I have struggled with staying as vibrant and close to God as I’ve felt in the past. My mind wanders when I read the Bible and again when I pray. It seems I really have to work at maintaining a close and intimate connection to Him. It has caused me to wonder if the Holy Spirit (The Restrainer)is slowly leaving this old planet and that . . in due time . . true Evil will be revealed as never before. God is holding back right now. Once he removes the holding back “then the lawless one will be revealed†(2 Thess.2:8)
Related question: why does the Lords Prayer include “and lead us not unto temptation”? Why would God lead us to temptation? Does this suggest some kind of test?
....”wonder if the Holy Spirit (The Restrainer)is slowly leaving this old planet”.....
I think there’s some truth to that and accounts for much of what we’re seeing today....that coupled with the fact man’s “free will” has certainly determined he will do what he wants regardless and according to what he determines himself as his own standards to live by....his own so called “truth”...which is deception.
Therefore I think the evil we see flourishing more is because people have left themselves wide open to being “deceived”.....they are not grounded....rather get tossed about with every new teaching, or old ones drawn from the gutters of the past dressed in different colors...that create a false sense of self security....again “deception”.
Further....We know it’s written it will eventually, if not already ...”Be as the days of Noah”...but society’s definition of what is “evil” has also changed. (Because they’re deceived)....so if they cannot define
evil, except by their own standards, then how do they compare it to history?..... How can one actually say there is evil without some standard of good to measure it by?
The real question we need to ask is what is evil and what is good?.... For the answer there must be an ultimate source to go to or we are left to our individual opinions.... If we reject good found ‘in Gods standards’ the source of all morality and ethics then there is only the opposite to be done.
BTW.... Those who enter eternity without having trusted in Christ for salvation will understand just how effectively God has dealt with the problem of evil because they may not be there.