The Occurrence of Evil Practices in Today’s World: Causes and Remedies from the Bible and Church Fathers

In our modern era, many people engage in actions that violate the moral and spiritual principles of God’s laws. From selfish ambition and materialism to the disregard for sacred traditions and the normalization of harmful behaviors, society increasingly reflects a departure from spiritual values. Why, today, do so many incline toward what is harmful or unholy? More importantly, what remedies do the Bible and the Church Fathers provide for addressing this loss of righteousness? By examining the causes of these trends and drawing on ancient Christian teachings, we can rediscover how to live in faith and virtue. 

Causes for Turning Away from God’s Laws

1.  Loss of Faith and Disconnection from God

A primary cause of widespread sinful practices is the decline in faith and personal connection with God. As spiritual distance grows, people's moral compass often diminishes. St. Paul warns of the consequences of rejecting God, describing how those who turn away fall into various sins as their hearts become darkened:

“እግዚአብሔርን ለማወቅ ባልወደዱት መጠን እግዚአብሔር የማይገባውን ያደርጉ ዘንድ ለማይረባ አእምሮ አሳልፎ ሰጣቸው፤

ዓመፃ ሁሉ፥ ግፍ፥ መመኘት፥ ክፋት ሞላባቸው፤ ቅናትን፥ ነፍስ መግደልን፥ ክርክርን፥ ተንኰልን፥ ክፉ ጠባይን ተሞሉ፤ የሚያሾከሹኩ፥ሐሜተኞች፥ አምላክን የሚጠሉ፥ የሚያንገላቱ፥ ትዕቢተኞች፥ ትምክህተኞች፥ ክፋትን የሚፈላለጉ፥ ለወላጆቻቸው የማይታዘዙ፥የማያስተውሉ፥ ውል የሚያፈርሱ፥ ፍቅር የሌላቸው፥ ምሕረት ያጡ ናቸው፤እንደነዚህ ለሚያደርጉት ሞት ይገባቸዋል የሚለውን የእግዚአብሔርን ሕግ እያወቁ እነዚህን ከሚያደርጉ ጋር ይስማማሉ እንጂ አድራጊዎች ብቻ አይደሉም።” (Romans 1:28–32)

Likewise, St. John Chrysostom teaches that without reverence for God, people become focused on worldly pleasures, fame, and power. This detachment from God leads them to seek fulfillment in things that ultimately cannot satisfy the soul’s deeper needs. (On Ephesians, Homily 12)

2. Influence of Secularism and Materialism

In today’s world, the search for material success, personal achievement, and independence is often prioritized over spiritual growth. In 1 John 2:15-17, believers are warned not to "love the world or the things in the world":

“ዓለምን ወይም በዓለም ያሉትን አትውደዱ፤ በዓለም ያለው ሁሉ እርሱም የሥጋ ምኞትና የዓይን አምሮት ስለ ገንዘብም መመካት ከዓለም ስለ ሆነ እንጂ ከአባት ስላልሆነ፥ ማንም ዓለምን ቢወድ የአባት ፍቅር በእርሱ ውስጥ የለም። ዓለሙም ምኞቱም ያልፋሉ፤ የእግዚአብሔርን ፈቃድ የሚያደርግ ግን ለዘላለም ይኖራል።”

The persistent search for wealth, status, and sensory pleasure can distract individuals from the higher calling of holiness. The Desert Fathers, notably St. Anthony the Great, taught that attachment to material possessions binds the soul, hindering the pursuit of virtues like humility, charity, and patience (The Life of St. Anthony by St. Athanasius). This materialistic mindset shifts the focus from a journey toward God to one centered on personal gain and worldly success.

