If God is good and all-powerful, why does evil exist? A compassionate philosophical response to humanity's most challenging question
✨ Problem of Evil & Suffering • PDF • Free Download
"If God is all-good, He would want to eliminate evil. If God is all-powerful, He could eliminate evil. Evil exists. Therefore, God doesn't exist."
This is the "problem of evil"—the most emotionally powerful objection to Christianity. It's not just an abstract philosophical puzzle. It's the cry of a parent watching their child suffer, the question of a victim of abuse, the protest of every person who has experienced unjust pain.
Christianity doesn't dodge this question. It faces it head-on with both philosophical answers and a God who entered our suffering personally through Jesus Christ.
Love requires freedom to choose. A world with genuine love requires the possibility of evil. God created humans with free will because forced love isn't real love. Much evil results from human choices, not God's design.
Evil entered through human sin (Genesis 3). The world wasn't created with suffering—it came through the Fall. Natural disasters, disease, and death are consequences of living in a broken world affected by sin.
Romans 8:28 promises God works ALL things for good. Suffering produces: character, compassion, dependence on God, eternal perspective. Gold is refined through fire; Christians are refined through trials. Joseph said to his brothers: 'You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good' (Genesis 50:20).
Theodicy = "justification of God" — systematic philosophical answers to why God permits evil
Core Argument:
God created humans with libertarian free will — the genuine ability to choose between good and evil without being causally determined. This was necessary for creating beings capable of authentic love, moral responsibility, and meaningful relationships.
Why Free Will Requires Evil's Possibility:
Plantinga's Key Insight:
Even an omnipotent God cannot do the logically impossible. Creating free creatures who are incapable of evil is like creating square circles — it's a logical contradiction, not a limitation on God's power.
What About Natural Evil (Earthquakes, Disease)?
Plantinga extends this to natural evil through the "transworld depravity" argument: in any possible world with free creatures, those creatures would sometimes choose evil. The Fall of humanity (Genesis 3) corrupted the entire created order, leading to natural disasters, death, and decay.
Scholar Support:
"Plantinga's free will defense has been widely regarded as successfully refuting the logical problem of evil."— William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview
Core Argument:
God's purpose isn't to create a "hedonistic paradise" where humans experience maximum pleasure. Rather, God is creating morally and spiritually mature beings — "soul-making." This requires a world where challenges, difficulties, and suffering exist.
Why Suffering is Necessary for Growth:
Biblical Support:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." — James 1:2-4
"We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." — Romans 5:3-4
The "Epistemic Distance" Concept:
Hick argues God maintains an "epistemic distance" — He doesn't make His existence overwhelmingly obvious — so humans can freely choose to seek Him. In a world where God's presence was undeniable, humans would comply out of fear or self-interest, not love.
Criticism and Response:
Critics ask: "Couldn't God achieve soul-making with less suffering?" Hick responds that we can't know whether less suffering would achieve the same depth of character development. Additionally, Christian eschatology promises that present suffering will be outweighed by future glory (Romans 8:18).
Core Argument:
God permits evil because He can bring greater goods out of it — goods that couldn't exist without the evil. This doesn't mean evil itself is good, but that God, in His wisdom and power, redeems evil for higher purposes.
Biblical Example: Joseph's Story
Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Yet he later said to his brothers:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."— Genesis 50:20
Examples of Greater Goods:
The Ultimate Example: The Cross
The crucifixion of Jesus was the greatest evil ever committed — the murder of God incarnate. Yet through this evil, God accomplished the greatest good: the salvation of humanity. If God can bring eternal redemption through history's worst evil, He can bring good from any evil.
"This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead..."— Acts 2:23-24
Core Argument:
For the world to be a place where free will can operate meaningfully, nature must operate according to consistent laws. These laws make science, planning, and moral action possible — but they also allow for natural disasters.
Why Consistent Natural Laws Are Necessary:
The Problem:
The same natural laws that make life possible can also cause harm. Gravity lets us walk, but also causes fatal falls. Fire cooks food, but also burns. Tectonic plates create fertile valleys, but also earthquakes.
What If God Constantly Intervened?
Imagine if God prevented every possible harm:
This wouldn't be a law-governed universe — it would be a magical, unpredictable chaos where free will and rational action become meaningless.
