What can we do against such Evil?

“I played the notes as they were written, but it was God who made the music. Don’t cry for me, I am going where the music was born.”

– Johann Sebastian Bach

I’m currently working on a presentation for a group of men this Saturday on “Spiritual Warfare and Your Vocation”, getting into Ephesians 6 and the battle you may or may not know that you’re in.

This is a difficult write for me. I’ve been recently shaken. The problem with this topic is that it can sit so nicely in a box and put away. Like in the scene from the Matrix trilogy, “Ignorance is bliss.”

But here is the thing. Evil isn’t a fairy tale or some distant problem. It’s very real. It’s very dangerous. And it’s very near.

We’ve grown numb and too accepting of evil. It catches our own vices in the sweet spot, we accept lusting incantations or greed while maybe holding our nose up at someone who has it worse than us. The trap of, “there is always someone more evil. Mine is just a little evil.”

We’ve been lulled into a false sense of security. I know I have, and I thought of myself as pretty well tuned in. The recent release of Epstein emails has lit the internet up, and with good reason. I don’t think anyone has gotten away without hearing about Epstein over the past few years, and this post isn’t a political one so I won’t jump into all of that.

I hesitantly point you to the direction of understanding some of what has been released. It’ll take time for people to mine over the three million emails, photos, and videos, but what early highlights point out is that there has been a powerful elite who has subscribed to sexually abusing and murdering children in the name of Satan. I’m really glossing over this. The reach is astronomical. The actions, unspeakable. I mean, unspeakable.

I had thought there was a James Bond villain type of network running in the background; it’s much worse than that. I don’t actually mean this with hyperbole, and this is what I mean when it’s easy to put this in a box and tuck it away. You can easily categorize it as “not interested” and put it away. But name your evil, maybe it’s more established.

Abortion.

Euthanasia.

Trafficking.

Sexual abuse.

War.

Etc.

—

A quote that frequently comes to mind in my own heart is from Plato,

“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

We deal with evil personally in the sins we choose and with the results of the macro evil. So what can we do?

Part of the issue of indifference within ourselves is that we can get overwhelmed. “What can one person do?“

— Sister Lucia of Fatima said that the final battle is with marriage and the family. We don’t need to solve all of it. The battle first starts with us, by choosing the personal battles.

Put porn away for good.

Choose truth over lie.

Pick discipline over sloth.

Etc.

—

Then move to protect the family.

Lead them to prayer.

Curate the media influencing your children.

Prioritize your funds to provide a better life.

Fix how you spend time with them.

Etc.

—

These are things we can control. Societal evil will have its time. Ephesians 6 talks about this, our battle is not with flesh and blood but with powers and principalities. Our weapons are spiritual.

Yes, stay informed and aware. Our participation in our roles as citizens and leaders are important, but without a firm foundation inside our souls and at home, evil will flourish.

We become another brick in the wall, not a Pink Floyd song, but if we trust that the Holy Spirit is working, and He is, then allow Him the opportunity to build a sturdy wall of those of us who choose righteousness over evil. Too many have chosen the opposite, and our society is failing because of it. We can’t contend with powers and principalities. But our Lord can. And He’s calling up His instruments.

Adam Jarosz is the founder of Righteous Co. and author of “Iron Ore: Journal of a Man” – a brand built on faith, adventure, and purpose. With over twenty years of experience in ministry and business, Adam leads retreats, coaches leaders, and writes from the trenches of real-life discipleship, while equipping others to live boldly and faithfully. He’s a husband, father of four, and believer in Christ and His Church, the power of grit and grace, and good fellowship. Follow along for insights that challenge, encourage, and call you higher with his newsletter, The Climb.