The question of how a good God can allow evil in the world has perplexed believers for centuries. When we look around and see tragic events like war, famine, disease, and natural disasters that cause incredible suffering, it’s only natural to wonder how a loving God could let these things happen.
While there is no easy answer to this difficult question, the Bible does provide some insights that can help us process and understand the issue of evil. Here are a few key biblical truths to consider:
1. Evil is a result of human free will and the fallen world we live in.
Genesis 1-2 paints a picture of a good world created by a good God, with humans living in close relationship with their Creator. However, Genesis 3 records the rebellion of Adam and Eve against God’s instructions, resulting in sin entering the world. Their decision to disobey introduced evil, pain, and suffering into a once-perfect creation (Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 5:12).
God did not create evil, but He did create human beings with free will. Unfortunately, humans have used their free will to make choices that bring evil and suffering into the world. God has allowed this because He did not want to create robots forced to worship Him, but wanted authentic relationships with beings capable of choosing to love Him.
2. God uses suffering and evil to accomplish His sovereign purposes.
Though God does not cause evil, He is sovereign over it and can use it to fulfill His perfect plan. For example, Joseph suffered greatly at the hands of his brothers, yet he later understood that God used it for good (Genesis 50:20). The greatest evil ever committed was when sinful men crucified the Son of God. Yet God used this horrific evil for the greatest good – the redemption of mankind (Acts 2:22-24).
God is infinitely wise and powerful. He has promised that in all things, He works for the good of those who love Him as they align themselves with His purposes (Romans 8:28). Even through suffering, He can open doors and develop character and hope within us that could not happen otherwise.
3. Evil and suffering should drive us closer to God.
Pain and hardship have a way of softening hearts that might otherwise not seek God. The trials of this world remind us that our hope is not in this temporal existence, but in the unshakeable kingdom of God (Hebrews 12:28). Suffering can serve to refine and humble us as we turn to God for strength, comfort, and deliverance.
Psalm 34:18 assures us that “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” As we walk through trials, we can have confidence that the Lord walks with us. Though He allows difficult seasons for a time, He promises eternal blessing and reward to those who remain faithful despite suffering.
4. God promises to ultimately destroy all evil and suffering.
The Bible gives us glimpses of a future with no more pain, crying, grief, or torment (Revelation 21:4). Jesus’ death and resurrection definitively broke the power of evil. Although we still experience the effects of a fallen world, Christ has guaranteed the total destruction of evil at His second coming.
God’s plan to eradicate evil culminates in the creation of a new heaven and new earth free from all suffering (Revelation 21:1-5). Believers are given the hope that the agony we face in this world will pale in comparison to the everlasting joy we will experience for eternity with Christ (Romans 8:18).
5. God entered into human suffering through Christ.
Not only did God allow His Son to experience the excruciating suffering of the cross, Jesus willingly took on the agony of bearing the sin of the world (Isaiah 53:3-6). Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses because He was “tempted in every way as we are yet did not sin.”
Because Christ endured suffering and pain in human flesh, He relates in the deepest possible way to our struggles. He understands the difficulty of trusting in God’s goodness in the midst of trials. His closeness to us as Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23), can encourage us that God truly cares about the suffering in our world.
6. God equips believers to overcome evil with good.
Followers of Christ have the ability through the Holy Spirit to bring light into dark places by doing good works. Jesus calls us to be salt and light in the midst of a fallen world (Matthew 5:13-16). The book of Acts records the apostles powerfully proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating compassion despite intense persecution.
God does not leave believers helpless against evil, but empowers us to combat lies with truth, hatred with love, and hopelessness with eternal perspective. Our faith in Christ allows us to selflessly serve those who are hurting and point them to the One who can ultimately heal their pain.
7. Our suffering is momentary compared to eternal glory.
It is easy to become preoccupied with the trials and disappointments of this life. Yet 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 notes that our afflictions are light and temporary when compared to the eternal glory awaiting us. No matter what difficulties we face, they cannot steal the everlasting joy that comes from relationship with God (John 16:22).
When feeling weighed down by the brokenness in the world, we can fix our eyes on Jesus and the assured hope that we will one day see Him face-to-face in heaven. There we will fully experience the perfection of God’s presence with no trace of evil or pain.
8. God judges all evil in the world.
Although evil often seems to prevail in our fallen world, the Bible gives repeated warnings that God will ultimately judge all sin. Wrongs will be made right. No wickedness will go unpunished or hidden from the Lord’s sight (Proverbs 15:3).
We can rest assured that while God patiently waits and demonstrates mercy right now, justice will ultimately be served. He will separate those who choose evil from the righteous who follow Him (Matthew 25:31-46). Eternity will reveal the glorious wisdom of all God’s judgments.
9. We live in a spiritually fallen world.
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our struggles are not merely against flesh and blood, but against dark spiritual forces of evil. A cosmic spiritual battle rages around us of which we only glimpse fragments. This should not cause us to lose hope but recognize the need for us to walk closely with God.
