learn to love. And love conquers! Yes, it is a bold love that costs us our life, which we trade for that life in the Kingdom that never ends.
In a passage that is both
full of promise and yet terrifying in the probability of the disturbance of our
comfort, the Bible says: "It has come at last- salvation and power and
the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our
brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth- the one who accuses them
before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the
Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that
they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the
heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil
has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time." (Revelation
12:10-12, NLT)
So, we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, walk with God in love and obedience, and pray “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil.”
(Video of this blog at this link)
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A mighty Fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world,
With devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear,
For God hath willed,
His will to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure,
For, lo, his doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours,
Through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also.
The body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever.
Martin Luther © Public Domain
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