One of the scars of 9/11 is an ugly memory of evil …

It’s not uncommon for non-Christians to bemoan the lack of faith in the “basic goodness of humanity,” and occasionally you’ll see a Christian slip into supporting the myth that people are basically good.

They aren’t.

People are basically sinful, and evil is real. Some people, insist on learning that truth the hard way, such as the story of this couple, as reported by the Daily Wire:

A young American couple, Jay Austin and Lauren Geoghegan, 29, quit their jobs to take a year-long bike trip around the world. Sadly, the trip took a fatal turn on a route near the Afghan border where they were stabbed to death by alleged ISIS terrorists. The couple ignored warnings about the dangers of the region, claiming to believe that evil was a make-believe concept.

Earlier on their journey, while in Morocco, Austin wrote:

“You watch the news and you read the papers and you’re led to believe that the world is a big, scary place. People, the narrative goes, are not to be trusted. People are bad. People are evil. People are ax murderers and monsters and worse.

I don’t buy it. Evil is a make-believe concept we’ve invented to deal with the complexities of fellow humans holding values and beliefs and perspectives different than our own — it’s easier to dismiss an opinion as abhorrent than strive to understand it. Badness exists, sure, but even that’s quite rare. By and large, humans are kind. Self-interested sometimes, myopic sometimes, but kind. Generous and wonderful and kind. No greater revelation has come from our journey than this.”

This couple’s naive view of humanity and evil would lead them to their death.

Tragic, and unnecessary.

The Bible helps us understand a different reality. The idea of evil being pervasive in this world is not myth …

“We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one,” 1 John 5:19.

It isn’t that there’s an “occasional bad apple” out there, every human being is guilty of sin …

“As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is righteous — not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one,'” Romans 3:10-12.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard,” Romans 3:23.

It isn’t true that most people have good hearts …

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is,” Jeremiah 17:9.

“For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander,” Matthew 15:19.

And on days like today, September 11, we remember just what sinful hearts and evil can look like as we recall the tragic events of 9/11. The corruption of sin and pervasiveness of evil have shown itself from the time one brother murdered another (Cain killing Abel), to God regretting creating sinful human beings to the point of destroying all life except one family …

“The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, ‘I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.’ But Noah found favor with the Lord,” Genesis 6:5-8.

The answer to evil isn’t vengeance …

“Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good,” Romans 12:21.

And there’s nothing we can do of our own about sin. But God has already addressed these issues in a way that saves and transforms …

“But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil,” 1 John 3:8.

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation,” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

While God through Christ is transforming us from sinners into saints, evil still persists in this world. God has equipped us to navigate in such an environment …

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere,” Ephesians 6:10-18.

“But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one,” 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

Have you entered into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ so that you can be set free from slavery to sin and death? Have you put on the whole armor supplied to you by God that enables you to resist evil in this world?

Scotty