C.S. Lewis on Natural Law:
"We can, perhaps, conceive of a world in which God corrected the results of abuse of free will by His creatures at every moment... But such a world would be one in which wrong actions were impossible, and in which, therefore, freedom of the will would be void."— C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
Core Argument:
"Felix Culpa" (Latin for "happy fault") is the theological concept that Adam's sin, while tragic, enabled a greater display of God's attributes — particularly His mercy, grace, and redemptive love — than would have been possible in a sinless world.
How Evil Enables Greater Glory:
Biblical Support:
"But where sin increased, grace increased all the more."— Romans 5:20
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."— Romans 8:18
Aquinas on the Greater Good:
"God allows evils to happen in order to bring a greater good therefrom... As the Apostle says, 'where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.'"— Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica
Important Clarification:
This doesn't mean God caused evil, or that evil itself is good. Rather, God permits evil while ensuring that His ultimate purposes triumph. He doesn't merely overcome evil — He transforms it into something redemptive.
Academic responses to the logical and evidential problems of evil
The Atheist Argument (J.L. Mackie):
1. God is omnipotent (all-powerful)
2. God is omnibenevolent (all-good)
3. Evil exists
Conclusion: These cannot all be true simultaneously. Therefore, God doesn't exist.
Mackie's Additional Premises:
The Christian Response (Plantinga):
Mackie's argument commits a logical fallacy by assuming God's omnipotence means He can do the logically impossible. Plantinga demonstrates that these four statements CAN coexist:
1. God is omnipotent
2. God is all-good
3. Evil exists
4. God has morally sufficient reasons for permitting evil
Key Insight:
"It is possible that God, even being omnipotent, could not create a world with free creatures who never choose evil. Furthermore, it is possible that God, even being wholly good, would desire to create a world containing evil if moral goodness requires free will."— Alvin Plantinga, God, Freedom, and Evil
Philosophical Consensus:
Most philosophers now agree the logical problem of evil has been solved. Even atheist philosopher William Rowe concedes: "Some philosophers have contended that the existence of evil is logically inconsistent with the existence of the theistic God. No one, I think, has succeeded in establishing such an extravagant claim."
The Atheist Argument (William Rowe):
Even if God and evil can logically coexist, the amount and intensity of evil in the world provides strong evidence against God's existence. Rowe argues there exist instances of "gratuitous evil" — suffering that serves no greater purpose.
Rowe's Famous Example:
A fawn trapped in a forest fire, suffering for days before dying. What greater good could justify this suffering? The fawn has no free will to develop, no moral lessons to learn, no redemptive value in its pain.
The Skeptical Theist Response:
Christian philosophers respond with "skeptical theism" — we should be skeptical of our ability to discern whether God has sufficient reasons for permitting specific evils.
Specific Responses to Rowe's Fawn:
1. Ecological Impact: The fawn's suffering may prevent overpopulation, affecting entire ecosystems
2. Human Observers: Knowledge of such suffering might motivate humans toward compassion and environmental stewardship
3. Causal Chains: This event is part of a vast causal web we can't fully trace
4. Eschatological Resolution: Christian theology doesn't end at death — animals may experience restoration in the new creation (Romans 8:21-22)
William Lane Craig's Insight:
"We're simply not in a good position to say that God lacks sufficient reasons for permitting the suffering we observe. The fact that we can't think of such a reason doesn't mean there isn't one."— William Lane Craig, On Guard
The Unique Challenge:
Animals suffer disease, predation, and natural disasters, yet they have no free will (in the moral sense), commit no sins, and can't learn moral lessons. How does Christian theodicy account for this?
Christian Responses:
1. The Fall Affected All Creation
Romans 8:20-22 teaches that creation itself was "subjected to frustration" and "bondage to decay" as a result of human sin. Animal suffering entered the world through the Fall, not by God's original design.
"The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed... the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay."
2. Natural Law Theodicy Applies
For the natural world to function consistently — allowing both animals and humans to thrive — natural laws must operate predictably. This means predators hunt, disease spreads, and natural disasters occur.
3. Animal Consciousness May Differ
We don't know the subjective experience of animal suffering. While animals feel pain (a survival mechanism), they likely lack the self-awareness, future anxiety, and existential dread that amplifies human suffering.
