A dark night is rising around the world. It is being manifested in shocking and disturbing places and ways. It is deceiving many and victimizing many innocent people in its shadows.
This was a tragic week in Aurora, Colorado. We have just encountered another person who was determined to inflict violence and harm on people he did not know. His name is James Holmes, and he has personified evil in unexpected ways. He joins a list of other infamous people such as Jerry Sandusky, Adolf Hitler, Anders Behring Breivik (who killed 77 people in Norway recently), Joseph Stalin, Scott Petersen, Dr. Nadal Malik Hasan (the psychiatrist who murdered many in Fort Hood, Texas), Geoffrey Dahmer, the terrorists who took down the towers of the Word Trade Center, and countless others.
Such evil and violence, however, are nothing new in spite of the fact that we are living in very perilous times--an era in which lawlessness and evil will abound. David wrote, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers" (Psalm 37:1). He then goes on to show us how not to worry about these things: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so that thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:3-5).
I firmly believe that random acts of senseless violence are nothing in comparison to random acts of sensible kindness. The Bible says, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). Goodness and kindness always win over evil, stupidity, and violence.
We must, of course, walk circumspectly and redeem the time because the days are evil (See Galatians 5:15-16.).
What will enable us to withstand in the evil day? We must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We must put on the whole armor of God (See Ephesians 6:10-11.).
We must remember that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (human beings), but against "...principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).
I'm sure that James Holmes and these other men I've mentioned were not aware that they were under the influence of such dark forces of evil, but it is clear that they are and were. Deception is an evil force that is leading many astray. There is a dark night rising and, unless people realize that the answer to overcoming this darkness is the light of Jesus Christ, the night threatens to get darker and darker.
We must pray more diligently than ever before, for prayer truly changes things. Paul writes, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:18).
Let's distinguish the dark night of evil with the light of God's love. Remember, His love casts out all fear.
