"How Should Christians Respond To Evil?"

“The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.” – Psalm 37:12-13

Mercy, grace, and peace from God our Father and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

            As I sit here praying about what I should write for the Monday Meditation, my mind goes back to the horrific acts of violence in Paris, France this past Friday evening. I know in writing this I will be tempted to swell up with anger, frustration, and revenge in my flesh. However, there is another part of me (the Spirit of God that lives in me) that is broken, humbled, and saddened for what has happened in Paris. With that said, I have been meditating on this question, especially after my prayer time with our men yesterday before Sunday School: “How should Christians respond to terrorist attacks or any acts of evil?”

            I do not claim to have all the answers, nor do I attempt to give them. However, I believe God’s Word to be true, infallible, and sufficient for all life and practice. Therefore, God has a Word for His people, as it relates to acts of evil.

So, how should we respond to evil acts? 

1.     Pray.

The first thing Christians should do when we hear of evil attacks is to seek our heavenly Father in prayer. He is our first Responder. He is the One who can heal broken hearts, calm anxieties, and minister to needs. The Apostle Paul reminds us that the Christian life should be one of “constant prayer” (1 Thess. 5:17). When evil comes our way or when we hear of evil attacks such as France, our first response should be to pray. Pray for the victims and their family, pray for the attackers, and pray that God would somehow glorify Himself through this seamlessly hopeless situation.

2.     Love.

            I get it. You say, “But, Chad how are we to love during a time of such evil deeds?” That is understandable, because we are still in this fallen world and fleshly body. You should love those who are hurting or suffering from the evil attacks. I know we are not in Paris, France physically, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be compassionate or loving when the discussion of these evil acts come up at work, school, or at home. Be reminded that as a Christian, there will be lost people around you seeking to make sense of what took place and God has placed you in their lives to help make sense of it for them; however, we are to do it in a God-honoring, loving, and biblical way.

3.     Pray for our enemies.

We should pray for those who committed these terrible acts of violence. This is where our Christianity gets real, right? Jesus said, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matt. 5:47). Loving those who love you is not all that difficult, but it takes something outside of yourself to love someone you do not like.  

 Additionally, I do not believe all Muslims to be “radical ISIS Jihadists.” I say that because I have had open discussions with Muslims about their faith and not all of them want to be associated with such an extreme view of Islam. But more than that, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matt. 5:43-44). How can you love people who have murdered and injured so many?

4.     Remember.

            I would submit when acts of evil take place such as Paris, France, 9/11, or the little girl in Scottsville, Kentucky being found murdered, we need to remember that God is completely sovereign. All one has to do is read the opening chapters of the Old Testament book of Job to understand that God is working even in the midst of hopeless and helpless situations. Many Christians seem to believe that Satan is running around, doing whatever he wants to do without any regards to God. However, in the opening chapters of Job, we find Satan coming to God asking permission to destroy all that Job loves. God is sovereign over Satan, his demons, and even terrorists.

            There is an ultimate purpose in what God is doing by allowing this evil to take place. You may ask, “What?” My reply is two-fold: First, I will say, “I do not know God’s mind, nor His decreed [secret] will” (Deut. 29:29). To say that I do would be highly arrogant. Secondly, I would say, “I do have God’s revealed will found in the sixty-six books of the Bible.” Everything that God makes or allows to happen is for His glory, even if we do not understand it completely, and He is reconciling the world to Himself. (Col. 3:17; Rom.8:28; 1 Cor.10:31).

            In closing, as Christians, we need to remember that our response to these and other evil acts will say a lot about our worldview as Christians; as Christians, we need to pray, love, pray for our enemies, and remember that God is sovereign. We must remember as well that without the Holy Spirit living inside us as believers, we would never respond in this way. This is why, as believers, we can respond in a way that would give honor and glory to God and not ourselves. We are helpless and hopeless without Him, which is why we seek Him in the midst of tragedy and evil—it is during this time that God conforms His people more into the image of His Son Jesus.

            It is the continual conformity into being more like Jesus that gives us our hope in God in the midst of evil. The gospel reminds us that Jesus triumphed over evil by rising from the grave on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4). When Christians see and hear of evil in the world, we can turn to our Savior. He is the only One who can cure evil by changing the hearts of men, women, boys, and girls through the proclamation of the glorious gospel. If you are a Christian today, this is exactly what happened to you and me. Therefore, as we pray for France, the family of the Scottsville girl, and other acts of evil around us, let’s remember we live in a fallen and evil world, but Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).