4. Eschatological Hope for Animals
Isaiah 11:6-9 describes a future where "the wolf will live with the lamb" and "the lion will eat straw like the ox." Many theologians believe animals will be part of the new creation, with their suffering ultimately redeemed.
C.S. Lewis on Animals:
"The whole [animal] kingdom is to be understood as originating in, and [standing] or falling with, the character of Man... If we had never fell, the beasts would not now need to be falling."— C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
God didn't stay distant from suffering. Jesus entered our pain: betrayed, tortured, crucified. He knows suffering intimately. And through His death, God defeated evil and will one day eradicate it completely. Christianity doesn't just explain suffering—it offers hope through a Savior who conquered death.
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities" - Isaiah 53:5
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How Scripture addresses suffering and evil throughout history
The Story:
Job was "blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:1). Yet he lost his wealth, his children, and his health in rapid succession. His friends insisted he must have sinned. His wife told him to "curse God and die" (Job 2:9).
Job's Honest Questions:
"Why did I not perish at birth?" (Job 3:11)
"If I have sinned, what have I done to you, you who see everything we do?" (Job 7:20)
"Does it please you to oppress me?" (Job 10:3)
God's Response:
God doesn't give Job a philosophical explanation. Instead, He reveals His power, wisdom, and sovereignty through a series of questions:
"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" (Job 38:4)
"Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?" (Job 38:31)
"Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his?" (Job 40:9)
Job's Transformation:
Job's response isn't "now I understand the philosophical reasons for my suffering." Instead:
"My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."— Job 42:5-6
The Lesson:
Job doesn't receive intellectual answers, but something better: an encounter with the living God. When we see God's majesty, wisdom, and power, intellectual doubts often fade in the presence of overwhelming reality.
The Ending:
God restored Job's fortunes, giving him twice what he had before. But this isn't a promise that all suffering ends happily in this life — it's a picture of eschatological restoration. Every believer's story ends in resurrection and restoration.
What Are Lament Psalms?
Nearly 1/3 of the Psalms are laments — honest, raw prayers expressing pain, confusion, anger, and grief to God. Their presence in Scripture shows that God doesn't demand fake positivity or suppressed emotions.
Examples of Brutal Honesty:
Psalm 13:1-2
"How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?"
Psalm 22:1
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?"
(Jesus quoted this on the cross — Matthew 27:46)
Psalm 88:14
"Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?"
(Note: Psalm 88 is the only Psalm that doesn't end with hope — showing Scripture allows lament without resolution)
The Pattern of Lament:
Why This Matters:
The lament Psalms give Christians permission to be honest with God about their pain. You don't have to pretend everything is okay. Authentic relationship with God includes bringing your real emotions, not just polished prayers.
The Key Passage:
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:35, 37)
Paul's Perspective on Suffering:
What Romans 8:28 Does NOT Mean:
❌ It doesn't mean: "Everything that happens is good"
❌ It doesn't mean: "God causes evil"
❌ It doesn't mean: "You'll understand why it happened in this life"
What Romans 8:28 DOES Mean:
✓ It means: God can take evil events and redemptively work them toward good
✓ It means: No suffering is wasted — God uses it for our spiritual formation
✓ It means: Our story doesn't end with suffering — resurrection and restoration await
The Groaning Creation:
Romans 8:22 describes creation itself "groaning as in the pains of childbirth." This isn't pointless suffering — childbirth pain precedes new life. Similarly, present suffering precedes the "new creation" when God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).
How to respond to suffering in your own life and help others in pain
1. Be Honest with God
Don't pretend you're okay when you're not. The Psalms model radical honesty. God already knows your thoughts — He invites authentic relationship, not performance.
Prayer Example:
"God, I don't understand why this is happening. It hurts. I'm angry. I'm confused. I need You to help me because I can't do this alone. Please give me the strength to trust You even when I don't understand."
2. Remember God's Character
When circumstances are confusing, anchor yourself in God's unchanging attributes:
3. Don't Isolate
Suffering tempts us to withdraw, but isolation intensifies pain. Stay connected to Christian community. Let others pray for you, encourage you, and bear your burdens (Galatians 6:2).
4. Look for Ways God is Working
Not in a forced, "silver lining" way, but genuinely asking: Is this suffering producing perseverance? Deepening compassion? Increasing dependence on God? Refining faith?
