Clarity: If God Is Good, Why Does Evil Exist?

Part of the Clarity Series: Building a Christian Worldview

In this series, Clarity, I am attempting to help us construct a Christian worldview to guide us through life’s most profound questions. In this post I seek to tackle one of the most challenging and emotionally charged of them all: If God is good, why does He permit evil?


We often repeat, “God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.” However, can we still hold onto this belief when evil seems to dominate the news? 

• What about when a child is senselessly killed? 
• When earthquakes devastate entire regions? 
• When floods come and destroy homes and wash away people?
• When wars destroy nations and tear apart families? 

This question—Why does a good God allow evil?—is one of the primary reasons people abandon faith. Before his conversion C.S. Lewis rejected God because of the death of his mother, despite fervently praying for her healing. 

Beneath this question lies a profound realization: If I possessed God’s power, I wouldn’t allow this to happen.

So, how do we reconcile God’s goodness with the reality of evil?


Job’s Lament and God’s Response — Scripture Focus: Job 38:1–7 

The book of Job provides us with a profound approach to this question—not with straightforward answers, but with deep truths.

Job, a righteous man who lost everything—his wealth, health, and children—in anguish demanded answers, even accusing God of injustice. His friends argued that he must have sinned, questioning why God would allow him to suffer.

However, both were wrong.

Finally, God speaks. Instead of providing an explanation, He asks Job:

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:4)

God doesn’t explain the “why” behind Job’s pain. Instead, He reveals His identity as the Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign. He reminds Job (and us) that His wisdom surpasses ours.

While this may feel unsatisfying in the moment of suffering, it forms the foundation of trust: God knows more than we do. He is not indifferent; He is powerful, purposeful, and present.

Four Biblical Truths About Evil 

While Scripture doesn’t offer a comprehensive philosophical answer to evil, it does provide guiding truths. Drawing from Peter Kreeft’s Fundamentals of the Faith, here are four truths to anchor your thinking:

1. Evil Is Not a Thing—It’s a Choice

Evil is not a created force. It is the result of free will gone wrong. God created angels and humans with the ability to choose. Both groups—heavenly and earthly—chose rebellion over obedience, and that introduced evil into God’s good creation.

We still have that choice. As Moses challenged Israel:

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. … Oh, that you would choose life!” —Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT)

2. Evil Causes Suffering

Evil doesn’t stay contained. It spreads into every layer of life. In Luke 13, Jesus pointed out two kinds of suffering: one caused by human evil (Pilate’s violence) and the other by tragedy (a falling tower). Both were part of the broken world we live in.

If evil causes suffering, then love is what pushes it back. Love—freely chosen—is the foundation of moral good. It alleviates pain, offers hope, and reflects God’s character.

3. Jesus Is God’s Answer to Evil

God didn’t ignore evil. He stepped into it.

In Jesus, God entered the brokenness of this world and took the worst of evil upon Himself through the cross. And in His resurrection, He broke evil’s ultimate power—death.

“Death is swallowed up in victory… thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” —1 Corinthians 15:54, 57

We now live in the tension of the already and not yet. Evil still exists, but its days are numbered. Until then, Jesus calls His followers to be agents of hope and comfort.

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” —2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)

4. Good Can Come Out of Suffering

God never wastes our pain. He uses it to shape us.

“When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. … for when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” —James 1:2–3 (NLT)

Hardship deepens our character, strengthens our faith, and opens doors for love and compassion. Suffering is often the spark that ignites generosity and action.

“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” —1 John 3:18 (NIV)

God’s Plan: Jesus and His People
God is not absent from suffering. He responds to evil in two profound ways:
Through Jesus’ Death and Resurrection: He secures the ultimate victory. Revelation 21 promises a day when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.”
Through His People’s Compassion: He calls us to embody His love. Matthew 25 reminds us that when we care for the hungry, the sick, and the hurting, we are serving Jesus Himself.

God addresses the issue of evil through Jesus and His devoted followers. 

As citizens of God’s Kingdom (Colossians 3:17), we may not have all the answers, but we do possess a calling: to resist evil by doing good.

Your Challenge: Resist Evil by Doing Good

You don’t need to comprehend everything to make a difference.

This week, take a step:
Support a charity that addresses suffering—local shelters, food banks, or global disaster relief.
Offer help to someone in your life—deliver a meal, make a call, or lend a hand.
Spread hope by hosting a gathering, encouraging a friend, or volunteering in your community.

As we’ve explored throughout the Clarity series, our worldview profoundly influences our response. When we believe in God’s goodness, even in the face of suffering, we can live boldly, love deeply, and fight evil with hope.


Closing Prayer
Thank You, God, for the hope we have in Jesus’ victory over evil.
Grant us the strength to trust You when life becomes challenging.
Empower us, Holy Spirit, to reflect Your goodness by doing good in a world that is hurting.

If this post has stirred questions or you feel God’s nudging your heart, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to walk alongside you.

Let’s continue building a worldview shaped by God’s truth—one that helps us see clearly, love boldly, and live faithfully in a broken world.