OUR culture, as African, recognises the existence of evil creatures that lure men to commit acts of wickedness. We can feel the negative vibration of evil all around us with hitherto good friends suddenly becoming enemies. Spouses that pledged to love one another to the end, end up at divorce courts. Many times, what first seems like minor squabbles soon degenerate into the shedding of blood.  Our world is laden with evil. The forces of wickedness are on the prowl, looking for whom to devour. We see it everyday: from Lagos to Abuja, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, etc. It stares us right in the face.

There are people called enemies of progress, who see nothing good in others. These are people who don’t like to see others prosper. They abound all around us, in our homes, streets and churches, among others. Have you wondered why men exhibit so much wickedness in their daily activities? What is it that would make a wife poison her husband? Why would some people take it upon themselves to place bomb and other explosives in public places, such as churches and mosques, in order to snuff out innocent lives? Why on earth would men take up arms and terminate others’ lives, after dispossessing them of their valuables?

Jesus clearly makes it known to us that the evil ones are the rulers of the world that possess the hearts of men and cause them to perpetuate evil. Their leader is the devil and his mission is to steal, kill and destroy. The Bible lends credence to this fact starting from Genesis, when it recalled the creation of man and the part played by the devil that wanted to place himself in God’s position. That same devil, who was banished from heaven into the earth, is very much alive with us. Whenever there is evil, you can be sure that devil and his agents are at work.

Wickedness is an evil fruit that poisons the minds and hearts of men. It takes the genuine love of God’s spirit to surmount it. Most of the iniquities that we see around us are borne out of sheer wickedness. While it is true that man, as a fallen being is under the snare of the evil one, we are also very much alive to the fact that we must not make ourselves willing vessels of the devil. Is your heart full of evil thoughts? Are you battling with the urge to consciously commit wicked acts? Then, you must run to God for help. Demons can only thrive in your soul, if you create the right atmosphere for them to dwell.

This is why we must learn to study God’s word always and allow it to bear fruit in our lives. As Christians, Christ is our armour and shield. When you call upon Him, He will abide with you. The wicked will not go unpunished, the book of Job, says, “…No wicked people have been happy for long. They may grow great, towering into the sky, so great that their heads reach the clouds, but they will be blown away like dust”(Job 5:7). Have you not observed that most wicked people end up in tragic circumstances? Remember Charles Taylor and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, both of whom were recently convicted for war crimes and corruption. Listen to this: “What evil people swallow is like poison; it kills them like the bite of a deadly snake”(Job 20:16).