3. Weakness of the Flesh and Spiritual Ignorance

Human beings are inherently vulnerable to temptation. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus reminds His disciples, " Watch and pray; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak,"  “ወደ ፈተና እንዳትገቡ ትጉና ጸልዩ፤ መንፈስስ ተዘጋጅታለች ሥጋ ግን ደካማ ነው,” indicating the constant tension between spiritual desires and bodily feelings. Many lack the spiritual awareness or discipline necessary to resist these feelings, which often lead to sinful choices. St. Augustine emphasizes the danger of ignorance (lack of knowledge) in spiritual matters. In his Confessions, he writes, “I was not aware that my soul’s weakness was bound up with a lack of knowledge, and so I was ignorant of the true strength that could only be found in God’s wisdom" (Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 12). Without knowledge of God’s commandments or the practice of self-discipline, individuals are easily led into sin, guided more by their impulses than by divine teachings.

4. Satanic Influence and Deception (ማታለል)

Both the Bible and the Church Fathers recognize that Satan actively works to lead people away from God’s path. In 1 Peter 5:8, Satan is described as a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour," “በመጠን ኑሩ ንቁም፥ ባላጋራችሁ ዲያብሎስ የሚውጠውን ፈልጎ እንደሚያገሣ አንበሳ ይዞራልና፤," emphasizing the active danger of his temptations. St. Athanasius, in his writings, warns that Satan exploits human weaknesses to deceive (ለማታለል) and lead individuals into sin. St. Athanasius stresses the importance of spiritual caution, as the enemy thrives in confusion, doubt, and despair (St. Athanasius, Letters to Serapion). Without strong faith and discernment, individuals are vulnerable to being led off track.

Remedies from the Bible and the Church Fathers

In response to spiritual challenges, both the Bible and the writings of the Church Fathers offer a wealth of guidance to help believers struggle with sin and cultivate lives of holiness. Here are some time-honored solutions:

1. Repentance and Confession (ንስሐ መግባት እና መጸጸት)

The first and most essential step in overcoming sin is sincere repentance (ከልብ የመነጨ ንስሐ). Jesus teaches in Luke 15:7 that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents," “እላችኋለሁ፥ እንዲሁ ንስሐ ከማያስፈልጋቸው ከዘጠና ዘጠኝ ጻድቃን ይልቅ ንስሐ በሚገባ በአንድ ኃጢአተኛ በሰማይ ደስታ ይሆናል።” Repentance allows individuals to acknowledge their wrongs, seek forgiveness, and return to God. St. John Climacus, in The Ladder of Divine Ascent, emphasizes that confession and repentance purify the soul, restoring it to a state of grace. This humility before God not only cleanses past sins but also strengthens the believer, enabling them to resist future temptations. As St. John  Climacus writes, “Repentance is the gate through which we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 28).

2. Cultivating a Life of Prayer and Fasting

Prayer and fasting are vital tools for strengthening the spirit and overcoming the weaknesses of the flesh. Jesus Himself taught that certain temptations can only be overcome through “prayer and fasting” “ይህ ዓይነት ግን ከጸሎትና ከጦም በቀር አይወጣም አላቸው።” (Matthew 17:21). Prayer connects believers directly to God, inviting His guidance and support, while fasting disciplines the body, helping to reduce the control of earthly desires. The Desert Fathers, in particular, placed great emphasis on these practices. St. Isaac the Syrian teaches that fasting humbles the soul, making it more receptive to the Holy Spirit’s influence. He writes, "Fasting is the mother of purity and the seed of virtue" (Ascetical Homilies, Homily 21). Together, prayer and fasting strengthen the soul, enabling believers to resist the forces of sin.

3.     Living a Life of Love and Compassion

Jesus commanded His followers to “love one another.” “እርስ በርሳችሁ ትዋደዱ ዘንድ፥ እንደ ወደድኋችሁ እናንተ ደግሞ እርስ በርሳችሁ ትዋደዱ ዘንድ አዲስ ትእዛዝ እሰጣችኋለሁ።” (John 13:34). This commandment lies at the heart of Christian ethics, as love serves as the foundation of all virtue. True love prevents individuals from acting selfishly or harmfully, encouraging them instead to fulfill God’s commandments through humility and service to others.

St. Basil the Great regarded love as the highest virtue, describing it as the fulfillment of all laws and the source of all good deeds (The Long Rules, Question 3). Similarly, St. John Chrysostom emphasized the transformative power of love, teaching that “nothing will so benefit to unite us with God and to conform us to Him, as love” (Homily 32 on 1 Corinthians). Through selfless love and compassion, believers can overcome the temptations of pride, greed, and anger, finding instead the peace and joy that come from aligning their hearts with God’s will.

