Flawed vs. Evil

“Jesus ordered the evil spirit to come out of the man. The evil spirit had controlled the man for a long time.” ( Luke 8:20 GWT)

Humanity is imperfect. We are all flawed in some way or another. Our weaknesses, when left unchecked, can prod us to do wrong--even when we know what is right. This tendency to exercise free will in ways that harm ourselves, others, and our environment is so prevalent that we accept it as part of human nature.

Do Evil forces exist?

Or is it just a word we use to describe human frailty?

Those who recognize the presence of Good can also admit that there must be an opposing force of Evil.  However, there are many who do not believe in anything that can’t be measured, seen, or touched. Discounting Evil as just an extreme form of human weakness allows it to propagate.

Scientific study has allowed us to better understand causes and treatments for many biological and psychological disorders. Spiritual illness still remains a mystery. I wish I could describe the concept of Evil without using spiritual language, but that would be like explaining a math problem without using numbers. You see, just like an unseen virus can cause physical disease, and unknown factors can lead to mental illness, supernatural Evil can corrupt our souls. And just like a virus seeks a host to propagate and spread, Evil seeps into human hearts where it multiplies. If allowed,  it can take control of our free will, influencing our thoughts, speech, and behavior. Left unchecked, Evil brings destruction to our souls and everything around us.

(cont..)