Evil is paradoxical. It can snuff out a life in the blink of an eye, yet it challenges you to live life with your eyes wide open. It spurs you to greater consciousness. This is probably how the devil came to be called Lucifer. In classical mythology, Lucifer referred to the morning star (the planet Venus, actually), and was symbolized by a man carrying a torch. Thus, Lucifer was the lightbearer, the bringer of consciousness.
The devil is sometimes called “the adversary,” for evil is the adversary of life and love. And for this, it is rightly shunned. But evil is also “the adversary of taking things for granted.” Evil reminds you how quickly life and fortunes can shift. If you don’t play your cards right you can leave this earth early and empty-handed. If what you value couldn’t be taken away, would you value it as much? Evil can take anything away, be it material or spiritual. So it challenges you to clarify your values and priorities in life. You ask yourself, what is most important? What is worth defending? What is worth living and dying for?
It’s ironic that something which destroys life also pulls you into the game of life. Because there is evil, there is always something at stake. The reality of loss and death keeps you in the mix of life and challenges you to live on its forward edge. Learn, grow, and adapt, or get culled. Evil, like any predator, finds it more difficult to catch a moving object.
