The existence of evil is often presented as the strongest argument against God. If God is all-powerful, He could stop evil. If God is good, He would want to stop it. Scripture does not deny the reality of evil. It confronts it directly while revealing truths that reshape how the problem is understood (Genesis 6:5).

The Bible begins by affirming that God created everything good, without evil embedded in creation itself (Genesis 1:31). Evil enters the world through rebellion, not design. Sin is not a substance God created but a corruption of what was good, like rust on metal or rot in wood (Romans 5:12). God is not the author of evil, even though nothing exists outside His sovereign rule (James 1:13).

God’s power is never in question. Scripture repeatedly affirms that He could stop evil instantly if He chose (Psalm 135:6). The issue is not inability but purpose. God permits what He hates in order to accomplish what He loves. This distinction is crucial. Allowance is not approval (Habakkuk 1:13).

Human free agency plays a real role. Evil actions flow from human hearts, not divine coercion (Mark 7:21–23). God created humans capable of genuine love and obedience, which also made rebellion possible. A world with meaningful moral choice necessarily includes the possibility of moral evil (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Scripture shows that God often uses evil without endorsing it. The clearest example is the cross. Human wickedness crucified Christ, yet God used that very act to accomplish salvation (Acts 4:27–28). What humans meant for evil, God ordained for the greatest good imaginable. The cross proves that God can be sovereign over evil without being sinful Himself.

Natural evil, such as disease and disaster, is tied to a creation affected by the fall. The world itself groans under corruption, awaiting restoration (Romans 8:20–22). These sufferings are not meaningless accidents. They testify that something is broken and point toward the need for redemption, not denial of God’s goodness.

God’s patience explains much of what He allows. Immediate judgment would end history altogether. God delays final justice to allow repentance and salvation (2 Peter 3:9). What skeptics call divine absence, Scripture calls mercy. The delay of judgment is not indifference but restraint.

Evil is also limited. It never has the final word. God sets boundaries it cannot cross (Job 1:12). No suffering is infinite, random, or detached from God’s redemptive purposes for His people (Romans 8:28). Even when reasons remain hidden, God’s character is not.

The resurrection reframes the problem entirely. Christianity does not promise an explanation for every instance of suffering, but it promises an end to it. God will judge evil, wipe away every tear, and restore all things (Revelation 21:4). Evil is temporary. God’s goodness is eternal.

The question is not whether God allows evil. Scripture affirms that He does. The deeper question is whether God has acted decisively to defeat it. The gospel answers yes. Evil is allowed for a time, conquered at the cross, and destined for final removal. The presence of evil does not disprove God. It makes redemption necessary and grace astonishing.