Why Does Evil Seem to Win, and Where Is Justice?
Imagine living in a world where the law seems powerless—like it’s frozen or asleep. You look around and see that wrongdoers outnumber those who try to do right. Even the courts, which are supposed to be the place for fairness and protection, are twisted. Instead of justice, you find that the system is upside down: innocent people are treated unfairly, and those who break the rules get away with it.
This is what the prophet Habakkuk complained about a long time ago. He looked at his society and saw the law paralyzed, justice warped, and evil running wild. People saw that nothing bad happened to those who did wrong, so they figured, “Why not join in? There’s no punishment.” Sin, or doing wrong, spreads just like a contagious disease. The more people let it slide, the worse it gets. Even judges—the ones meant to keep order and fairness—fall into the trap. Soon, it feels like everyone is caught in the same mess.
Habakkuk wasn’t the only one to feel this way. Other writers in the Bible, like the Psalmist and Solomon, wondered about the same thing: why do wicked people seem to get richer and live easier lives, while honest people struggle? Solomon said that because justice isn’t quick, people get even bolder in doing wrong.
This isn’t just about ancient times. Even today, you might see people cheat or lie and get ahead, while those who try to do the right thing are ignored or pushed aside. When you see this over and over, you might ask, “What’s the point of being good? No one else seems to care.”
Habakkuk said the law was “chilled,” meaning people’s hearts lost their fire for what’s right. When caring and love for good disappear, the justice system stops working properly. It’s like trying to shoot an arrow with a limp bow—people mean well, but they never follow through. The will to do right gets weaker and weaker, while evil grows stronger and sets traps for the few who still try to be good.
Even when someone tries to speak out or pray for change, it can feel like nothing happens, as if God isn’t listening. Why, Habakkuk asks, does God seem to allow this to continue? Why does it feel like God is silent while injustice spreads?
But the message doesn’t end with despair. God responds, saying that although it seems slow to us, judgment and justice will come. Evil won’t win forever. While some may get comfortable, thinking, “Nothing bad will happen to me,” justice arrives when they least expect it.
In simple terms, Habakkuk 1:4 is about living in times when everything seems unfair and upside down. It’s a cry from someone who wants to know why God lets bad things happen, and why goodness seems to be losing. The answer isn’t easy, but it’s clear that waiting for real justice can take time. In the end, the message is: don’t lose hope or give up doing what’s right, even when it seems pointless. Justice may be slow, but it’s never forgotten. And when it comes, it comes at the right time—often unexpectedly.
So if you ever feel like the world is too unfair, and that it doesn’t pay to be good, remember you’re not alone. People have struggled with these questions for centuries. The challenge is to keep faith, keep doing what’s right, and trust that, even if we can’t see it now, justice will have its day.
Minister A Francine Green
September 2025
afrancinegreen.com 