4. Regular Participation in the Sacraments and Church Services

The sacraments, especially the Eucharist (ቅዱስ ቁርባን), are vital sources of divine grace that strengthen believers against sin. Jesus declared, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life” “ሥጋዬን የሚበላ ደሜንም የሚጠጣ የዘላለም ሕይወት አለው፥ እኔም በመጨረሻው ቀን አስነሣዋለሁ። ሥጋዬ እውነተኛ መብል ደሜም እውነተኛ መጠጥ ነውና። ሥጋዬን የሚበላ ደሜንም የሚጠጣ በእኔ ይኖራል እኔም በእርሱ እኖራለሁ። ሕያው አብ እንደ ላከኝ እኔም ከአብ የተነሣ ሕያው እንደምሆን፥ እንዲሁ የሚበላኝ ደግሞ ከእኔ የተነሣ ሕያው ይሆናል።ከሰማይ የወረደ እንጀራ ይህ ነው፤ አባቶቻችሁ መና በልተው እንደ ሞቱ አይደለም፤ ይህን እንጀራ የሚበላ ለዘላለም ይኖራል፡፡”( (John 6:54–58), emphasizing the life-giving and transformative power of the Eucharist. St. Cyril of Jerusalem taught that the Eucharist is "the bread of life," nourishing the soul and granting eternal union with Christ (Catechetical Lectures, Lecture 22. Mystagogic 4). This divine meal supports the faithful against sin, granting strength to overcome spiritual struggles. Additionally, St. John Chrysostom explained that regular participation in the Eucharist binds believers to Christ, saying, “When you see [the Eucharist], say to yourself, ‘Because of this Body, I am no longer earth and ashes, no longer a prisoner, but free.’” (Homilies on 1 Corinthians, Homily 24). Regular participation in the sacraments and Church services keeps the soul united with Christ and the Church, enabling spiritual growth and offering divine protection from the destructive influences of sin.

5. Studying Scripture and the Teachings of the Church Fathers

Knowledge of God’s Word and the wisdom of the early Church Fathers serve as powerful defenses against dishonesty and moral confusion. St. Paul advises Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” “የእግዚአብሔር ሰው ፍጹምና ለበጎ ሥራ ሁሉ የተዘጋጀ ይሆን ዘንድ፥ የእግዚአብሔር መንፈስ ያለበት መጽሐፍ ሁሉ ለትምህርትና ለተግሣጽ ልብንም ለማቅናት በጽድቅም ላለው ምክር ደግሞ ይጠቅማል።” (2 Timothy 3:16), underlining the importance of studying spiritual texts.

St. John Chrysostom strongly encouraged Christians to study Scripture daily, stating, "Great is the profit of the Scriptures, and all-sufficient is the aid which comes from them" (Homilies on 2 Timothy, Homily 9). He taught that Scripture not only reminds believers of God’s commandments but also inspires them to live virtuously (በበጎ ስነ ምግባር).

Furthermore, St. Athanasius of Alexandria highlighted the transformative power of Scripture, saying, "These books are fountains of salvation, that they may quench the thirst of all peoples" (Festal Letter 39). The writings of the Church Fathers magnify the wisdom of Scripture, providing timeless insights for navigating spiritual and practical challenges. Together, these teachings guide believers in cultivating faith and virtue.

Conclusion

The occurrence of sin and evil in today’s world reflects a profound spiritual crisis rooted in a loss of faith, attachment to materialism, weakness of the flesh, and the influence of Satan. However, the Bible and the teachings of the Church Fathers offer effective paths for renewal. Through repentance, prayer, love, sacramental and Church services participation, and scriptural study, believers can restore their connection with God, gain strength against temptation, and shine as inspirations of divine light in a world often overshadowed by darkness. These spiritual practices not only transform individual lives but also inspire others to seek a faith-centered existence of hope and love, as modeled by Christ Himself.