Editor’s note: This was written the day after news outlets reported that Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University (Sept 10, 2025). Details are still developing, but the shock is real.

This reflection was prompted by yesterday’s tragedy, but it’s written for anyone who has ever wrestled with the weight of evil. These truths are not tied to one headline—they are anchors for every heart, in every age.

The feeling we don’t like to admit

When evil breaks in, it feels loud. It makes headlines. It grabs our chest and whispers, “See? I win.” Even faithful people feel that jolt. If that’s you today—you’re not weak. You’re human. Scripture gives us words for this ache.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NKJV)

What evil actually is (and isn’t)

Evil isn’t a rival god. It isn’t equal and opposite. Evil is parasitic—twisted good. It is what happens when truth is bent, love is chilled, and worship is mis-aimed. The Bible is blunt:

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20, NKJV)

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19, NKJV)

Evil is personal (there is a tempter), structural (systems can be unjust), and internal (sin lives in the heart). It shows up in lies, violence, pride, envy, and despair. It ruins what God made good.

Why does evil seem to be “winning”?

That’s often our first question: If God is good, why does evil look stronger?

The answer: evil plays the short game. It feeds on fear and spectacle. It wants a spotlight because its power is thin. The Bible keeps pulling the curtain back:

“Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.” (Psalm 37:1–2, NKJV)

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18, NKJV)

The short game looks impressive. The long game belongs to God.

Evil’s Illusion as a Call to Discernment

Evil’s greatest trick is convincing us that its noise is permanent. Headlines echo it, fear amplifies it, and soon it feels like the whole story. But Scripture reminds us it’s only an illusion. This calls us to radical discernment—learning to see through the spectacle by fixing our eyes on what is eternal.

Discernment means filtering what we consume and how we respond through the lens of God’s truth. It means asking: Is this shaping my heart toward fear, or toward faith? Am I looking at what’s temporary, or what lasts forever? In a world where news cycles spotlight evil, discernment keeps us tethered to the voice that will not fade.

Evil’s Counterfeit Narrative

Evil doesn’t just make noise—it tries to write its own story. Its loudest illusion is the claim, “I’ll always win.” You hear it in headlines, feel it in tragedy, and carry it in moments of personal pain. But that storyline has no staying power. Evil’s script feeds on shock, fear, and despair, yet it always unravels under the weight of eternity.

The Bible gives us the real story: evil is not an author at all but a defeated intruder. It’s a loud, fleeting shadow against the steady light of God’s redemption. What looks permanent is passing. What feels final was already undone at the cross.

The cross: evil’s loudest moment—and its undoing

Another question rises: Doesn’t evil prove God isn’t in control?

The darkest day looked like evil’s win. Jesus was condemned, mocked, and crucified. But that “win” was actually the match point against evil.

“…Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.” (Acts 2:23, NKJV)

“…that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14, NKJV)

“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15, NKJV)

At the cross, evil exhausted itself. Christ rose. Evil is still noisy, but the outcome is not in doubt.

Why doesn’t God stop evil right now?

That’s the ache we feel in tragedy. If He can stop it, why hasn’t He?

Scripture gives us three anchors:

1. God restrains more than we see.
   If He removed His hand, evil would rush like a flood. What we call “ordinary” days are soaked in mercy.
2. God is patient, not passive.
   His delay is not weakness—it’s mercy. It means more people have time to repent and be saved.
3. God will judge decisively and finally.
   The delay is not denial. Judgment will be thorough, perfect, and certain.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, NKJV)

What God asks of us in the meantime

So how do we live while evil still shouts?

Evil wants our attention and our imitation. God wants our trust and obedience.

• Name it truthfully. Don’t soften darkness by calling it “light.”

• Refuse the imitation game. Don’t fight darkness with more darkness.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21, NKJV)

• Remember the real battlefield. People aren’t the ultimate enemy—deception is.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV)

• Practice stubborn goodness. Pray. Tell the truth. Protect the vulnerable. Comfort the grieving. Serve quietly and faithfully.

• Stay near the Shepherd. When the news stings, stay close to Christ.

“But as for you, you meant evil against me;
but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20, NKJV)

For the hurting today

The hardest question of all is personal: Why would God allow a righteous life to be cut short?

Isaiah gives us a glimpse of an answer:

“The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
Merciful men are taken away,
While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from evil.
He shall enter into peace;
They shall rest in their beds,
Each one walking in his uprightness.” (Isaiah 57:1–2, NKJV)

It can bring comfort: death for the righteous isn’t a loss to evil, it’s a release into peace.

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NKJV)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1–3a, NKJV)

The Shepherd who walked through death has the keys. He has you.

If you’re wrestling with the “why”

You can ask. God is not fragile. Lament is not unbelief. It is faith, talking.

Here’s what the Bible lets us hold together:

• God is sovereign and good.
• People are responsible for their choices.
• Evil is real, judged at the cross, and doomed at the end.
• Suffering in Christ is not wasted.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

A simple prayer

Father,
Evil feels loud today. Draw near to the grieving. Guard our hearts from fear and from bitterness. Teach us to overcome evil with good, to speak what is true, and to love with courage. Fix our eyes on Jesus, who conquered death and will make all things new. Amen.

A Closing Thought

That prayer captures the heart of the matter: evil feels loud, but God is near. Living in light of evil’s defeat means choosing a defiant kind of hope. We don’t pretend the darkness isn’t there—we outshine it. Every act of kindness, every truthful word, every whispered prayer is like a stitch of light pushing back against evil’s illusion. The Shepherd who walked through death holds the keys. He has already won, and even in the valley, He is weaving our story into His.

Let’s Reflect

• When evil makes the news, what lies does it whisper to your heart?
• Which practice helps you “overcome evil with good” this week—prayer, truth-telling, serving, peacemaking?
• Where do you need to draw a boundary so you don’t imitate the darkness you oppose?
• Who can you comfort or protect today? Name them and act.
• What Scripture in this post will you carry in your pocket this week?

Want to keep tracing these shorter threads? Explore more on the Reflections Page