5. Hold onto Future Hope
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."— 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
What NOT to Do:
❌ Don't give clichés: "Everything happens for a reason" or "God needed another angel" often do more harm than good
❌ Don't rush to explain: Job's friends tried to justify his suffering, making it worse
❌ Don't minimize pain: "It could be worse" or "At least..." dismisses their real suffering
❌ Don't assume sin: Jesus rejected the idea that all suffering results from personal sin (John 9:1-3)
❌ Don't make it about you: Your similar experience isn't what they need to hear right now
What TO Do:
✓ Be present: "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15)
✓ Listen more than speak: Job's friends were helpful when they sat silently with him for 7 days (Job 2:13)
✓ Validate their emotions: "I can't imagine how hard this is" acknowledges their pain
✓ Offer practical help: Cook meals, run errands, watch kids — tangible support speaks louder than words
✓ Pray with and for them: Ask what specific prayer requests they have
When to Speak and What to Say:
Long-Term Support:
Most people show up in the crisis but disappear after. The greatest need is often weeks or months later when the adrenaline fades and reality sets in. Continue checking in, praying, and offering support long after the initial tragedy.
Understand the Real Question:
When someone raises the problem of evil, they're often not asking for philosophical arguments. They may be expressing:
Start with Empathy, Not Apologetics:
Instead of: "Well, actually, Plantinga's free will defense shows..."
Try: "I can see why suffering makes belief in God difficult. What specifically has led you to this question?"
Ask Clarifying Questions:
Present Christianity's Unique Response:
Christianity vs Other Worldviews:
Point to Jesus:
Ultimately, the Christian answer isn't philosophical — it's a Person. Jesus suffered injustice, betrayal, torture, and death. He knows suffering intimately and offers:
Follow Up:
Offer resources (this document!), invite them to continue the conversation, and pray for them. Many conversions happen not through a single conversation but through sustained, compassionate engagement over time.
Real stories of faith through extreme suffering
Quadriplegic for 55+ years
Background:
At age 17, a diving accident left Joni paralyzed from the neck down. She spent months in deep depression, even contemplating suicide.
Testimony:
I can honestly say I'm glad for my wheelchair. It taught me total dependence on God. I would never have known the depth of God's love without going through this suffering.
Impact:
Founded Joni and Friends, a global ministry serving people with disabilities. Has painted over 1,000 paintings holding a brush between her teeth. Author of 50+ books.
God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.
Nazi concentration camp survivor
Background:
Corrie and her family hid Jews in their home during the Holocaust. Betrayed, she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where her sister Betsie died.
Testimony:
In the concentration camp, I saw the worst of evil. But I also experienced God's presence in a way I never had before. Betsie and I would pray with the other women, sharing the Gospel even in that hell.
Impact:
After the war, Corrie traveled to 60+ countries sharing about forgiveness and God's love. She even forgave one of her former camp guards who came to her for forgiveness.
There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.
Death of his wife
Background:
Lewis married Joy Davidman late in life. She died of cancer just four years later, plunging Lewis into grief.
Testimony:
In 'A Grief Observed,' Lewis wrestled honestly with doubts and anger at God. But he ultimately concluded: 'The time when there is nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God can't give it: you are like the drowning man who can't be helped because he clutches and grabs.'
Impact:
His raw honesty about grief helped countless Christians process loss without pretending. He demonstrated that doubt and faith can coexist.
God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.
Born without arms and legs
Background:
Nick was born with tetra-amelia syndrome. He attempted suicide at age 8 in a bathtub. 'I felt I had no purpose, that I was a burden to everyone.'
Testimony:
I realized that my life's purpose wasn't despite my disability, but because of it. God gave me this platform to demonstrate that true value isn't in what you can do, but in Whose you are.
Impact:
Founder of Life Without Limbs ministry. Spoken to 6+ million people in 57 countries. Married with four children.
If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then He will certainly use any willing heart!
