What does the Bible say about the problem of Evil?

March 26th, 2026
by Vlad Sonnik

All of us have gone through difficulties, pain, suffering, injustice, and maybe even evil. During those hardships, we often ask why. Why has God allowed pain, suffering, discomfort, and evil to take place in our lives and in the world? The Bible gives us many reasons why God allows these things to happen and what His good purposes are in allowing them.

Key Truths: As we approach this difficult topic of the doctrine on the problem of evil, here are few key truths we must keep in mind:
1. God is in control (Matt. 10:29, Eccl. 7:13-14)
2. God is good (Psalms 145:9, 34:8)
3. God is trustworthy (Ps. 145:13, Prov. 3:5-6)

The Humble Attitude:
As we look to Scripture to see why God allows evil, we must approach this topic with a humble-heart attitude. God is not on trial in our courtrooms, and we are not the judges. God does not owe us an explanation. He is God, and we are not. He is in heaven, and we are on the earth. He is the Creator, and we are His creation. He is the Potter, and we are the clay. We dare not approach the problem of evil by questioning God as though He were to be judged or owed us answers. Even though God does not owe us an explanation, He has nevertheless revealed to us in Scripture multiple reasons of how evil serves His good purposes and brings Him greater glory.

Based on the teachings of scripture, here are some of the purposes why God allows for evil and what purposes God accomplishes through evil:

1. God allows suffering and afflictions so He can comfort us and be our Comforter (2 Cor. 1:3-7)

2. So that we would comfort others who are suffering (2 Cor. 1:4)

3. So that we would rely and set our hope on God and not on ourselves (2 Cor. 1:9-10)

4. To prepare us for “eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17)

5. So that we would long to be with the Lord in heaven (2 Cor. 5:2)

6. So that people would be led to repentance (2 Cor. 7:9-10)

7. To keep us humble (2 Cor. 12:7)

8. To display God’s strength and power through our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

9. To display His mercy (Phil. 2:27).

10. For Greater good (Romans 8:28)

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

11. To test out faith (1 Peter 1:6-7)

12. For God to be gloried (1 Peter 1:7)

13. For eternal good, so we come into his presence (Heb. 11:35-40)

14. To sanctify us, to change our character (Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-4)

15. To spread the gospel further (Acts 8:1, 4)

16. So that we would look to greater treasure (Phil. 1:20-26)

17. So that we can rejoice (James 1:2-4)

18. To restrain evil (Romans 13:1-5)

19. To punish the wicked or sins (Isa. 13:11)

20. To purify and sanctify the church (Acts 5:1-10)

21. So that people would fear God (Acts 5:11)

22. To display His love for us and that we belong to Him (Heb. 12:6)

23. To save/preserve His people (Gen. 50:20)

24. To draw us near to Himself (Psalm 23:4, 34:18)

25. To save sinners (Isa. 53:3-5)

Mystery:
The list above is not exhaustive. Those are only some of the purposes from scripture for why God allows evil, pain, and suffering to take place. However, God does not give us all the purposes for why evil exists and we will not understand which greater purposes God is trying to accomplish through particular evils. Some of God’s reasons and ways are hidden from us. We read in Isaiah 55:8-9,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

One theologian said that a god that can be fully understood ceases to be God. We cannot fully grasp an infinite Creator God with our finite created minds. It would be arrogant to even think that we could. So, when we fail to understand or see the good in a perceived evil, we are to trust in the goodness of God’s character. He is always good, in control, and can be trusted.

Gospel:
Lastly, I want to remind you, that God ordained the greatest, most horrific evil imaginable to bring about the greatest good. We read in Isaiah 53:3-5,

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

 Jesus endured that most difficult pain, suffering, and evil to bring about the highest, most amazing, most glorious good – salvation of sinners. The greatest evil, pain, and sufferings are not the ones we have endured, but the one Jesus endured on the cross. From that great evil, God accomplished the greatest good and received greater glory!

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Scripture to Memorize

"So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."
Romans 6:11-14

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