OPINION:
Evil is real, yet the obsessively material nature of our contemporary culture has prevented far too many people from seeing beyond the trappings of our fleeting world.
With discernment increasingly evaporating, people today are willfully watching the rotting corpse of a godless culture bathed in the self and lacking any detectable wisdom. The long-term implications of this ethical floundering cannot be overstated.
“America, right now, is at the lip of the mouth of madness and it’s about to belly flop into the pit,” author and radio host Steve Deace recently told me. “And that’s a jump that, when a culture makes, it doesn’t come back.”
Mr. Deace, whose spot-on assessment of the culture should leave us ceaselessly pointing people toward the antidote found in biblical faith, is one of the prominent voices unwilling to ignore evil’s horrors, using his talents to call attention to the waywardness of our ever-stupified populace.
A new feature film titled “Nefarious” — based on his books — takes on these conundrums while simultaneously elevating religious-themed movies to new levels. The film, which focuses on a possessed death-row inmate’s conversation during a psychiatric evaluation, strips out the typical “family-friendly” label faith films routinely hold.
But while the movie’s R-rating and eerie themes might scare off some audiences, make no mistake: “Nefarious” attempts to bring home the reality that evil is real, shed light on its cultural impact, and affirm that, when wickedness is left unrestrained, tumult abounds.
Despite being based on a fictitious story, the film speaks biblical truths through the lens of an evil character who seeks to advance Satan’s goals. “Nefarious” undoubtedly leaves audiences questioning the evidence for good and evil and its implications for America, a nation increasingly confused by the bounds and depths of this dichotomy.
And that’s really what makes “Nefarious” matter, with the film emerging at a perilous time of mass bewilderment. With America teetering on the brink of madness, Mr. Deace, who is also the executive producer of the film, said he’s concerned about where the situation could be headed.
“Cultures that are in the tailspin that we’re in right now don’t have long-term futures,” he said during our recent chat. “And so I’m worried about that.”
The radio host and “A Nefarious Plot” author is certainly onto something we must acknowledge if we plan to pick up the pieces of our caterwauling culture: fully understanding evil is essential to comprehending and reaching hearts amid our current crisis.
Many earthly monstrosities are perpetuated by man’s free will. Others result from a worn-down populace whose morals and values have been slowly chiseled away by Hollywood, media, educational institutions, and a dearth of discernment.
In either circumstance, evil plays a palpable role. Scripture tells us there’s an enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy — to perpetuate chaos in society and individual lives. Sadly, much of today’s culture wants to laugh off or ignore this reality.
When we eschew the existence of spiritual evil prevalent at the heart of much of our culture, we can see only through clouded lenses, unable to properly place evil as a catalyst for confusion, disarray, anger, hatred and discord.
Even in the church, Satan’s role can sometimes be minimized or ignored, with some faith leaders expecting parishioners to be armed and equipped to fight spiritual battles when they have no idea they’re in the middle of a potentially soul-destroying war.
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes,” the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6:11, continuing in verse 12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Paul goes on to implore believers to arm themselves for the day of evil so they can stand their ground. But he doesn’t stop there. He also tells us the following in 2 Corinthians 4:4: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Abortion. The transgender battle. Chaotic politics. The god of the self. These issues are certainly complex, though they cannot be understood without contending with and comprehending the evils, blindness, and confusion expressed in Scripture.
At a time when so many are ignoring these topics, “Nefarious” seeks to take them on and shed light on the very battle Paul warns us we’re in. It should come as no surprise that audiences are responding, with the movie getting a remarkable 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
One reviewer said the film delivers a “glimpse of our current world from a theological perspective,” and another said the movie “challenges everyone to examine the root of evil and how easily many are deceived.” Others praised “Nefarious” for showing the “unseen battle between good and evil” raging around us.
Find out where “Nefarious” is playing and explore these essential themes today.
— Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Hallowell is the author of four books, including “Playing with Fire: A Modern Investigation into Demons, Exorcism, and Ghosts,” and “The Armageddon Code: One Journalist’s Quest for End-Times Answers.”
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