Understanding different categories of suffering and their spiritual responses
Consequences of our own or others' sinful choices
Biblical Response:
Repentance, forgiveness, restoration
Scripture:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Examples:
Living in a fallen world with natural disasters and disease
Biblical Response:
Trust in God's sovereignty, compassion for victims
Scripture:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. (Romans 8:28)
Examples:
Oppression, violence, and systemic evil
Biblical Response:
Pursuit of justice, trust in ultimate judgment
Scripture:
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
Examples:
Death of loved ones and permanent loss
Biblical Response:
Lament, community support, resurrection hope
Scripture:
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
Examples:
Chronic pain, disability, and medical challenges
Biblical Response:
Prayer, medical care, endurance, trust
Scripture:
My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor 12:9)
Examples:
Suffering specifically for faith in Christ
Biblical Response:
Rejoicing in sharing Christ's sufferings
Scripture:
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. (1 Peter 4:14)
Examples:
How God uses suffering to refine, strengthen, and transform us
Suffering teaches us what prosperity never can
Scripture Foundation:
Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. (Psalm 119:67)
Living Example:
C.S. Lewis wrote after his wife's death: 'God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.'
Trials produce proven character
Scripture Foundation:
Tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope. (Romans 5:3-4)
Living Example:
James writes: 'Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.' (James 1:2-4)
We comfort others with the comfort we've received
Scripture Foundation:
Blessed be God...who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble. (2 Cor 1:3-4)
Living Example:
Joni Eareckson Tada, paralyzed at 17, has spent 50+ years ministering to those with disabilities, saying: 'God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.'
Tested faith is proven faith
Scripture Foundation:
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise. (1 Peter 1:7)
Living Example:
John Piper: 'God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him—especially in the midst of loss and suffering.'
Suffering shifts our hope from temporary to eternal
Scripture Foundation:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Cor 4:17)
Living Example:
Paul, after shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment: 'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.' (Phil 1:21)
We become overcomers by overcoming
Scripture Foundation:
He that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10:22)
Living Example:
Corrie ten Boom, after surviving Nazi concentration camps: 'There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.'
What to do when you or someone you love is suffering
Don't pretend. God can handle your anger, doubt, and questions. Read the Psalms—they're full of raw honesty.
Write down times God has been faithful. When you can't see His hand, trust His heart.
Don't isolate. Even if you can't pray, let others pray for you. Borrow their faith when yours is weak.
Continue spiritual disciplines even when they feel empty. Faith isn't feeling; it's obedience despite feeling.
You're not the first to struggle. God's Word contains the cries of His people and His faithful responses.
It's okay to cry out 'How long, O Lord?' God invites lament. One-third of Psalms are laments.
You don't need eloquent words. 'Help me, Jesus' is a complete prayer.
When you don't know what to say, pray God's Word. It's always appropriate.
Sometimes there are no words. God hears the groans too deep for words (Romans 8:26).
Ask faithful believers to intercede. Corporate prayer carries power.
Satan isolates. God uses community. Let people in, even when it's hard.
People want to help but don't know how. Tell them: 'I need meals Monday/Wednesday' not 'I'm fine.'
Receiving is a gift you give others. Let them serve you.
You need friends who can sit in silence, not those who offer trite answers.
Therapy, counseling, medical care—these are God's gifts too. Don't spiritualize away practical help.
Your pain isn't pointless. God will use it, even if you can't see how yet.
Your story will help someone else. You're being equipped to comfort others (2 Cor 1:4).
Weakness drives us to God. That's not failure—it's the point.
This light, momentary affliction is preparing eternal glory beyond comparison (2 Cor 4:17).
Gold is purified by fire. So is faith. You're becoming who God designed you to be.
God's promise of ultimate restoration and justice
The Christian answer to suffering doesn't end at the grave. The story isn't over. God promises complete restoration—not just spiritual, but physical, emotional, and cosmic.
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new."— Revelation 21:4-5 (KJV)
What will be restored:
Every wrong will be made right. Every hidden evil will be exposed. Every victim will be vindicated. Every perpetrator will face justice. God's righteousness guarantees it.
"God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." (Ecclesiastes 3:17)
"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:26)
Paul, who suffered immensely for Christ, had this perspective:
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."— Romans 8:18 (KJV)
The weight of glory will so far outweigh the weight of suffering that suffering will seem like a light, momentary affliction in comparison.
The problem of evil doesn't disprove God—it points us to the God who entered our suffering
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From Kyle Lauriano:
“This question nearly stopped me from believing entirely. I couldn't reconcile a good God with the suffering I saw around me. But then I realized something: without God, suffering has no meaning at all. At least Christianity offers a God who entered our suffering and promises to redeem it.”
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33 (KJV)