This is a difficult question that many people struggle with. Why does God, who is good and just, allow evil tyrants like Hitler and Saddam Hussein to gain power? The Bible does not give a direct answer, but it provides some perspectives that can help us think about this issue.
1. God has given humanity free will
One of the key teachings of the Bible is that God has given human beings free will – the ability to make our own choices and decisions (Genesis 1:26-28, Joshua 24:15). This free will includes the freedom to do good or to do evil. God could have created humanity without free will, forcing us to always obey Him, but that would have made us more like robots or slaves. Instead, God wanted us to freely choose to love and follow Him.
With free will, however, comes the possibility that people will use it to do great evil. This is what happened with villains like Hitler and Saddam. They freely chose to pursue power at any cost, inflicting tremendous evil and suffering. Their free will led to horrific consequences. Yet if God intervened to stop them, He would have violated their free will, essentially forcing them to act the way He wanted.
2. Evil is a result of the fallen world
The Bible teaches that when the first humans sinned, evil entered the world (Genesis 3). Humanity’s rebellion against God unleashed sin, death, suffering, and disorder into the world. We now live in a fallen, broken world corrupted by evil (Romans 8:18-21).
In this fallen world, evil is a tragic reality and possibility. Men like Hitler and Saddam are evil products of the fallen human heart and choices. Their rise to power demonstrates that evil lurks in the human condition and often manifests when given the chance. God is not the author of evil (1 John 1:5), but He permits it to exist for a time in this fallen world.
3. God has a plan to defeat evil
While God allows evil men like Hitler and Saddam to arise, the Bible promises that evil will not have the final victory. God has a plan to defeat and destroy evil forever (1 John 3:8). The turning point was the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which broke the power of sin and began the process of restoring the fallen world (Colossians 2:15, Romans 8:21).
One day God will completely eliminate all evil, injustice, and suffering from the world. There will be a new heavens and new earth with no more pain or tears (Revelation 21:1-5). God will judge all evildoers, and they will face eternal consequences for their actions (Revelation 20:11-15). Until then, God is patiently giving people chances to repent (2 Peter 3:9). But the triumph of God over evil is assured.
4. God can use evil for good purposes
Though God does not directly cause evil, He is still able to use the consequences of peoples’ evil actions to fulfill His good plans. For example, while Joseph’s brothers did evil by selling him into slavery, God worked through their actions to put Joseph in place to save many lives (Genesis 50:20). Similarly, God can even use evil rulers to further His purposes.
Some examples in the Bible include God using Pharaoh to display His power (Exodus 7:3-5), and Cyrus, king of Persia to return the Jewish exiles to their land (Isaiah 44:24-45:7). While never condoning evil, God is able to bring good out of it. So even evil rulers are ultimately subject to God’s sovereign plan.
5. Suffering helps refine God’s people
One purpose that God allows evil is that hardship can strengthen the character of His people. The trials of suffering under an evil ruler like Hitler helped purify and refine the church. Suffering separates true and false believers, and it trains God’s people to depend on Him (1 Peter 1:6-7, James 1:2-4). It keeps them from loving the world or being arrogant during times of prosperity.
For example, the incredibly evil rule of Nero in Rome and the intense persecution of Christians that followed led to the spread of the gospel across the empire. Suffering expanded the reach of the church. So God can use even terrible suffering for His divine purposes.
6. Judgment will come to evil rulers
The Bible repeatedly warns that evil and unjust rulers will one day face judgment before God. Though their earthly reign may continue for a season, God’s justice will prevail (Psalm 37:12-13, 35-38). Hitler committed suicide and avoided earthly justice, but far worse eternal judgment awaits him. Saddam was tried and executed, but this is only a foretaste of divine wrath.
Followers of Christ need not take personal vengeance against oppressors, but they can have confidence that divine vengeance is coming (Romans 12:19). No wicked ruler ultimately escapes their due recompense before the judgment seat of Christ.
7. The severity of evil reflects God’s goodness
When contemplating grave atrocities like the Holocaust, Stalin’s purges, or Saddam’s massacres, the incredible scope of human evil should humble us. It reminds us that we too have the seeds of evil within us. This should drive us to cry out for God’s mercy, cling to His grace, and rely on the restraining power of the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, the shocking extent of evil on full display amplifies the majesty of God’s goodness in contrast. As Martin Luther said, “The Devil is God’s Devil.” Though allowed to reign for a time, the worst evil rulers will ultimately bring greater glory to God when He triumphs over them.
8. God desires mercy, not sacrifice
When pondering why God permits evil, Christ’s words are apt: “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13). God wants His people to show grace and compassion, not to demand justice and vengeance against evildoers. Followers of Christ must guard against self-righteousness and cruelty in the name of God.
Even when vilifying evil rulers, we should maintain a soberness and humility, recognizing our own capacity for evil apart from God’s mercy. Our response to evil should not be hatred, but intercession, aid for its victims, and hope in God’s redemption.
9. The need for wisdom and discernment
There are rarely simple explanations for why God permits specific evil rulers to arise. We need wisdom and discernment when attempting to understand God’s larger purposes (Romans 11:33-36). Be wary of those who claim to fully comprehend or offer reductionist answers.
Since God’s ways transcend human ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), we should avoid dogmatic claims about how exactly God is working even in the most evil regimes. Yet we can still affirm His sovereignty and trust that injustice will not prevail in the end.
10. Evil rulers show the need for Christ’s return
The rise of appalling figures like Hitler reminds us that humanity cannot defeat evil in our own strength. Only Jesus Christ’s return can inaugurate the new world with no more evil, suffering or death (Revelation 21:1-5). As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must face the appalling fact that we have been betrayed by both the right and the left.” Human evil is ubiquitous.
This difficult truth engenders longing for Christ, the only answer to evil. It motivates the church to pray earnestly for His return (Revelation 22:20). Evil rulers show that we cannot truly have hope apart from the hope that is Christ alone.
In summary, the Bible does not give a single explanation for why God permits evil rulers. But it provides perspectives that restrain our tendency to demand answers while nurturing humility and trust in God’s greater purposes. Evil will be defeated. Justice will come. We await the triumph of Christ over all evil and suffering.