Who restrains evil, evil men and spiritual forces of evil?  God restrains them all.  Why and how? Because He is concerned that they may harm His chosen people by their wickedness.  Yet, He also uses the wicked as instruments of His providence, consider Esther and Haman. Moreover, in His forbearing love, He sets limits on the evil, out of his great mercy by allowing them to reap a harvest of pain and suffering from the evil they sow, and desist therefrom.  In their ignorance Eastern religions have distorted this principle of sowing and reaping into karma, which suggests, falsely, that good and evil are in an equal struggle and if he tries man can do enough good to outweigh and offset his wickedness.  This of course is a lie from the enemy.  God restrains evil by His Sovereign will, there is no struggle.  He has no equal, nor any concern for their mischief as He has ordered that the wages of sin is death.

With this foundation of truth, we can see how the great depression was a function of God’s mercy and justice.  Mercy to His people and justice to the wicked.  Preceding and after the 1920’s following the overthrow of prohibition, American society became exceedingly licentious with widespread alcohol abuse and financial fraud in the Securities markets.  This lead to the stock market crash of 1929 and the great depression. The party was over, wickedness had ripened into a harvest of financial collapse.  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was created to oversee financial instruments and marketing thereof, as a future barrier to securities fraud.

In the early 2000’s drug abuse, internet pornography, and financial fraud was rampant in American society.  The financial fraud involved residential mortgages and the marketing thereof.  Today, the most popular quote is, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” which was from one or more ministers during the years leading up to prohibition.  It’s popularity may be due to our times or that it is true. President Bush attempted to bring light to the growing fraud perpetrated and established by the Democrat crooks in Congress and greedy mortgage bankers who forced banks to make irresponsible loans and hide them in bundles of mortgage-backed securities.  These were sold through the FNMA, (refered to as Fanny Mae).  Good men in Congress and financial positions of responsibility failed to act and refused to risk speaking out and doing the right thing lest it hurt their political ambitions.  In 2008, a mortgage crisis was triggered by the default of American General on massive government insured financial instruments sold throughout the world.  This caused the worst financial collapse since the great depression.

One decade later, the American economy is finally recovering.  However, will good men risk standing up against the lies, distortions, and destructive intentions of the forces of evil?  Will the widespread wickedness of various sexual perversions, addiction to prescription drugs, and out of control government spending reach the tipping point of God’s mercy and justice? Believers have the favor and blessing of God Almighty that is stored securely in heaven, but in this life we are inextricably associated to everyone.  It was God who told the angels not to remove the tares, lest the wheat be harmed in the process. (Matt. 13: 24-30).  Moreover, He said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:44).  So, we are encouraged to look to God our Savior, Redeemer and King.  “And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.  But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thess. 3: 2-3).