Establish my footsteps in Your Word ~ Psalm 119:133

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.

This quote is widely attributed to the Irish philosopher Edmund Burke. The sentiment sounds pithy enough on the surface, however there is no evidence that Burke ever made such a statement. But that hasn’t stopped countless Christians from misusing this saying to rebuke or even bully their brothers and sisters for perceived inaction on a given issue. Although they might be well-intentioned, people aren’t exactly advancing their cause by misattributing and misapplying this illogical statement.

To begin with, “only” is an exclusive concept. Saying “the only thing necessary” ignores the fact that evil marches forward because people are by nature evil. They think evil thoughts, they say evil things, they do evil deeds. The Bible says that “men love darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). And so evil persists, not because a subset of humanity appears to be doing nothing, but because men love the cancerous contagion of darkness.

Secondly, “nothing” is also exclusive. It literally means, “not a single thing”.  However, the majority of Christians are not just sitting around doing nothing. Pastors and church leaders labor tirelessly to lead churches. Missionaries are being mobilized all over the globe. Solid Christian books and materials are made readily available to anyone who wants them. Christians everywhere engage in Bible studies, local ministries, volunteerism, benevolence and witnessing. They help at crisis pregnancy centers, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, addiction facilities, nursing homes, etc. It’s not logical or intellectually honest to say that good men are doing nothing.

Lastly, evil may appear to be speeding down the tracks like a runaway locomotive, but it cannot and will not ultimately triumph. Eventually, this train will be permanently derailed in epic fashion by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He needs no assistance from anyone to gain victory over evil. He permits us to be participants in the process, but any effort or lack thereof on our part will neither enhance nor impede His sovereign will.