‘Evil Prevails When The Good Do Nothing‘ – A famous quote by Edmund Burke but what does it actually mean? Read below to know the same.
The struggle between good and evil is frequently depicted in the Bible. Many Christian films, however, fall short of correctly capturing these stories as they are portrayed in God’s word. The Old Bible is full of accounts of gruesome conflicts and bloodshed between God’s people and those who wanted to see them destroyed. Jesus’ entry into the world to vanquish evil and death is depicted in the New Testament.
Although the adage “bad triumphs when the virtuous do nothing” is not specifically stated in the Bible, there are stories that support it. Edmund Burke is credited with saying “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for decent men to do nothing,” according to this quotation.
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Evil Prevails When The Good Do Nothing – References In Bible
Nehemiah Rebuilt The Walls
Even if you may not be familiar with the name Nehemiah, you have probably heard the well-known passage from Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”
The central character in Nehemiah’s story is a guy who is a servant to the king while being held captive in Babylon. Nehemiah is deeply saddened to learn that the walls of Jerusalem have been destroyed since it means that evil has won in his country.
Nehemiah approaches the king he is serving, driven by his ambition to complete the task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, and asks for his blessing.
Nehemiah asks the king for permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and the monarch gives him the authority and resources to do so. In just 52 days, Nehemiah miraculously completes the task of repairing the walls that had been in ruins for years after returning to his own land.
Nehemiah perseveres despite the mission’s difficulty and completes what many others believed to be an impossibility. Nehemiah put a stop to the wickedness that had ruled his country for years by taking action to solve the issue at hand.
Also see: How Old Was Timothy In The Bible?
Esther Saved The Jewish People
Verse 4:14 of the Book of Esther has one of the most well-known verses:
“You and your father’s family will perish if you don’t speak now; help and rescue for the Jews will come from another area. And who else but yourself understands that you attained your royal status at this particular moment?”
Esther 4:14 (NIV)
In this verse, Esther’s uncle Mordecai approaches her and informs her that she is in a special position to stop evil from triumphing since she is the queen.
Mordecai exhorts Esther to act and utilize her influence to avert the imminent destruction of the Jewish people. He explains to her that God had intended for her to utilize her position as a princess as part of a plan to use her power to bring about good change, not just by chance.
The evil Haman was able to convince the ruler of the nation to make an edict that would result in the death of all Jews on one day, regardless of their age or gender (Esther 3:13). Evil would have triumphed if Esther had been a spectator and taken no action.
Esther, however, chose the audacious course of action to approach the king and beg for compassion rather than sitting around.
While she knew that she may have been slain for approaching the king without being invited, Esther’s boldness involved a great deal of danger. Yet she was prepared to accept this chance in order to stop the terrible scheme and save her people.
Also see: What Does The Bible Say About Loved Ones Visiting Us?
David Killing Goliath
The Bible has a number of good vs evil stories, but David and Goliath are undoubtedly the most well-known. This timeless narrative is well known to everyone, even those who have never set foot inside a church.
Yet, the noble folk of Israel did nothing before David’s well-known battle with Goliath.
Goliath invaded the valley for forty days straight and challenged anybody with the courage to face him in battle. The Bible states that when the Israelites first saw Goliath, they all ran in terror and refused to face the fearsome monster.
“Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.”
1 Samuel 17:24 NIV
Also see: 7 Curses In The Bible – Break “Generational Curses”
Jesus On The Cross
Jesus was well aware that His purpose for coming to earth was to destroy the devil’s works, even if it required going through a torturous death on the cross. Jesus saw that the punishment for sin was death and that He had to offer the ideal sacrifice in order to atone for the sins of all humanity.
Even though it was not His chosen option, He had to take on the role of the clean offering in order to destroy evil.
Before going to the cross, this is what Jesus said:
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Luke 22:42 NLT
To fight evil, we must force ourselves to do things we don’t want to. It will be difficult, and we will need bravery and strength to do it. It normally doesn’t benefit us when we stand up against evil, but it undoubtedly helps others around us and those who will follow in our footsteps.
Also see: How Long Is A Generation In The Bible?
Conclusion
The phrase “evil prevails when the good do nothing” serves as a warning that failure to act against evil might cause it to flourish. The Bible is replete with instances of people acting bravely and bravely to stop evil from triumphing. David faced Goliath, Esther put her life in danger to save her people, and Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.
These tales tell us that we must be prepared to confront evil if we are to stop it from succeeding. Jesus did the same thing when He gave His life on the cross to vanquish evil and save mankind. It is up to every one of us to follow these people’s lead and take action to stop evil from dominating our planet.
