There is a misconception that has crept into the church in America: that is, if a person is following God and living according to His ways, then his or her life will go well. Those with issues in life, whether physical, mental, or emotional, are those who are receiving punishment from the Lord. Problems in life are brought about by disobedience and lack of faith.
In many ways, false teaching such as the prosperity gospel is to blame for this misconception. However, if believers looked at Scripture when they heard others preach or talk about doing good to receive good, they would recognize that the Bible is filled with examples of evil people winning. We are all sinful, of course, but wicked individuals often possess good things. As Asaph wrote when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, “They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills … This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth” (Psalm 73:4-5, 12, NIV).
Other people in Scripture also noticed this trend of bad people winning. Jeremiah asked God why the wicked prospered even though their hearts were far from Him (Jeremiah 12:1-2). Likewise, David wrote about how the evil seemed to flourish like a well-rooted tree (Psalm 37:35). And the author of Ecclesiastes observed that the wicked often reap what the righteous deserve (see Ecclesiastes 8:14). Such passages tell us that, in the world, life can be unfair, and bad people sometimes triumph – at least in the present.
But why is this? Isn’t this reality unjust and disconnected from what we know about our righteous God?
To understand why the wicked sometimes win – like corrupt politicians, abusers, human traffickers, bullies, dictators, etc. – we must consider what the Bible says about the world and its system.
Life in a Fallen World
People being pushed deeper into poverty while others live in wealth and privilege; slave laborers toiling in dangerous and inhumane conditions for meager pay while others profit a hundredfold; followers of Jesus suffering in prison or facing death at the hand of persecutors while those who are indifferent to God and their neighbors continue on as usual. Life contains these vast disparities because of sin in the world.
When Adam and Eve sinned, their act not only affected their own relationships with God; it affected the entire creation (Genesis 3:12-19). Death entered the world, bringing destruction and the loss of life. Animals, plants, and people were all impacted. As a result, we live as fallen people in a fallen world. Even when we place faith in Jesus and receive eternal life, we are still impacted by the effects of sin.
God does not remove the curse on creation when a person places faith in Christ. Thorns are still growing. Storms and diseases wreak havoc. Animals and humans continue to die. And people have the free will to either turn to God and follow Him or engage in sin. This is why we see not only wicked individuals doing terrible deeds but also flourishing in the world.
They step on others to move up the ladder of success and to build their empires. Through evil actions, they become rich, famous, and secure. Although not all wealthy and well-known people have amassed their fortune through wickedness, there are bad people who seem to have everything. They sin and leverage the fallen nature of the world to make their own lives pleasant.
The Worldly System of the Prince of the Air
God is the ultimate Ruler and King of all since He is the Creator and Savior. However, there is a system at work in the world that is opposed to God. Scripture calls this system “the world,” not in reference to the physical world, but to the spiritual forces at work that are in rebellion against the Lord. This worldly system is overseen by “the prince of the power of the air,” better known as Satan or the devil (Ephesians 2:2, ESV).
We can see the influence that Satan has over the world during the event of Jesus’ temptation. Although Christ is already the King of kings and Lord of lords, Satan tried to tempt Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8). As the devil said, “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9, NIV). Jesus, of course, rebuked Satan. He always followed the Father’s will and knew that one day every knee would bow before Him as King and Lord. However, this event shows that the devil seems to have a measure of control over the kingdoms of the earth.
Other passages in the Bible confirm Satan’s role in the world. When Gabriel visited Daniel to explain the visions he had experienced, the angel said he had been delayed by “the prince of the Persian kingdom” (Daniel 10:13, NIV). Only after the archangel Michael came to help was Gabriel able to visit Daniel. From this example, we see that the devil can send his demons out into the world to influence events and people.
Such actions align with his goals. The devil desires to keep humans blind to the gospel and ensnared in their sin (2 Corinthians 4:4). Nothing pleases Satan more than to see people living in rebellion against the Lord and refusing to place faith in Christ.
Hence, the Apostle Paul clarified that our battle is not against people, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV). The wicked spiritual forces in the world work to oppose God, which is why evil is promoted. Satan cannot force anyone to sin or for wicked people to do wrong, but he can encourage and add temptation, like fanning a fire that has already started.
We see bad people winning, in part, because of Satan’s involvement.
The Triumph of the Wicked Is Not Eternal
The psalmist Asaph saw the prosperity of the wicked, which caused him to question why he had strived to keep himself pure by following the Lord (Psalm 73:13). All he seemed to experience was affliction and pain while the unrighteous flourished (Psalm 73:14). The same applied to others in history, like the prophet Jeremiah, who suffered persecution for speaking the words of God (Jeremiah 38:1-6).
But when Asaph worshiped the Lord in His sanctuary, his confusion faded. He understood that although the wicked may prosper now, their destiny is destruction (Psalm 73:27). God will make them fall, and their punishment is certain (Psalm 73:18-20).
They will be like the rich man in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Since the rich man demonstrated that he had not placed faith in God through his failure to care for the poor, he went to hell. What comfort he had in life was gone; he suffered torment that will never end (Luke 16:25; also see Luke 6:24). The prosperity and winning streak that evil people have now will not last forever.
Throughout the Bible, we see this emphasized by the instruction to not trust in riches or fame (Psalm 62:10). To not think that oppression of the poor to gain riches will last – poverty is the end result, ultimately an eternal poverty of spirit (Proverbs 22:16). The wicked may think that no one sees or knows, but God does. He sees and knows all things. And He will bring to account every evil deed (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Malachi 3:5; Hebrews 4:13; Revelation 20:12).
Scripture tells us that the actions of the wicked will testify against them on the day of judgment. As James wrote, “Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (James 5:3-4, NIV). Nothing goes unnoticed by the Lord.
When evil seems to triumph, we should recall these passages of Scripture. The Lord’s coming is near. On that day, justice will be carried out, and the wicked will finally receive their due (James 5:7-9).
As we wait, though, we should pray and work as agents of light. When our Lord hung on the cross bearing the weight of the world’s sin, He entrusted Himself to the Father, but He also prayed for those who were persecuting Him (Luke 23:34). Believers should do the same and pray for those who mistreat and wrong them, including wicked people known to live in rebellion to God. Such an act does not negate the evil others have done. Rather, it acknowledges that we are all sinners in need of the Lord’s grace. Believers will win for all eternity only because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Sasha Freemind
