There is a misconception that has crept into the church in America: that’s, if an individual is following God and living based on His ways, then his or her life will go well. Those with issues in life, whether physical, mental, or emotional, are those that are receiving punishment from the Lord. Problems in life are led to by disobedience and lack of religion.
In some ways, false teaching akin to the prosperity gospel is in charge for this misconception. However, if believers checked out Scripture once they heard others preach or speak about doing good to receive good, they’d recognize that the Bible is stuffed with examples of evil people winning. We are all sinful, after all, but wicked individuals often possess good things. As Asaph wrote when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, “They haven’t any struggles; their bodies are healthy and robust. They are free from common human burdens; they will not be tormented by human ills … This is what the wicked are like— at all times freed from care, they go on amassing wealth” (Psalm 73:4-5, 12, NIV).
Other people in Scripture also noticed this trend of bad people winning. Jeremiah asked God why the wicked prospered though their hearts were removed from Him (Jeremiah 12:1-2). Likewise, David wrote about how the evil appeared to flourish like a well-rooted tree (Psalm 37:35). And the writer of Ecclesiastes observed that the wicked often reap what the righteous deserve (see Ecclesiastes 8:14). Such passages tell us that, on the planet, life may be unfair, and bad people sometimes triumph – at the very least in the current.
But why is that this? Isn’t this reality unjust and disconnected from what we learn about our righteous God?
To understand why the wicked sometimes win – like corrupt politicians, abusers, human traffickers, bullies, dictators, etc. – we must consider what the Bible says concerning the world and its system.
Life in a Fallen World
People being pushed deeper into poverty while others live in wealth and privilege; slave laborers toiling in dangerous and inhumane conditions for meager pay while others profit a hundredfold; followers of Jesus suffering in prison or facing death on the hand of persecutors while those that are indifferent to God and their neighbors proceed on as usual. Life accommodates these vast disparities due to sin on the planet.
When Adam and Eve sinned, their act not only affected their very own relationships with God; it affected the complete creation (Genesis 3:12-19). Death entered the world, bringing destruction and the lack of life. Animals, plants, and other people were all impacted. As a result, we live as fallen people in a fallen world. Even once we place faith in Jesus and receive everlasting life, we’re still impacted by the results of sin.
God doesn’t remove the curse on creation when an individual places faith in Christ. Thorns are still growing. Storms and diseases wreak havoc. Animals and humans proceed to die. And people have the free will to either turn to God and follow Him or engage in sin. This is why we see not only wicked individuals doing terrible deeds but in addition flourishing on the planet.
They step on others to maneuver up the ladder of success and to construct their empires. Through evil actions, they turn out to be wealthy, famous, and secure. Although not all wealthy and well-known people have amassed their fortune through wickedness, there are bad individuals who appear to have all the pieces. They sin and leverage the fallen nature of the world to make their very own lives nice.
The Worldly System of the Prince of the Air
God is the last word Ruler and King of all since He is the Creator and Savior. However, there’s a system at work on the planet that’s against God. Scripture calls this method “the world,” not in reference to the physical world, but to the spiritual forces at work which are in rebel against the Lord. This worldly system is overseen by “the prince of the ability of the air,” higher generally known as Satan or the devil (Ephesians 2:2, ESV).
We can see the influence that Satan has over the world throughout the event of Jesus’ temptation. Although Christ is already the King of kings and Lord of lords, Satan tried to tempt Jesus by offering Him all of the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8). As the devil said, “All this I provides you with,” he said, “when you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9, NIV). Jesus, after all, rebuked Satan. He at all times followed the Father’s will and knew that in the future every knee would bow before Him as King and Lord. However, this event shows that the devil seems to have a measure of control over the kingdoms of the earth.
Other passages within the Bible confirm Satan’s role on the planet. When Gabriel visited Daniel to clarify the visions he had experienced, the angel said he had been delayed by “the prince of the Persian kingdom” (Daniel 10:13, NIV). Only after the archangel Michael got here to assist was Gabriel capable of visit Daniel. From this instance, we see that the devil can send his demons out into the world to influence events and other people.
Such actions align along with his goals. The devil desires to maintain humans blind to the gospel and ensnared of their sin (2 Corinthians 4:4). Nothing pleases Satan greater than to see people living in rebel against the Lord and refusing to put faith in Christ.
Hence, the Apostle Paul clarified that our battle just isn’t against people, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil within the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV). The wicked spiritual forces on the planet work to oppose God, which is why evil is promoted. Satan cannot force anyone to sin or for wicked people to do improper, but he can encourage and add temptation, like fanning a fireplace that has already began.
We see bad people winning, partially, due to Satan’s involvement.
The Triumph of the Wicked Is Not Eternal
The psalmist Asaph saw the prosperity of the wicked, which caused him to query why he had strived to maintain himself pure by following the Lord (Psalm 73:13). All he appeared to experience was affliction and pain while the unrighteous flourished (Psalm 73:14). The same applied to others in history, just like the prophet Jeremiah, who suffered persecution for speaking the words of God (Jeremiah 38:1-6).
But when Asaph worshiped the Lord in His sanctuary, his confusion faded. He understood that although the wicked may prosper now, their destiny is destruction (Psalm 73:27). God will make them fall, and their punishment is definite (Psalm 73:18-20).
They will likely be just like the wealthy man within the parable of Lazarus and the wealthy man (Luke 16:19-31). Since the wealthy man demonstrated that he had not placed faith in God through his failure to take care of the poor, he went to hell. What comfort he had in life was gone; he suffered torment that can never end (Luke 16:25; also see Luke 6:24). The prosperity and winning streak that evil people have now won’t last endlessly.
Throughout the Bible, we see this emphasized by the instruction to not trust in riches or fame (Psalm 62:10). To not think that oppression of the poor to achieve riches will last – poverty is the final result, ultimately an everlasting poverty of spirit (Proverbs 22:16). The wicked might imagine that nobody sees or knows, but God does. He sees and knows all things. And He will bring to account every evil deed (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Malachi 3:5; Hebrews 4:13; Revelation 20:12).
Scripture tells us that the actions of the wicked will testify against them on the day of judgment. As James wrote, “Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth within the last days. Look! The wages you didn’t pay the employees who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (James 5:3-4, NIV). Nothing goes unnoticed by the Lord.
When evil seems to triumph, we should always recall these passages of Scripture. The Lord’s coming is near. On that day, justice will likely be carried out, and the wicked will finally receive their due (James 5:7-9).
As we wait, though, we should always pray and work as agents of sunshine. When our Lord held on the cross bearing the load of the world’s sin, He entrusted Himself to the Father, but He also prayed for many who were persecuting Him (Luke 23:34). Believers should do the identical and pray for many who mistreat and improper them, including wicked people known to live in rebel to God. Such an act doesn’t negate the evil others have done. Rather, it acknowledges that we’re all sinners in need of the Lord’s grace. Believers will win for all eternity only due to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Sasha Freemind
