Evil people are not a modern invention, and the Bible does not pretend otherwise.
From Cain to Pharaoh to Haman to Herod, Scripture records the existence of people who deliberately chose to do harm, who organized their lives around destruction, who opposed the purposes of God and the well-being of others, and who were not simply confused or struggling but actively malicious.
The Bible’s approach to evil people is neither naive nor paranoid.
It names what they are, describes how they operate, tells the person of faith how to respond, and declares with complete confidence what their ultimate end will be.
Understanding what Scripture says about evil people is not about developing suspicion toward everyone.
It is about having the clarity to recognize real evil when it appears, the wisdom to respond rightly, and the theological confidence that God is neither blind to what the wicked do nor indifferent to how it ends.
How Scripture Describes the Nature of Evil People
1. The Fool Says in His Heart There Is No God
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.” — ESV, Psalm 14:1
Practical atheism, living as though God does not see or judge, is the foundation of the wicked person’s operating system.
The corruption and the abominable deeds flow from that foundational denial.
2. Their Throats Are Open Graves
“Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips.” — ESV, Romans 3:13
Paul quoted the psalmist’s description of the wicked to describe what humanity looks like without God’s restraining grace.
The mouth of the evil person is a place of death, deception, and poison.
3. They Plot Evil on Their Beds
“He plots trouble on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.” — ESV, Psalm 36:4
Evil people are not passive. They are planners.
Their rest is spent preparing what their waking hours will execute.
4. They Take Pleasure in Evil
“Rejoicing in doing evil and delighting in the perverseness of evil.” — ESV, Proverbs 2:14
The wicked do not merely stumble into harm. They enjoy it.
This is the distinction between the person who sins under pressure and the person who has chosen evil as their orientation.
5. They Speak Lies From Birth
“The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.” — ESV, Psalm 58:3
Deception is so deeply embedded in the wicked person’s character that the psalmist describes it as present from birth.
It is not a phase or a pattern. It is the person.
What Evil People Do and How They Operate
6. They Oppress the Poor and Vulnerable
“For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” — ESV, Psalm 22:24
The evil person targets the vulnerable because the vulnerable cannot fight back.
God’s attention to the afflicted is the specific reversal of what the wicked intend.
7. They Set Traps for the Innocent
“The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives.” — NIV, Psalm 37:32
Evil people do not announce themselves. They position themselves strategically.
The trap is set before the innocent person knows there is a trap.
8. They Use Their Power to Harm Others
“Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand.” — ESV, Micah 2:1
The availability of power does not change a good person into an evil one.
It reveals who the person already was by giving them the means to act on what they were already planning.
9. They Persecute the Righteous
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” — ESV, 2 Timothy 3:12
The consistent pattern in Scripture is that godly living attracts opposition from those who are not.
The evil person does not tolerate the presence of genuine righteousness without reaction.
10. Their Words Are Smooth but Their Hearts Are Weapons
“His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.” — ESV, Psalm 55:21
The most dangerous evil people are not the obviously aggressive ones.
They are the smooth-talking ones whose weapons are hidden beneath pleasant surfaces.
What God Sees and What God Will Do
11. God Sees What the Wicked Do in Secret
“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, the LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.'” — ESV, Ezekiel 8:12
The evil person’s confidence in darkness is based on a false assumption.
God sees what happens in every dark room and on every private screen.
12. Vengeance Belongs to God, Not to You
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'” — ESV, Romans 12:19
The person of faith is not called to punish the wicked.
They are called to release the matter to the one who judges with perfect justice.
13. The Wicked Will Not Go Unpunished
“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son.” — ESV, Ezekiel 18:20
Every evil person will ultimately face the consequences of their choices.
The accounting is personal and the outcome is certain.
14. The Day of the Wicked Is Coming
“The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.” — ESV, Psalm 37:12–13
God’s response to the wicked plotting against his people is not alarm.
He sees the day coming, and he responds with confidence rather than anxiety.
15. They Will Wither Like the Grass
“For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” — ESV, Psalm 37:2
The prosperity and the power of the wicked is temporary.
What looks permanent is already in the process of fading.
