4.1 Evil—the powers opposed to God

4.1 Evil—the powers opposed to God The origin of evil within the order of creation cannot be rationally grasped or explained. Paul speaks of evil as a mystery (2 Thessalonians 2: 7). Evil cannot always be clearly recognised. Sometimes it disguises itself and takes on the appearance of something good or divine (2 Corinthians 11: 14). Only through faith in the gospel do the ultimate nature of evil, its power, strength, and ef- fects, become clear. Only God is absolutely good. In God’s words, both the invisible and the visible creation was “very good” in the beginning (Genesis 1: 1–31), and thus evil had no place within it originally. God did not create evil as such. It is thus not among the things that were expressly created, but has rather been permitted. When God created man, He made him according to His own likeness (Genesis 1: 26 et seq.). This means that man has been endowed with a free will. He has the ability to decide between obedience and disobedience to God (Genesis 2: 16–17; 3: 1–7). The ability to do evil is also rooted in this free will. Evil manifests itself when human beings knowingly and intentionally oppose that which is good by distancing themselves from God and His will. Thus the evil in man was not created by God, but was at first only an alternative which man chose by violating the divine commandment. God neither wanted nor created evil, but nevertheless permitted it in that He did not prevent human beings from exercising choice. 163 4 Mankind in need of redemption Since the fall into sin, evil has affected both mankind and the entire creation (Romans 8: 18–22). Evil began to unfold when the created (man) began to oppose the Creator. As a consequence of disobedience, of the fall into sin, evil gained a foothold and led to a state of remoteness from God, estrangement from God, and ulti- mately godlessness. 4.1.1 Evil as a power opposed to God Evil is a power that stems from the desire for independence from God and the desire to be “like God”. This power completely changes those who fall prey to it: angels become demons, human beings become sinners. Throughout the history of man, the power of evil has manifested itself again and again. For example, after Adam and Eve’s fall into sin we see evil manifested in the Old Testament in Cain’s murder of his brother, in the god- lessness of Noah’s time, and in the oppression of the people of Israel by the Egyptians. Evil is a destructive power that opposes the creation of God. It takes on many forms: it is delusion and subversion, it is untruth, envy, and avarice. It seeks to destroy, and it brings death. Since the fall into sin, it has not been possible for any human being—with the exception of the incarnate Son of God—to lead a sinless life. This is due to the human predisposition to sin (concupiscence). Nevertheless, no one is involuntarily subject to evil. Therefore, no individual human being is exempt from personal responsibility for his sins. 4.1.2 Evil as a person Evil is not only manifested as a power, but also as a person. Holy Scripture refers to the personification of evil as “the Devil” (Matthew 4: 1), “Satan”, or “unclean spirit”, that is demon (Job 1: 6 et seq.; Mark 1: 13, 23). 164