  WHY EVIL IS IN THE WORLD The devil's desperate hope. No better illustration of the mission of the devil on the earth can be found than the story of the temptation of Jesus. You remember, that, when Jesus was grown to manhood He went to the river Jordan and was baptized by John. "Then," we are told, "was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered." This was a very important and a critical moment in the history of the world. Jesus was about to begin the splendid ministry which was to culminate in His death on the cross for the redemption of the world. If He should succeed in His mission, the power of evil would be broken, and it would become possible for man to return to the presence of God. Of course, Satan was much disturbed at such a thought. He had gained such power on the earth that he had come to be called the prince of this world. It angered him to think that he might lose that power. In desperation, he determined to try his strength with Jesus. If he could but bring about the downfall of the Son of God, God's plan would certainly be thwarted, and Satan might hope utterly to possess the earth. It was a wicked ambition; but it was in fulfillment of his mission among men. So Satan set about to tempt even the Only Begotten of the Father. The temptation of Jesus. "And when the tempter came to Him (Jesus), he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He (Jesus) answered and The application. This impressive story of the strength and ultimate victory of innocence and purity is full of significance. In the performing of his mission of evil, Satan never stops with one kind of temptation alone. He attacks man at every point where weakness may lie. First he appealed to the appetites of the flesh. But though Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights, and was hungry, yet He resisted the evil suggestion of the tempter. Then Satan appealed to the love of glory and the praise of men. But Jesus was content to wait, knowing that the glory and praise which would come to Him, from Guard against suggestions of the devil. You may readily understand, that because of His own experience, Jesus appreciated fully the tempting power of the devil. In the parable of the sower, you remember, Jesus urges men to guard against the suggestions of the devil. It is because of the hearkening to those suggestions that so much of the seed fails to bear fruit. And not only do those suggestions withhold men from good deeds, but they inspire evil thoughts and draw men into sin. There are in history many examples of this truth; but there is none more shocking than the example of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Christ to His enemies. "When He (Jesus) had dipped the sop," we read in the Gospel of St. John, "He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him) Satan entered into him." Judas had not the strength to resist the suggestions of the devil, and thus brought condemnation upon himself. Why there is evil. But you are still wondering why there is evil in the world. Why should even Jesus, the Christ, be subjected to temptation by the devil? Let us consider the source of our love and adoration of Jesus. If God had made it no trial The trial of man. In just the same way, evil is put before man to tempt him, that he too may show his worthiness or unworthiness. We admire the boy who has the The trial of courage and the will-power to say No to the suggestion of evil. We recognize in him strength of character. We see in him a pillar of strength for the future. We are likely to despise the boy who always yields to temptation, who allows his character to be broken down by evil, and who finally becomes a slave to Satan. Such a boy is a weakling; he will be of little or of no service to the world. A state of probation. With these facts in mind, it is easy to understand the words of Jesus in the Spirit world. At the great council of the spirits—about which we have already learned—Jesus said to those around Him, "We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these (spirits) may The free agency of man. Here of course lies the secret of the matter. God has endowed us with free agency. He does not try to force us to be good, but we may do good or evil as we ourselves please. And as we gain strength to overcome evil, we grow in character and in power, and become more nearly worthy to return to the presence of God. It was partly because he wanted to destroy the God-given free agency of man, that Lucifer was cast out of heaven. Only the person who sturdily and persistently resists temptation retains his free agency. He who yields to temptation becomes soon a servant to the devil, and loses the free agency with which God endowed him. Through overcoming temptation and evil Jesus triumphed over the devil and redeemed the world. Through overcoming temptation and evil, man, too, may triumph over the devil, and have glory added upon his head for ever and ever. "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given unto them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil."
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