How the Person of Faith Should Respond to Evil People
16. Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!” — ESV, Psalm 37:1
The command not to fret is a command to stop directing your energy at what the wicked are doing.
Fretting accomplishes nothing and costs the person doing it the peace they need.
17. Do Not Be Overcome by Evil
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” — ESV, Romans 12:21
The evil person wants to change who you are by what they do to you.
Overcoming evil with good means refusing to let their actions determine your character.
18. Stay Far From Evil
“Depart from evil, and do good; so shall you dwell forever.” — ESV, Psalm 37:27
One of the clearest responses to the presence of evil people is not to imitate their methods.
Departing from evil while continuing to do good is itself a form of resistance.
19. Be Shrewd as Serpents
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” — ESV, Matthew 10:16
Jesus did not tell his disciples to pretend wolves were not present.
He told them to be wise about the wolves while maintaining their own character.
20. Pray for Those Who Persecute You
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” — ESV, Matthew 5:44
This is the most difficult and most countercultural instruction in this entire collection.
The command to pray for persecutors does not minimize the harm they cause. It redirects the response.
The Ultimate End of Evil and the Security of the Righteous
21. The Righteous Will See the Fall of the Wicked
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.” — ESV, Psalm 138:7
God preserves the person walking through the middle of what evil people have arranged against them.
The deliverance is not always immediate. It is always certain.
22. No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” — NKJV, Isaiah 54:17
This is not a promise that weapons will not be aimed.
It is a promise that none of them will succeed against the person covered by this covenant.
23. The Wicked Will Not Stand in the Judgment
“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” — ESV, Psalm 1:5–6
The two ways end in two different places.
The wicked will not stand. The righteous will. God knows the difference, and he knows which way is which.
What People Ask About Evil People in the Bible
What does the Bible say about dealing with evil people?
Romans 12:17–19 instructs not to repay evil for evil and to leave vengeance to God. Matthew 10:16 calls for wisdom about those who intend harm. Psalm 37:1 commands against fretting over evildoers. The consistent biblical response is to avoid imitation, exercise discernment, refuse retaliation, and trust God’s justice.
Is it a sin to call someone evil?
Not when the assessment is accurate, and the language is not motivated by personal hatred. Jesus called the Pharisees a brood of vipers. John called Herod wicked. Paul named specific individuals as harmful to the community. The distinction is between accurate moral assessment and the kind of judgment that assigns eternal destinies.
How does the Bible say evil people will be punished?
Psalm 37:2 says they will wither like grass. Psalm 1:6 says their way will perish. Romans 12:19 says God will repay. Revelation 20:12–15 describes the final judgment where the wicked face the consequences of their works. Scripture consistently presents the punishment as certain, just, and in God’s hands rather than human ones.
Should Christians avoid evil people entirely?
Not necessarily. Jesus ate with sinners and spent time with people of morally questionable character. First Corinthians 5:9–10 clarifies that Paul’s instruction to avoid immoral people referred to those within the church claiming to be believers, not all people in the world. Wisdom is needed about proximity and exposure, not blanket avoidance.
What does the Bible say about praying for evil people?
Matthew 5:44 commands loving enemies and praying for persecutors. Romans 12:20 instructs giving food and water to an enemy. Acts 7:60 records Stephen praying for those who were stoning him. The biblical instruction is clear: prayer for those who do evil is commanded even when it feels impossible and unreasonable.
A Prayer of Trust When Evil People Have Caused Real Harm: Father, I Bring the Evil That Has Been Done Against Me and Lay It at Your Feet
Lord, I have been on the receiving end of something that I cannot call anything other than what it is: evil.
Not a misunderstanding.
Not a poor decision by someone who was having a bad day.
Something planned, something targeted, something that caused real damage to real things I valued.
I bring all of it to you.
Not because I am pretending it did not happen.
But because you said vengeance is yours, and I am choosing to believe that rather than take matters into my own hands.
You see what happened in the dark places where it was arranged.
You know every detail that I do not know.
You are the God who laughs at the wicked because you see their day coming.
So I release what was done to me into your hands.
And I ask for the thing that is hardest to ask for: give me the grace to pray for the person who caused this harm.
Not because they deserve it.
Because Jesus commanded it and because you are the God who redeems even what was meant for evil.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
