The other evening I lay in bed thinking about a horrendous crime that happened. It was on the news nationally and I was thinking about the evil that our society deals with on a daily basis. As I was pondering what was going on in our culture and thinking about how bad things were, I heard three words in my spirit, “Cain and Abel.”

As I reflected on those words, I felt like what the Lord was trying to tell me was that there is evil in the heart of man. It has been there ever since man decided to go his own way and live independently of God. I was reminded of the scripture in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” I don’t know about you, but when I hear those scriptures, I don’t want to believe them about myself. But it’s true, the unregenerate heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, even mine.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” That’s right, whatever is in our hearts will eventually come out. Jesus was even more clear about it in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” It’s pretty clear. When we are looking for resident evil, we need look no further than our own hearts. People who know themselves well know that any of us could fall into sin at a moment’s notice. None are immune.

Is there any hope for us? Fortunately, the Lord does not leave us in our unregenerate state if we want to change. He says in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Help is right there for the asking. If we want a new heart and new spirit, we must come to the Lord, turn away from our sins, and ask him to come into our lives and give us a new heart. He will be true to his word and do it. After all, that is why Jesus came; to pay our sin debt and give us the opportunity to be born again.

What do you say? How’s your heart condition? Any resident evil there? Are you trying to cover up your evil thoughts and deeds? Doesn’t work, does it? It’s like trying to put lipstick on a pig. But think about it…a new heart is only a prayer away. You just have to ask.

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