The Lion of Evil

I recently read about the life of a Las Vegas casino manager, his family and friends during the 1970s and 80s. Learned much about Las Vegas’s gambling establishment and its drugs of that era.

The manager and his wife divorced when their son and daughter were young, and these children became fully exposed to Vegas during paternal visitations. The son’s exposure included having relations with prostitutes beginning at age 15, hanging out with pot-smoking athletes, rubbing shoulders with mobsters, and befriending the children of drug dealers. The son committed suicide in his 30s. Several of his friends and relatives also experienced abbreviated, heart-broken lives.

Why these tragedies?

The author blames Vegas and says that family members who succumed to Vegas’s evil side are not to blame, even though they “embraced” it. Author’s implication: Evil is irresistible and invincible.

Is this implication true? Is there personal responsibility to resist evil—at least not embrace it? If we resist, can we succeed? And if so, how? Consider the Bible’s answers.

Understand that evil constantly threatens us. “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But be encouraged; the enemy is not irresistible or invincible. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says God “will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear… He will also provide a way out....” The way out starts with avoiding the “path of evil men” (Proverbs 4:14-15) and is followed by seeking God’s guidance (Psalms 139:24).