How to Recognize Evil in Our Everyday Lives

“Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.” Romans 16:18 NLT

“Think about this while you take your walk.” The tiny screen slid across the counter, all of its glowing drama in tow. Navigating relationships on this side of heaven is complicated. We are faced with conflict, stressed out about appropriate boundaries, and attacked with guilt and shame over whether or not we’ve forgiven people correctly. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT

The work of the enemy abounds in our everyday lives. Instead of recognizing it's his hand stirring up chaos in our minds and among our people, too often we allow Satan to pull out the professional-grade blender and completely annihilate our personal confidence and connection to others. Remain familiar with the following truths, and prayerfully ask God to create an astute awareness of the enemy’s movement in daily life.

We Belong to God

“The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.’” Psalm 110:1 NLT

Good and evil fight alongside our daily lives on battlefields we cannot see with our actual eyes, but feel in the stirring of our souls. We belong to God, and the countenance of our hearts is only complete through our relationship with Him. “Jesus, as the reigning messianic king, is likewise seated at ‘God’s right hand,’” The ESV Global Study Bible explains, “God will subdue these enemies, making them subject to the authority of the Davidic king.” Christ is King. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. We belong to God, and through Christ share in the victory won through His death and resurrection, defeating Satan and death. In Christ Jesus, we live our lives with renewed perspective, aware and confident of what is True, and able to perceive and defeat lies and evil schemes.

We Have a Specific Purpose

“You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority- the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.” Psalm 8:6-8 NLT

Scripture reminds us, God has known us since before we breathed our first breath on earth. He formed us in our mother’s womb! He knows us better than anyone, more thoroughly than we know ourselves. He is the only One who loves us with perfectly true and genuine compassion. We live to bring glory to Him, and His specific will for our lives reflects that purpose. The last thing the enemy wants is for our lives to shine the light of the Lord all over the place! Remembering God’s care for us reminds us we are here on purpose.

We Have a Real Enemy

“So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end, they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.” 2 Corinthians 11:15 NLT

The enemy will use whoever is willing to subject their lives to his ways. Scripture is clear about Who has the authority to judge another person, and it isn’t us. However, we must be wise in the way we navigate our daily lives, and wary of whom we allow to absorb the majority of our time. Jesus didn’t avoid people, even those who were possessed by demons! But, Jesus faced every situation head-on, armed with the Truth and authority of God. We, too, have Truth and authority to wisely confront evil, and stop its progress in its tracks. Not all lives are being used for good, as they were intended to, sadly. Staying closely connected to Christ will help us to navigate every situation with truth and love.

We Can Identify Evil Around Us

“Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.” Romans 16:18 NLT

Not everyone can be trusted, even those who hold important titles in ministry. We have all witnessed leaders, pastors, and respected Christ-followers fall by the wayside of the sin which plagues us all. Scripture clearly instructs us to filter everything we hear, from every leader, through the Truth of Scripture. Unfortunately, not everyone who preaches Scripture is doing it with pure intentions. Knowing the Gospel truth for ourselves is vital to our everyday lives. We can identify evil by filtering life through God’s Truth.

We Are Not Defenseless

“But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will ring sudden destruction on themselves.” 2 Peter 2:1 NLT

God is our ever-dependable lifeline when we feel the enemy’s chaos ebb onto the shores of our daily lives. His Truth gives us the power to snap out of any trance-laid web of lies Satan attempts to weave into our relationships. The power of the Cross frees us from the burdensome heap of guilt and shame the enemy uses to decrease our confidence in our salvation. “The false teachers will even deny the truth about the Master (Jesus Christ) who bought them,” the ESV Global Study Bible explains, “They claim to be redeemed because they were part of the church, but their beliefs and behavior show that they are not true believers.” The Holy Spirit of the Living God lives in every believer, providing the strength we need to be victorious over the devil’s schemes.

The Victory Has Already Been Won

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 8:5 NLT

Evil is surely present among us, but it will never be strong enough to take out our good God, and the victory won by Jesus’ death and resurrection. People will be people. (Ourselves included.) None of us will get it right all of the time. Let us all be diligent in praying the enemy doesn’t have any sort of foothold on our lives, and is thwarted from using us for his benefit in any way. Living each day in the victory of Christ Jesus means connecting with Him first and most. When our minds and hearts are consumed with meditations of Truth, our souls are protected from the enemy’s schemes. Let those who have fallen victim to another fate rest in the hands of their own consequences. The Lord loves them, and if we have a part to play in their lives He will make it evident. Otherwise, we are to speak the truth in love and fix our eyes on the Author and Perfector of our faith.

Conclusion

The battle of good and evil wages in the background of our lives. Each day, let’s pray to recognize the work of the enemy for what it is, instead of letting it damage our confidence and relationships. Sadly, it’s not always possible to keep friendships from crumbling and relationships from breaking up. This is a sad reality in our world, but it will not exist in eternity. When life gets difficult, we can picture what it will be like to live in accord with each other in heaven. No jealousy, comparison, selfishness, bitterness, unforgiveness, or malice …no gossip, slander, or blackmail. One day, we will peacefully be able to be friends with everyone. Until then, on this earth we must stay astute and tuned in to the Truth, letting Him guide our daily lives.

Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and "Sent, Faith in Motion." Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls.