What Is Evil—Biblically? What the Bible Says about Good & Evil

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. (Isa 5:20 NIV)

Evil is the corruption of creational and relational goodness.¹

Evil consists of thoughts, actions, or forces that diminish life. Evil takes what God planned for the good of all his creation and distorts or defiles it.

From a study of evil from the Hebrew text of Genesis,

Evil is not the absence of good nor is it preexistent before the creation of heaven and earth. … Evil, in human hands, is found to be the independent taking of something created as good and twisting it for self-fulfilling, autonomous purposes rather than enjoying and employing it as God intended. Thus, that which is intended for good becomes corrupt and distorted for evil.²

In the Bible, evil has a broad range of meanings and comes at us through many natural and spiritual agents. We tend to be afraid of evil and often respond in unhelpful ways when it hits us.³

This essay addresses many of the tough and controversial questions we have about evil: How do we define it? What about the problem of evil? What is good, what is evil? Where does evil come from and get its power? What’s God’s answer to evil? How do we overcome evil? How does evil impact faith?

The problem of evil and suffering

The problem of evil is a primary reason that people abandon their faith or reject belief in God.⁴ Reconciling suffering with a benevolent God leads many to search for meaning through philosophy, theology, or a godless existence. As moral philosopher Susan Neiman writes,

The problem of evil can be expressed in theological or secular terms, but it is fundamentally a problem about the intelligibility of the world as a whole.⁵

While we often talk and write about evil in intellectual terms, at the core, it is personal. Evil, suffering, and pain affect all of us.

What people call evil changes, sometimes radically, based on shifting ideas about what is socially right or wrong, good or bad. Anthropologists claim that “there is no universally agreed-upon notion of evil throughout all the various cultures of the world.”⁶ Therefore, defining evil in culture can be elusive.

The question is raised, then: What does the Bible mean when it talks about evil? The conflict between good and evil is a major theme in the Bible. To define evil biblically, we start where the Bible begins, with what is good and Who is good.

What is good?

The creation story tells us that God created the heavens and the earth in an orderly manner. Unlike the stories of creation from the ancient Near East, in the biblical account, creation does not emerge from conflict with any other natural or supernatural forces. In Genesis 1, creation was purely God’s idea. Importantly, at key steps in the process, “God saw everything that he had made and, behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31 LEB; emphasis mine).

From creation and continuing through the Bible, good is identified as:

1. Something desirable, abundant, healthful, beneficial (Gen 1:18; 2:9; Exod 2:2; 3:8; Matt 13:48)
2. Inner or relational well-being (Gen 2:18; 1 Sam 25:15; 2 Chron 10:7; Rom 12:17–18)
3. Protection of a person or property, healing, sparing or preserving life (Gen 26:29; 50:20; Acts 10:38)
4. Moral or ethical uprightness, worthy of merit, bringing redemption.(Deut 6:18; Mic 6:8; Matt 5:16)⁷

Two main categories of goodness can be observed.

1. Creational goodness

In every story, beginnings are important. The beginning of the Bible sets the stage for us to expect a good God making a good universe. The sevenfold repetition in Genesis 1 of “good, good, good … very good” emphasizes that everything God says and does is consistent with who he is: God is good.

Creation is intended to provide the foundation for our beliefs. The entire cosmos is envisioned in Scripture as God’s cosmic sanctuary, a massive temple, a physical place for God’s dwelling.⁸ God wants us to know his presence, to be in our midst. As Gregory Beale writes,

God’s ultimate goal in creation was to magnify his glory throughout the earth by means of his faithful image-bearers inhabiting the world in obedience to the divine mandate… In light of Gen. 1:26–28, this meant the presence of God, which was initially to be limited to the garden temple of Eden, was to be extended throughout the whole earth by his image bearers, as they themselves represented and reflected his glorious presence and attributes.⁹

God’s mission has remained unchanged since the beginning. He still intends for his image bearers, his co-regents, to spread his goodness throughout the world (Gen 1:26–28). Even though the rebellion against God took place in the garden, humanity continues as God’s image bearers (Gen 5:1–2; 9:6–7). God has demonstrated that he wants us to work alongside him to overcome evil with good (Gen 50:20; Mic 6:8; Rom 12:21).

2. Relational goodness

Humanity was created to live in relationship with God and one another. Through loving loyalty, we are to steward life as co-regents and co-family.

Jesus tells us that all of our thoughts and actions should stem from the two greatest commandments:

1. Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength
2. Love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:36–40; Deut 6:4; Lev 19:18)

Jesus makes clear that our neighbor is everyone we meet (Lev 19:33; Luke 10:25–37). Loving through relational goodness promotes life, blessing, and harmony.

What is a biblical definition of evil?

In the Bible, evil is routinely contrasted with good.¹⁰ Evil has a wide range of meanings in Scripture, referring to anything that is bad, deficient, harmful, or wicked.¹¹

The biblical concept of evil is identified as:

1. Something deficient, negative, or worthless (Gen 41:3; 2 Kgs 2:19; Matt 7:17; Acts 17:5)
2. Emotional or relational distress, insult, guilty conscience (Gen 6:6; 28:8; Eccl 1:13; Matt 5:11; Heb 10:22)
3. Harm or death to a person or property, disease (Gen 31:52; 2 Kgs 4:41; Luke 7:21)
4. Moral failure, wickedness, malicious words or actions (Gen 6:5; 13:13; 50:15–17; Rom 1:28–32)¹²

Evil defiles what is good, bringing chaos, distress, cursing, and death. Evil is anything that departs from God’s good intentions in creation, breaks our relationship with God and our neighbor, or tries to take what does not belong to it.¹³

Run a Bible Word Study on the Hebrew word for “evil” in the Logos Bible Study app. Get the app free, if you don’t already have it.

1. Creational evil

Evil pollutes and destroys creation in subtle and overt ways. From the earliest recorded writings, humanity has altered the environment, deteriorating the earth. The devastation of plant and animal life, down to the microbial level, and pollution of the ocean continues to escalate.

Humanity has corrupted God’s good creation, thinking we know better than God how to run the world and our lives. The result, as Abraham Heschel wrote,

There was a moment when God looked at the universe made by Him and said: “It is good.” But there was no moment in which God could have looked at history made by man and said: “It is good.”¹⁴

Tragically, segments of the church have believed that since this world would be consumed, we could treat the earth with complete disregard. This behavior ignored God’s covenant with creation and our responsibility to care for it.¹⁵

2. Relational evil

God’s perspective of humans in Genesis 1:26–28 is foundational to every human relationship. God made all of humanity, male and female, as his royal family, his image. As his image, every person has the value and dignity of God himself.¹⁶

God takes personally the way we treat every person.¹⁷ We hear this reflected in the parable of Jesus when he said,

I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me. … Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me. (Matt 25:36, 40 LEB)

We are accountable before God for our actions, both good and evil.

How does the Bible address the origin of evil?

Perhaps Umberto Cassuto best summarizes the question of the origin of evil:

The primary purpose of the Torah in these chapters [Gen 2–3] is to explain how it is that in the Lord’s world, the world of the good and beneficent God, evil should exist and man should endure pain and troubles and calamities. The answer given here to the burning question of the origin of evil in the world is this: although the world that issued from the hand of the Creator is, according to the testimony of the previous section, good—yea, very good—yet man corrupts it by his conduct and brings evil into the world as a result of his corruption.¹⁸

Yet, the opening chapters of Genesis and Jesus’s words show us that spiritual forces are also at work in the operation of evil. Jesus called the devil

a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 LEB)

In Genesis, we can see that evil entered the world through the serpent’s lying craftiness. In the garden, the woman and Adam believed his lie that God was not good, that God should not be trusted, and especially that they should make their own decisions regarding what is good and evil. Acting on this lie opened the door for evil to enter the sacred space of the garden and infect the world. As Sandra Richter states, “God’s original intent was sabotaged by humanity, stolen by the Enemy.”¹⁹ Therefore, Nijay Gupta notes, “There is a sense in the Gospels that the earth had come under the rulership of Satan de facto (cf. John 12:31).”²⁰

The concept of a Satan lurking in the background of the Old Testament was developed during the Second Temple period and is fully exposed in the New Testament through Jesus Christ as the light of the world with authority over all powers of evil. In the ancient Near East, a serpent was widely understood as a “chaos creature” or a composite disruptive spiritual agent.²¹ Satan is a Hebrew word used as a noun and a verb to refer to an accuser or adversary. Devil comes from the Greek word διάβολος (diábolos), which means “slanderer” or “accuser.” Considerable debate revolves around the origins of Satan and when this word became identified as a personage.²²

Where does evil come from?

Human, natural, and spiritual agencies or forces are at work through which evil can enter our lives. Briefly, here are the main ways that evil gains access to us personally and in the world.²³

1. Cause and effect

The most common explanation throughout history for why good or bad things happen is a law of cause and effect, known to some as the cosmic seed. A consequence for actions is built into creation’s design: “whatever a person sows, this he will also reap” (Gal 6:7 LEB). Our choices produce results in line with our actions (Jas 1:13–15). A ball dropped from the top of a hill will fall downward due to the force of gravity unless another force stops or diverts its direction. If we do something evil, we can expect an evil result unless we or others step in to change the trajectory of our action.

2. Natural calamity

Natural forces can cause destruction and death without evil intent. Hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, and diseases can bring destruction and death without explanation. Yet, some natural disasters and illnesses can be linked to a breakdown of moral order.²⁴ The earth itself responds to human behavior as God’s appointed stewards of this world (Rom 8:19–22).²⁵ Nevertheless, following natural calamities, our recourse is to bring help and healing to restore devastated lives and land while lacking specific answers.

3. Human rebellion

Human rebellion is expressed in many ways and times. The first three recorded in the Bible are in Genesis 3:1–6 (the “Fall”), 6:1–4 (preceding the Flood); and 11:1–9 (Tower of Babel). We prioritize personal satisfaction and exclude God (Ps 14; Eccl 2:1–11). We misuse power through self-exaltation or self-abasement (Matt 20:24–28). We neglect our God-given responsibility and then blame God for the wrongs that God may have wanted us to stop (Ps 73). When the operating manual for life in this world is not followed, chaos and brokenness result.

4. Angelic rebellion

Spiritual rebellion enters through principalities and powers described in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. Ephesians 6:10–20 urges us to be strong in the Lord and recognize that

our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12 LEB)

Often, however, a combination of the above forces are at work simultaneously.

Where does evil get its power?

Evil gets its power from the goodness it corrupted. Evil destroys God’s good creation, violating the earth and the relationships that God intended for thriving (Gen 6:11–13; 1 Cor 15:33; Eph 4:22).

Evil is like a cancer cell. The body was created with the ability to heal. But if toxins or other substances gain access to the body and alter a healthy cell, they can “trick the immune system into helping cancer cells stay alive and grow” and even “convince immune cells to protect the tumor instead of attacking it.”²⁶ Although cancer cells have no will of their own to cause evil: by taking over the replicating power of healthy cells, they can do damage and destroy the body if they’re not stopped.

Another example is love, the strongest power for good in the world. The perversion of love occurs when one tries to force his or her will upon another. Abuse of love’s power produces life’s deepest pain, suffering, and sometimes, death.

Does the Bible address theodicy?

The philosophical problem of evil argues that an all-good and all-powerful Creator-God is incompatible with a world in which evil exists. If evil exists, either God is not good or is not all-powerful. Theodicy seeks to defend and explain how a just, good, and all-powerful God allows evil and suffering.

However, the Bible doesn’t directly address the philosophical problem of evil or theodicy.²⁷ Instead, it makes clear that evil is in the world and in each of us (Gen 8:21; Rom 3:10–18). The Bible:

• Assumes God is good and just (Ps 145:9; Gen 18:25)
• Accepts as fact that there is evil and suffering in this world (John 16:33)
• Expects us to do something about evil (Gen 4:7; Rom 12:21)
• Instructs us to partner with God to overcome evil and transform the impact of evil into good (Josh 1:6–9; John 14:12–18)

Rather than addressing the philosophical problem of evil, the Bible asks how we’ll respond to evil when it hits us.

Will we let evil define us? Overtake us? Will we let bitterness, resentment, or hatred distort our behavior or will we master them and work in cooperation with God to overcome and reverse the devastations of evil with good?²⁸

Start a study on the topic of evil in the Factbook inside Logos. Get the Logos app free, if you don’t already have it.

What is God’s answer to evil?

Evil was never God’s plan. Evil is the consequence of rejecting God and his goodness (Ps 14; Rom 1:18–25).

When God allows or brings evil, calamity, or destruction to humans, as Scripture records (Gen 6:11–13; Ps 7:10–17; Isa 45:5–8; Rev 19), he does not act impulsively or unjustly. God responds to the unmoved behavior of people who have intentionally and consistently rejected him to have their own way.

God’s justice, then, consists of bringing to fulfillment the actions people have already set in motion. As C. S. Lewis wrote,

There are two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.”²⁹

When people insist on rejecting God, he steps away and hands them over to what they have chosen.

For example, let’s look at how Romans 1 explains how “the wrath of God” operates. First, people unrighteously suppress the truth that God has clearly made know all along (Rom 1:18–19).

For from the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. (Rom 1:20–22 LEB)

Next, God steps back and allows the consequences of their choices.

Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed for eternity. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to degrading passions … And just as they did not see fit to recognize God, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do the things that are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence. (Rom 1:24–29)

However, if someone returns to God, God is quick to show mercy and grace (Exod 34:6; John 1:14–17; Rom 2:4).³⁰

God has a plan to undo evil and its impact. As Christopher Wright describes it,

the cosmic reign of God in Christ will ultimately eradicate evil from God’s universe (and solve our individual sin problem too, of course).³¹

When Christ returns, the problem of evil will end with the new heavens and the new earth (Isa 66:22; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1).³² All who have longed for ultimate beauty and peace with God and his family will rejoice! But those who have rejected him won’t like it.

What does the Bible say about overcoming evil?

The storyline of redemption in Scripture addresses how God will overcome evil with good. As N. T. Wright states,

The Old Testament isn’t written in order simply to “tell us about God” in the abstract. It isn’t designed primarily to provide information, to satisfy the inquiring mind. It’s written to tell the story of what God has done, is doing and will do about evil.³³

In fact, the major plot of the Bible is “the great spiritual and moral battle of good and evil.”³⁴ The Bible is a dramatic story. Sometimes evil has the upper hand. Often, those who should be protected and helped are left to suffer. Sometimes evil does win—temporarily.

But Scripture shows us that evil is perpetuated and gains power if we take vengeance into our own hands, carry a grudge, or poison ourselves through bitterness (Rom 12:17–19). Romans 12:1–21 provides a template to move us toward transformation according to God’s ways so that we will not be overcome with evil, but instead participate in overcoming evil with good. If we face evil with God, refuse to be afraid of it, or allow its toxins to infiltrate our own being, we create a sacred place for God to enter our circumstances and for goodness to overcome evil. But this may not always look how we expect in the short run. The choices we make in response to evil determine whether good or evil prevails.³⁵

Our ultimate example, of course, is Jesus Christ. Jesus took upon himself the legal debt for all humanity’s sins, evils, and horrors throughout history. Because Jesus bore the legal penalty for our rebellion on the cross, all who look to him are transferred from the dominion of darkness into God’s glorious light (Col 1:13–14). Jesus paid the full price that we owed to the spiritual forces of wickedness for our allegiance to them. The cross set us free from both the poison of sin and the consequences legally held against us by the spiritual powers of darkness (Col 2:13–15).

When we follow Jesus, he gives us his authority to bring God’s will into our very down-to-earth realm. That’s why he taught us to pray, “May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10 LEB). In other words, we ask our Father in heaven for his will to be done here on earth, in our particular circumstance, so that our situation will end up looking like the good he has planned in the heavenly realm.

How does evil impact personal faith and spirituality?

When evil strikes, it’s helpful to have people we can trust to talk with and process our pain, suffering, confusion, or loss. Seek to face and identify what is evil. Then, prayerfully develop a strategy to overcome it. God does not want us to be overcome by evil but to participate with him and others in stopping evil and overturning its impact.

Evil happens to everyone. Jesus told us that we will experience trouble in this world, but to “take heart” because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). There are situations and mysteries that go unsolved or unresolved. However, this I know: God’s will is our good. God’s mercy is greater than our sin. God’s power to overturn evil by doing his good is greater than our suffering. Though many wills assert themselves, in time, God’s will for good will prevail. Brokenness will be healed, either in this life or the next. This present darkness will be overcome with the bright glory of love.

For those who mourn, one day suffering, pain, and evil will be swept away and seen no more (Rev 21:4)

But meanwhile, the Spirit of God still hovers over the face of the deep, calling forth light in the darkness, and inviting us as God’s image bearers to join with him to turn chaos into order, fill the emptiness with purpose, and create flourishing spaces out of the barren void (Gen 1:2–3; 2 Cor 4:6).³⁶

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:21 LEB)

Ingrid Faro’s recommended resources for further exploration

• Middelman, Udo. The Innocence of God: Does God Ordain Evil?Authentic Media, 2007.

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1. Ingrid Faro, Demystifying Evil: A Biblical and Personal Exploration (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2023), 24, 80.
2. Ingrid Faro, Evil in Genesis: A Contextual Analysis of Hebrew Lexemes for Evil in the Book of Genesis, Studies in Scripture & Biblical Theology (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2021), 198.
3. N. T Wright, Evil and the Justice of God (London: SPCK, 2006), 24.
4. “Atheism Doubles Among Generation Z,” Research and Consulting, Barna Group (blog), January 24, 2018, https://www.barna.com/research/atheism-doubles-among-generation-z/.
5. Susan Neiman, Evil in Modern Thought: An Alternative History of Philosophy, Princeton Classics (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2015), 21.
6. David Parkin, ed., The Anthropology of Evil (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 1991), 16.
7. Faro, Evil in Genesis, 72–76.
8. G. K. Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2004), 32–37.
9. Beale, Temple and the Church’s Mission, 82–83.
10. The main word for evil is רַע in Hebrew and πονηρός in Greek. In Hebrew, רע (ra’ ) as an adjective, רעה as a noun, or רעע as a verb. In Greek, πονηρός as an adjective, πονηρία as a noun, and πονηρεύομαι as a verb.
11. Faro, Evil in Genesis, 64.
12. Faro, Evil in Genesis, 65–72; William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 851; Faro, Demystifying Evil, 26–27; G. Scott Gleaves, “Evil,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook, eds. Douglas Mangum and Derek R. Brown, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
13. Faro, Demystifying Evil, 27.
14. Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2017), 168.
15. Sandra L. Richter, Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters, illustrated ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2020), 10–12.
16. Carmen Joy Imes, Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2023), 4–6.
17. See J. Richard Middleton, The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1, illustrated ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005); and Catherine L. McDowell, The Image of God in the Garden of Eden: The Creation of Humankind in Genesis 2:5–3:24 in Light of the Mīs Pî, Pīt Pî, and Wpt-r Rituals of Mesopotamia, Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015).
18. Umberto Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Part I: From Adam to Noah (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 2012), 71.
19. Sandra L. Richter, The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, illustrated ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2008), 106.
20. Nijay K. Gupta, The Lord’s Prayer, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2018), 82–83.
21. John H. Walton, The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2-3 and the Human Origins Debate (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2015), 132–36.
22. See also Peggy L. Day, An Adversary in Heaven: Satan in the Hebrew Bible (Atlanta, GA: Brill Academic, 1988); Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2015), 57; Archie T. Wright, Satan and the Problem of Evil: From the Bible to the Early Church Fathers (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2022); Faro, Demystifying Evil, 124–36.
23. Faro, Demystifying Evil, chs. 4–12.
24. Ingrid Faro, “The Question of Evil and Animal Death before the Fall,” Trinity Journal 36 (2015): 200.
25. Mari Jørstad, “The Ground That Opened Its Mouth: The Ground’s Response to Human Violence in Genesis 4,” Journal of Biblical Literature 135 (2016): 705–15; and Daniel I. Block, “What Do These Stones Mean? The Riddle of Deuteronomy 27,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 56, no. 1 (2013): 23–24, 27n76, 29.
26. “What Is Cancer,” National Institute of Health: National Cancer Institute, October 11, 2021, https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer.
27. Walther Eichrodt, “Faith in Providence and Theodicy in the Old Testament,” in Theodicy in the Old Testament, IRT 4 (Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1973), 17–41.
28. Faro, Evil in Genesis, 200.
29. C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, rev. ed. (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2015), 72.
30. See Ingrid Faro, “How Does Genesis Define Evil,” Lexham Press (blog), March 1, 2021, https://blog.lexhampress.com/2021/03/01/how-does-genesis-define-evil/.
31. Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 31.
32. J. Richard Middleton, A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, illustrated ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014).
33. Wright, Evil and the Justice of God, 45–46.
34. Leland Ryken and Tremper Longman III, “Introduction,” in A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible, eds. Leland Ryken and Tremper Longman III (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993), 35–36.
35. Faro, Demystifying Evil, 31.
36. Faro, Demystifying Evil, 214.