The disturbing events of the last few weeks has left an indelible mark on our country. The recent murders of innocent lives has been politicized along with a lot of finger pointing. Some will cast blame on the gun lobby because surely they are to blame. After all, if there were no guns, there would be no murders. Others will cast blame on the police who are charged to protect us but hold back and do little while the gun shots ring out. Some ask what causes a human being to murder others so callously and without conscious. While the outrage voiced over these recent murders echo out, we sit back and allow – actually applaud – the willful murder of babies still in their mothers womb. It is free choice after all, that a woman can decide to terminate the life within her just because she can. Is it me or is there some hypocrisy here? Can someone support abortion and at the same time voice outrage that young, innocent children were murdered? I see little difference, but I digress.
The question here is not what but rather who is behind all the violence and chaos in the world today. Evil, perpetrated and encouraged by none other than Satan (a.k.a. the devil, or the evil one) is absolutely responsible for the current condition of our communities, country, and world. The world fell into darkness the minute Adam and Eve succumbed to the lies of the devil, disobeyed God, and plummeted themselves and the world into sin and its consequence, evil and death.
God tells the serpent (the devil) in Genesis 3:15 (ESV): “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring…” foreshadowing the ongoing struggle between good and evil. The Apostle Peter also warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV): Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Sin is the gateway to evil. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:12 (ESV): “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Sin is inherent in man’s nature, but not because God willed it so. God gave us free will, and mankind has willfully chosen sin over righteousness, evil over good. That is also the same decision Satan made resulting in his being cast out of Heaven to become the father of lies, the great deceiver, and current ruler of this world. So what do we do?
God gave us an out from our sin through His Son, Jesus. In John 3:16–21 (ESV), Jesus says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Over the past 50 years, or so, society has worked diligently to erase God from the culture, including removing the Ten Commandments from courthouses and prohibiting prayer in school. Christ is no longer the center of most families with many children never being exposed to Biblical truth. It is small wonder that we find ourselves in these evil times where wrong is right and right is wrong. Where truth can be whatever you want it to be. People are confused, hurt, empty and without a moral compass. There is little surprise that drug use and mental illness are increasing along with intolerance, hate, and violence. Guns are nothing more than a tool from which violence can be perpetrated. Evil uses whatever is available to wreak death and destruction, from cars, knives, explosives to airplanes being flown into populated buildings. We need to focus on the root cause that is driving evil. Politicizing the fruits of evil will accomplish nothing other than division and further violence – exactly what the devil wants! The core issue at hand is the absence of God in our lives.
What we need most now is a spiritual reawakening. What we need right now is Jesus who died on the cross to save us from an eternity in hell. All you need to do is accept Jesus as Lord and God, repent of your sins, and walk in His perfect light.
Dr. Johnny Guimaraes 