What to Remember When Evil Wins   

It was an exciting day for a couple of my grandchildren. One of my grandsons, a middle-schooler, had been invited to run with the high school team in the regionals of their cross-country meet. He outran most of the competitors who towered far above him in height, finishing in second place and helping his team win first place. Meanwhile my granddaughter was participating in a cheerleading competition in which her squad also came out on top. It was a winning day.

It is easy to celebrate when we win. However, we all face times when we find ourselves on the losing end too. That can not only be disappointing in sports competitions, but also when it comes to other areas of life. It can be especially hard to understand and to deal with when it seems that evil, wickedness, or the ungodly prevail in some particular battle. Questions may arise in those moments – “Where was God? Why did He allow this to happen? Couldn’t He have stopped this? What do we do now?”

As we approach another election day there will be winners and losers. Many believe that if their side loses, it will not just be the case of a candidate or political party suffering a loss but an instance of “the wicked” being victorious. Both sides tend to view themselves as being on the high ground morally in certain matters while considering the other side to be evil in some way. Maybe they consider it a battle of good versus evil, or at least a contest between a lesser evil and a greater evil. Either way, many will emerge from this political season with the idea that the ungodly won.

It goes back to a question that is raised numerous times throughout the Bible. The prophet Jeremiah may have expressed it best when he asked, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” (Jeremiah 12:1). The Bible doesn’t necessarily give us an easy, definitive answer to those questions. The reason why evil prevails, or seems to do so, at any particular moment may be the result of numerous factors. Nevertheless, here are a few truths we can remember in those times.

First of all, God is still in control. Wickedness may win the day, but it is still operating only within the boundaries God has set. Anything it does is not because it is greater than God or has defeated Him. No matter how it appears at the moment, God is still greater and still sits on the throne as King.

That brings us to the next truth, the fact that in spite of evil prospering on this occasion, God is working out and accomplishing His overall plan. He has shown that He can turn bad situations into purposeful ones. He can even use evil people to accomplish His will. Maybe this setback is His judgment. Maybe it is a wake-up call for repentance. Maybe He is giving us what a majority wants even though it isn’t good in order to open our blinded eyes and to get us to turn back to Him. We may not understand why, but we know God’s hand is still at work.

Additionally, we know that God will still be with His faithful followers, helping them to endure whatever they may have to face. He can not only help us survive a setback, but to be faithful witnesses for Him during those difficult times.

Finally, we know that any victory evil wins is only temporary. In the end the wicked will face God’s judgment and the faithful will enjoy God’s eternal favor. So let’s not get too upset or discouraged when evil momentarily prevails. Eventually goodness, righteousness, and God will come out on top.