Matthew 2:19-20
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
Evil will not have its way forever. Herod died and Joseph was free to take the child Jesus and His mother back to Israel. The danger had passed.
We make two distinct mistakes in regard to evil in the world today. On the one hand we tend to minimize it. People are basically good, we say. We are even offended when Jesus says (to his disciples!), “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 17:11 – emphasis added). Jesus once told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16). But we would rather live in the illusion that evil is a distant thing, and that all we deal with on a daily basis is simply a difference of opinion, a lack of understanding, or anything other than an encounter with evil.
On the other hand, when confronted with evil, we too easily conclude that it is so powerful that it cannot be toppled. We cower too quickly in defeat. We strike out on the first pitch. We give in, because we overestimate the power we’re up against.
Make no mistake: evil is strongly pursued by Satan and his minions. There is a fierceness to evil’s ways. Herod killed the innocent baby boys in Bethlehem. He exerted his evil influence over many.
But Herod died, and his evil regime changed. A new ruler took his place. Evil will ultimately and always collapse under its own weight. On this 8th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, let’s remember that. Good will prevail. Lies will be exposed. Evil cannot long support itself. This calls, not for a laissez faire approach to evil, nor a cowering recoil from it, but for courage and strength of the truest kind.
When we rely on God’s word, follow His calling, and seek His kingdom we will be in a position to stand far off and watch the ultimate collapse of every evil empire. In the End God’s kingdom will remain. Every evil plan will fail; thankfully even those that take shape in our own hearts.
What will it mean for you to stand for God’s kingdom and against evil today?
A small gesture of remembrance.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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