Will evil ever be defeated?
By Paul Bawden
On Memorial Day, when men and women who gave their lives while serving in the United States military are remembered and honored, along with parades, and celebrations of our freedoms in America, this question comes to the fore. Why?
If evil didn’t exist, then, there would be no killing of innocent people. There would be no nations trying to overtake other nations. Yes, there would be no wars.
But such is not the reality that we live in. Evil exists, and sad to say, many lives have died on the battlefield seeking to defeat evil. We certainly honor those lives who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and are grateful to them for the freedoms won we still enjoy in the U.S.A.
But where did such evil come from? There is a spiritual answer. It comes from the evil one himself, the devil, the slanderer, or Satan, the adversary. That’s why Christ called him the father of lies, and that there was no truth in him (John 8:44). He went on to say that the thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10a). At the same time, the evil one can transform himself into an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14), so that he can look like “good” when in reality he is a deceiver and can mislead people away from what is the true good.
Satan’s aim is to influence those who would do good. That’s what happened in the garden of Eden many years ago, when he influenced Eve and Adam to follow his directions rather than their Creator’s directions. At that time, the evil nature of Satan was transferred to Adam and Eve, and as a result that evil nature has been passed down to all humanity, causing the evil that is expressed through men and nations today. In the midst of Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience to their Creator, He promised that eventually One would come who would defeat the evil one, Satan.
Since that time, there has been a battle going on spiritually between the forces of good – the Creator, and the forces of the evil one. This is what has been played out on the pages of history in the different battles and wars that have gone on in the past and are still going on today between Russian and Ukraine, along with the war and unrest in the Middle East.
But the good news in all of this is that there is the empty cross and the open tomb. The promised One, Jesus Christ, the Savior, has come. He was crucified, was buried, and conquered the grave bodily to demonstrate that not only has death been defeated but the evil one and evil has been defeated as well.
Those who recognize today their need of the Savior’s forgiveness, His new kind of life, eternal life, and respond in faith to the Him, they are transferred into a His new spiritual kingdom. Relying on His inner power they can be instruments of the Lord’s goodness and peace on planet earth, while having His power to resist the evil one and do the Lord’s will in their lives.
Those in places of leadership in the U.S.A. who will follow the Savior, can be a tremendous force to stop the evil in our country as well as defeat evil nations who want to take away people’s freedoms. Eventually, in the biblical God’s timing, Christ will come and put down all evil, and establish His 1000-year kingdom on earth – good and peace will prevail, after which Satan and all who have followed him will be cast into the lake of fire. Evil will be finally defeated! Those who have followed the Savior will live with Him forever in eternity.
Yes, we pause on Memorial Day to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives fighting for our freedom, to defeat evil, so we can enjoy the Savior’s goodness and blessings today – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!
Paul Bawden is married and served in the pastoral ministry for 45 years, retiring in 2011. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.A. in Speech and attended Dallas Theological Seminary, receiving a Master of Theology. He has taken counseling courses at Trinity Evangelical Seminary in Deerfield, Illinois. Paul is a lifetime member of the Evangelical Free Church of America, as well as being a member of Interim Pastor Ministries (IPM), which serves churches during their time of transition in searching for a new pastor. He writes for Union Gospel Press, as well as being a volunteer writer for GotQuestions.org. Paul likes to write, read, bike, and work in the yard. The Bawdens have had the privilege to travel to Mexico and Romania on mission trips and visited various countries in Europe.