By Dennis Rirchie
The question came up recently: Does evil exist? Short answer: yes. Slightly longer answer: absolutely, and it’s been lurking since Genesis 3 when that snake convinced Adam and Eve that a bite of fruit was worth it (spoiler alert: it wasn’t). Evil entered the world when humanity chose rebellion over trust, and we’ve been dealing with the fallout ever since. Paul puts it plainly in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” So yes—evil is real, but it’s not the final word.
Dante once wrote in The Inferno, “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.” Now, I’m not suggesting we all become sword-wielding crusaders (though that sounds kind of cool in a medieval movie sort of way). What I am saying is that we don’t get to sit on the sidelines. We are called to confront evil—not with fear, but with faith. Why? Because Jesus already defeated it. Colossians 2:15 says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Evil is real, but it’s also defeated.
The problem is, evil is sneaky. It shows up in temptation, injustice, bitterness, and sometimes even in our own thoughts. But God hasn’t left us defenseless. He’s handed us tools: prayer, Scripture, worship, community, and the power of the Holy Spirit. These aren’t “maybe-they’ll-work” tools; they’re battle-tested. When you pray, heaven moves. When you quote Scripture, lies lose their grip. When you worship, darkness trembles. And when we do it together? Evil doesn’t stand a chance.
So, does evil exist? Yes. But here’s the good news: so does resurrection. So does hope. So does Jesus. And He’s already handed us the victory. So let’s stop living in fear and start living in faith, fully equipped and fully confident in the One who’s already won the war. Now, excuse me while I go sharpen my sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17)—figuratively speaking, of course.