Is There an Evil Presence in Your Life?
There are seasons in life when we sense, like a chilly wind slipping under the door, that an evil presence is near. It may not come with horns or pitchforks, but it wears a human face, sometimes one that was once familiar. It might be someone we grew up with, someone we loved, or someone who once stood close beside us. Yet beneath their charm lies something darker: a manipulative nature, an unforgiving heart, a taste for vengeance, and a chilling absence of empathy. They lie without shame, slander without hesitation, and delight in seeing wounds that never heal. Jorden Peterson mentioned that "You invite spirits to posses you when you dwell on your rage." Wether literaly or metaphoricaly, the end result is the same, an evil chill is there.
We try to distance ourselves, to build boundaries and reclaim peace, but their presence lingers like smoke in the air. Even after we shut the door, they plot behind it. Even when we walk away, their shadow seems to follow. And the question arises from somewhere deep inside: What can we do?
Psychologists tell us about that people with sociopathic traits are often masters of deception. They wear masks so convincingly that others see them as charming, trustworthy, even admirable. That thought is sobering. Evil does not always shout. It often whispers. And it rarely announces itself as evil.
The Bible is unflinchingly honest about such realities. It tells us that “Satan masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14) and warns us to be “sober-minded and watchful” because “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Evil’s most effective disguise is often righteousness itself. Like Judas among the disciples, those intent on harm can walk beside goodness and still betray it.
Throughout Scripture, faithful servants of God faced malicious people who schemed against them. David, hounded by Saul’s jealousy and betrayal, poured out his anguish in the Psalms:
“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who revolt against me. Deliver me from those who work evil and save me from bloodthirsty men.”
— Psalm 59:1–2
David did more than cry out — he entrusted his situation to God. That is the turning point in all such battles. Evil wants us consumed with fear and bitterness, but faith calls us higher. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” he writes elsewhere. “The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
The psychologist Carl Jung observed that “one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” To deal with evil, we must first recognise it for what it is. Denial is dangerous. Naming it, calling manipulation, vengeance is the first act of reclaiming power.
But recognition is not enough. The second act is release. We do not have to carry their darkness inside us. We do not have to let their malice define the boundaries of our lives. That is why forgiveness, though difficult, is not weakness but liberation.
Forgiveness does not mean reconciliation with someone who continues to harm. It does not mean pretending their evil does not exist. It means handing over the burden of vengeance to God — “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19) — and choosing not to let their hatred colonise our hearts.
There is, too, the quiet wisdom of common sense. Evil thrives in secrecy and silence. When we speak honestly to trusted people, seek counsel, and do not isolate ourselves, its power diminishes. Setting firm boundaries, seeking professional help if needed, and building a circle of genuine, loving people are not acts of fear but of faith.
We turn our gaze toward the One whose presence is stronger than any evil presence we may face. “The light shines in the darkness,” John writes, “and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Even in the shadow of betrayal or slander, there is a greater light — and in that light, no darkness can remain for long. The darkness may prowl and whisper, but it will not prevail. Not when you stand in the light.