We can take comfort that the Bible records believers consistently overcoming spiritual forces of darkness not by their own strength but through the power of Christ’s might (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). God makes available to us everything needed to endure spiritual warfare when we submit to Him (Ephesians 6:10-18).
10. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
Isaiah 55:8-9 affirms that God operates on a plane far beyond human comprehension. His perfect plan incorporates purposes we cannot yet grasp. This lifetime offers only a partial glimpse of God’s infinite workings.
Yet Scripture encourages that as believers walk in faith, we will eventually see God’s masterful handiwork in full focus. In the life to come, we will have far greater understanding of the complete goodness, wisdom and fairness behind all God’s ways.
11. All things work according to God’s timing.
We naturally expect God’s deliverance from hardship to come quickly. Yet 2 Peter 3:8 explains that God transcends our limited human concept of time. He works on an eternal timeline to accomplish His purposes in the exact perfect way.
Just as we trust a master artisan to produce a beautiful work by skillfully forming each component, we can trust that God is carefully crafting every detail of our lives into a magnificent masterpiece.
12. God sometimes allows His children to suffer to produce eternal rewards.
While it’s hard to comprehend reasons for suffering, God makes clear that eternal rewards await those who endure trials faithfully. Our temporary afflictions produce incomparable eternal glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). Suffering teaches us perseverance and character that shapes us into Christ’s image (Romans 5:3-5).
When facing crushing hardships, believers can ask God to open their eyes to see past the temporal to the eternal. Then they can walk through the trial in view of the imperishable crown to come (2 Timothy 4:8).
13. Jesus suffered to bring salvation to the world.
Christians identify with Christ who was despised and rejected by men, familiar with suffering, and wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:3-6). Just as Jesus endured excruciating pain that led to eternal blessing for many, His followers are called to suffer with confidence that God will work it for ultimate good.
Since Christ was willing to suffer greatly to accomplish God’s redemptive purposes, we can rest in knowing that our suffering plays a role in His greater plan of salvation for the world.
14. God grieves with those who suffer.
The shortest verse in the Bible – Jesus wept (John 11:35) – reminds us that God’s heart breaks over the suffering of His people. We have a Savior who is acquainted with grief and sorrow, who promises to be near the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
When we experience pain, we can run to our Heavenly Father for comfort, knowing He understands our situation. He promises to walk with us through valleys of death and disappointment as an ever-present help and shield (Psalm 23:4, Psalm 46:1).
15. Believers can minister to those affected by evil and suffering.
Followers of Jesus are called to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to captives, and comfort those who mourn (Isaiah 61:1-3). God’s people represent His hands and feet to carry hope and healing to a hurting world. He uses His church to meet tangible needs that refresh people physically, emotionally and spiritually.
While we may not grasp fully why God allows suffering, we can draw close to Him for strength to come alongside those carrying heavy burdens. Bringing God’s light into darkness provides a way to thank Him for the help He faithfully provides in our own times of need.
16. Prayer makes a difference when facing evil and suffering.
Scripture offers many examples of believers who cried out for God’s intervention and deliverance amidst trials and grief. When evil seems to prevail, prayer activates our greatest ally. We can confidently bring our heartache and confusion to God, asking Him to show His might and sovereignty over suffering.
Prayer opens the door for God’s supernatural work and enables us to see circumstances from His perspective. As believers unite in prayer against evil and injustice, we make space for God’s purposes to unfold – both in us and in the world around us.
17. God will one day wipe away every tear.
Revelation 21:4 describes the glorious day when God will wipe away every tear and make all things new. Until then, we await the return of Christ believing that He “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Though evil runs rampant in our fallen world, it will not have the final say. Empowered by this certain hope, we can walk confidently through pain and suffering knowing that joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
18. God’s love overcomes evil.
1 John 4:16 reminds us that God is love. He demonstrated His limitless love by sending His Son to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). God can use even the evil and suffering meant to harm us for good (Genesis 50:20).
Believers can rest in perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18), knowing that nothing separates us from Christ’s love (Romans 8:38-39). No power of evil in heaven or on earth can ever remove us from the Father’s hand (John 10:28-29). God’s steadfast love gives us confidence to withstand evil.
19. The return of Christ will make all things right.
Titus 2:13 describes the Christian hope in our Savior’s return when He will set up His eternal kingdom of righteousness. The book of Revelation describes a coming time when evil will be eliminated and God makes all things new.
Though evil seems rampant and dominant, Christ has already secured the victory through His death and resurrection. His second coming will fully and finally deal with evil once and for all. This certain hope gives believers strength to walk faithfully even in dark times.
20. Without God, there would be no objective standard for good and evil.
Apart from God’s nature as morally perfect, we would have no basis to claim anything as objectively good or evil. Only the unchanging character of God grounds morality and hope of justice.
That humans innately sense a difference between right and wrong reflects that we are created in God’s image with His moral law written on our hearts (Romans 2:14-15). Our sense of injustice in the face of suffering comes from the reality that God’s moral nature does exist – and one day will make all things right.