Many struggle with the fact that EVIL exists. The thought is “Did God create evil? If God created Satan…and Satan is evil…then God MUST HAVE created evil!” The supposition is that if something EXISTS…then God must have created it.
Is this true? The Bible tells us this:
1 John 1:5 NKJV
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
So, in the Biblical/Spiritual analogy, LIGHT is GOOD…and DARKNESS is EVIL.
We see in Scripture the point at which God created the Universe. Stars…planets…the earth. Then, we come to this passage:
Genesis 1:3 NKJV
“Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.”
Many assume that this was the “creation” of light. Yet, again, we KNOW that God IS light…and, thus, we KNOW that light has ETERNALLY existed because God is ETERNAL…”from everlasting to everlasting.” (Psalm 90:2) Thus, we can KNOW that God was not CREATING light in Genesis 1:3. Instead, God was BRINGING...or REVEALING...light.
So, if God is LIGHT…then what is DARKNESS? Herein lies the misunderstanding of God which leads to MULITIPLE questions…and which often leads to BAD THEOLOGY.
One ESSENTIAL principle and truth of God which MUST be PROTECTED is this: God can do no evil…and NOTHING which comes from God can be evil. Therefore, we can ASSUREDLY answer the question “Did God create evil?” with a resounding “NO!”
But how do we rectify the prevailing thoughts and seemingly “contradictory” truths of God’s Word regarding EVIL and DARKNESS which DO exist? It is really not such a troublesome conundrum as many view it to be.
So…TRY to follow me here (lol):
1. LIGHT is GOD…because GOD is LIGHT. (This is seen earlier in 1 John 1:5.) If God is eternal (which He Is), then LIGHT itself was NOT created…it simply IS. Thus, that is why I noted that God did not CREATE light in Genesis 1:3...God was simply bringing the REVELATION of light into the created Universe.
2. DARKESS is not created: DARKNESS is simply the ABSENCE OF LIGHT. Merriam-Webster defines the word “dark” as “devoid or partially devoid of light : not receiving, reflecting, transmitting, or radiating light.” Thus, we see that when something is DARK, that “something” is not “receiving, reflecting, transmitting, or radiating light.” Further, we see that DARKNESS is NOT the PRESENCE of something…DARKNESS is the ABSENCE of LIGHT. As Einstein mused: “Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?” DARKNESS cannot even EXIST in LIGHT. You see…DARKNESS does not “exist” in DARKNESS…it only “exists” in the realm of LIGHT, and that LIGHT must be ABSENT to give “existence” to DARKNESS. (Whew! Lol)
You see, in Scripture we learn about the fall of Satan from Heaven. (Luke 10:18...Revelation 12:7-9) The details are few, but we discover that Satan was cast down to earth. I readily admit that we cannot KNOW everything regarding this process. We simply do NOT have enough information within God’s Word to KNOW FOR SURE.
But we CAN KNOW this: that, after God created the heavens and the earth, we find the earth “without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.” (Genesis 1:2 NKJV) So, we see that LIGHT is not present, as the verse says “darkness was on the face of the deep.” With DARKNESS being an ABSENCE OF LIGHT, then we KNOW that LIGHT is ABSENT.
Yet, notice this: Genesis 1:2 continues on to say “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Then, in verse 3, God brings LIGHT into the world!
If the Spirit of God was PRESENT over the waters…then WHY was there DARKNESS??
Let's check Scripture for the answer.
Satan had been cast down out of heaven…and Satan had been cast down to earth. Satan is described in Ephesians 2:2 as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience…” Therefore, the REALM of Satan is within the REALM of the EARTH…a SPIRITUAL realm which seeks to BLOCK the Spirit of God in the lives of those who live upon the earth.
Therefore, Satan BLOCKS the LIGHT of God! Throughout the Word of God, we see the workings of Satan as he tries to THWART and BLOCK the LIGHT OF GOD. In this way, Satan produces an ECLIPSE!
As with an earthly ECLIPSE of the SUN, Satan comes BETWEEN the LIGHT OF GOD and the EARTH. In its full form, Satan attempts to BLOCK the LIGHT of the SON…Jesus Christ! Within the lives of individuals, Satan is often SUCCESSFUL in that spiritual ECLIPSE, as men and women continue to walk in darkness…and many DIE in darkness.
So…let’s bring all of this back to the question: “Did God create evil?” Again…the answer is “NO!” We can never FULLY understand the workings of evil and its presence. God must ALLOW evil…that is sure…for it to even BE. But EVIL was not CREATED: EVIL is simply what is seen when DARKNESS comes. In other words, EVIL is the ABSENCE of GOD…the very ABSENCE of LIGHT.
