Evil is embodied in real, individual, totally sinful beings, spiritual beings who hate humanity and hate God. Evil was not created, but resulted from the free will of these created beings. The expression of that manifests as evil as we see it in the world, but it also is a spiritual reality and men who cease to recognize the influence of spiritual evil can become like spiritual zombies, wandering in states of blind consumption, existing in perpetual pursuit of satisfying obsessive appetites.

Orthodox Christianity view on Evil.

"The greatest of all satanic deception is that he does not exist and therefore there is no evil or hell or sin or spiritual death."

It is imperative to understand that without this recognition--and still more-the experience of this reality of the cosmic spiritual struggle (God and Satan, the good Angels and the evil angels), one cannot truly be called an Orthodox Christian who sees and lives according to the deepest realities of life.

Once again, however, it must be clearly noted that the devil is not a "red-suited being" nor any other type of grossly-physical tempter. He is a subtle, intelligent spirit who acts mostly by deceit and hidden actions, having as his greatest victory man's disbelief (atheism, skepticism, denial, rationalism etc.) in his existence and power.

Thus, the devil attacks "head-on" only those whom he can deceive in no other way: Jesus and the greatest of the Saints. For the greatest part of his warfare he is only too satisfied to remain concealed and to act by indirect methods and means.

"For Christians above all men are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force...it is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. We neither have authority granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor, if it were, should we know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are kept from evil, not by force, but by choice." St. John Chrysostom (347-407)

The human condition as we know it, demonstrates the presence of a barrier between God and humanity.

Eastern Orthodox belief shares the western idea of original sin. In the Orthodox view, all of creation, living and dead, visible and invisible, is holistically connected. What affects one creature affects all creatures. Therefore, the suffering and mortality imposed on Adam and Eve as punishment for their sin is shared by all of creation.

However, the Orthodox tradition does not share the Augustinian idea of original guilt . While all of creation suffers the consequences of the first humans' sin, (Many Christians believe the account literally, while Eastern Orthodoxy interprets it symbolically, meaning that while it did not literally happen, it is full of religious truth), no other creature is guilty of that sin.

All share, however, in the legacy of the fall from paradise. We all suffer disease and death, and we are all compelled by our own wills and desires, rather than God's. But we don't inherit Adam's guilt. So, for example, the Orthodox tradition does not teach that unbaptized infants will be sent to eternal fire and damnation.

Eastern Orthodoxy teaches that nothing is greater than God, including evil.

Evil is the opposite of peace, evil creates war and imbalance. At an individual level evil is associated with narcissism, a self focus which prevents someone from considering the adverse effects of their actions or from empathizing with someone who suffers because of their selfishness. Taken to its extreme, evil inflicts suffering on the innocent without remorse. Collectively, evil is expressed as empire, as the expression of domination, exploitation, and oppression.