Why Does God Allow Evil?

The God that the Bible reveals is a good God and in Him, there's no sin, there’s no evil, there's no darkness. Nothing evil comes forth from Him and nor does he test us with evil things.
But we live in a world where we all hear/see of many evil things - murders, cheating/injustice, abuses, starvation, battles, natural calamities, etc.; and innately we equate all these to God and question/wonder “Why does God permit such things if He is a good God?” We all would have come across good and innocent people suffering a lot in their lives while the immoral people enjoy many benefits and we’d wonder why God isn't intervening with this evil world and stopping evil.

Genesis 2:16,17 - And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

It is estimated that there were about 2500 species of fruit trees in the garden of Eden and the first man that was created was a fruitarian.He was allowed to eat the fruits of all trees except one.God prohibited the first man and woman from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said they would die if they did. 

Let me answer two questions that majority of us have in mind
Q. Why did God create evil?
A. God is not the creator of evil. Lucifer (name meaning: the bringer of light/ the light-bearer), the archangel who led worship before God rebelled against God, in arrogance he wanted to set his throne above God and formed a campaign with many other angels and therefore fell from the functional position/ duty that God had set. Evil first originated in Lucifer in his thoughts and decisions. And then, Satan tempted Eve through the serpent and caused her to fall into sin. 

Q. Why does God permit evil?
A. God did not permit evil, rather the devil devised evil without God’s permission. Satan desired to be exalted and reign above God and in his arrogance sin and evil was originated through his rebellion against God’s authority. But God remained constant.He does not change.
James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

We all would be familiar with this verse, but may have a tendency to doubt God's goodness when in a difficult situation and it's the biggest trick of the devil to picturise a compassionate God as a cruel one. 

Genesis 3:1-5 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “ ''You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Here, Satan spoke through the serpent and tempted the woman.
The serpent is questioning the Word of God - ‘Did God really mean it that way?’ . Even while we meditate God’s Word, don't we also doubt certain Scripture portions. That’s again the trick of the devil. The devil caused the woman and thereafter the entire human race to fall into sin by distorting the Word of God. Eve doubted God’s word/ command and fell into sin. 

Adam and Eve were already created in the likeness of God, but they were deceived by the serpent’s words - “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 
That was the entry point of evil into this world. Before that, they were living in Paradise and had no sort of sickness/ pain/ trouble/ loneliness/scarcity etc in their lives. They lived happily in God’s presence, not even knowing what sorrow meant; and that's when Satan caused them to doubt by distorting God’s Word. 

Similarly, we all tend to doubt God and His principles - about Jesus being the only Way, baptism, Heaven/Hell etc. All Scripture is God-breathed and He meant it when He said it! The goodness of God is always questioned. But that's the trick of the devil to keep you away from God. 

Psalm 103:1,2 - Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Psalm 103: 8 - The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Begin to praise for what you have and greater blessings are on the way; for God is a good God. Hallelujah!

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Dr. Damien Antony
Born and brought up in a Christian family, Dr. Damien Antony possessed an unquenching quest for truth right from his boyhood days and eventually his relentless search led him to the Bible. He is a Revival Preacher, Bible Teacher, Leadership Trainer, Author and a Life Coach. He moves under the anointing for Prophetic, Healing, Deliverance, Inner Healing and Financial Breakthrough. God has also blessed him with an Apostolic Mandate to take the Universal Body of Christ to the next level of revelation and anointing.