DARKNESS cannot be made DARKER by ADDING more DARKNESS: DARKNESS is made DARKER by REMOVING LIGHT. Therefore, we realize that darkness NEVER has power over the light! You can never “bring darkness” into LIGHT: you can only bring LIGHT into DARKNESS! There is NEVER a possibility that DARKNESS can be used to OVERCOME the LIGHT. LIGHT is ALWAYS the CONTROLLING FACTOR in the situation!
Is anyone getting this?!? There are some POWERFUL truths born out of this revelation!
In reality, we see that DARKNESS can NOT WIN against the LIGHT OF GOD! Yes…there is EVIL in the WORLD. Yet, EVIL has NO POWER over the LIGHT! We too often give Satan MORE power than the Bible ascribes to him. Evil…DARKNESS…does NOT win due to its POWER…it only “wins” at times because the LIGHT has been REJECTED. The LIGHT can EASILY expel darkness…but that LIGHT must be BROUGHT into the situation...REVEALED!
You see…DARKNESS has no CREATIVE power. God “created”…He ALONE is CREATOR. God is LIGHT…therefore it is ONLY light that is CREATIVE. Again…DARKNESS is simply an ABSENCE OF LIGHT…so DARKNESS only exists when LIGHT is REJECTED or REMOVED.
Notice this about an ECLIPSE: it is DANGEROUS and DESTRUCTIVE to look on a SOLAR ECLIPSE! The DARKNESS which seeks to HIDE the light of the SUN is not TOTALLY successful! So, if you try to view the ECLIPSE with your naked eye, the POWER of the LIGHT of the SUN which still shines AROUND the DARKNESS becomes BLINDING in its POWER!
Can you see it?!?
The POWER of the LIGHT of the SON…Jesus Christ…may at times be ECLIPSED by SATAN and DARKNESS…but the LIGHT of the SON can NEVER be completely BLOCKED or ERADICATED in the world! And…it is DURING an ECLIPSE…a time of DARKESS…that the POWER of the SON can be seen in its TRUE POWER!
Mankind is allowed CHOICES by God. God does not BRING…or “create”…EVIL in our lives. We make the CHOICE to have EVIL…or DARKNESS…in our lives. And that DARKNESS does not come because of its own POWER…but it comes as a result of our REJECTION of LIGHT. When we choose DARKNESS…even then, that DARKNESS can only come if the LIGHT is removed. It is STILL the LIGHT which CONTROLS the DARKNESS…not vice versa. You see…DARKNESS has NO POWER over LIGHT.
We face TRIALS and TRIBULATIONS as we live here on earth. Those times are noted by Satan’s attempts at ECLIPSING the LIGHT OF GOD in our lives. Yet…we also know that there is LIGHT at the end of every tunnel. Trials come to an end. An ECLIPSE is only MOMENTARY…and it is not TOTAL even in its existence.
As we struggle with the fact that EVIL is in this world…and we recognize that EVIL is INCREASING in these last days…we must understand that God is NOT the one behind the evil. Mankind…individuals…are in DARKNESS because they have REJECTED the light. Many will NEVER accept the LIGHT…and they will forever live in darkness…even throughout eternity.
But…be clear in this truth…God did not create evil. EVIL is an untouchable, intangible DARKNESS which comes when mankind REJECTS the LIGHT of God in their lives. To live in DARKNESS…someone has to WANT to live in DARKNESS. EVIL is the ABSENCE OF LIGHT in the world.
So…a sobering thought: When we question the WHY of the existence of EVIL in the world, remember this truth:
Matthew 5:14 NKJV “You are the light of the world.”
If DARKNESS exists in the world around US…then maybe we have FAILED to BE the “light of the world.”
Why does evil exist in the world? Maybe because the Church has only shined its light in its magnificent structures that we call CHURCHES. And…maybe the LIGHT that “appears” so bright THERE in the CHURCH is ACTUALLY no more than a FLICKER from an EMBER of a FIRE that ONCE WAS!
So…a FAKE LIGHT or a WEAK LIGHT cannot DISPEL DARKNESS! Only TRUTH…LIGHT…can DISPEL DARKNESS! You see…FALSE DOCTRINE cannot DISPEL DARKNESS! But…we can look more closely at THAT truth at another time.
So…walk in the LIGHT…and DISPEL the DARKNESS. Evil CAN, and one day WILL, be defeated!
Be one who helps DEFEAT the DARKNESS of EVIL around you!
God bless,
Ron
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