Inside Every Human Being There Is a Beast …The true struggle within every human being is between the image of God within them and the distortion of that image
Elias Bejjani/February 02/2026
Christian faith teaches us a fundamental truth: the human being was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) and was called to live in communion with Him, in love and holiness. Yet, because of the Fall, every person carries within himself a wounded nature. In this wounded nature lies what can be described, in spiritual terms, as an inner “beast”—a force of uncontrolled instincts and desires that emerges when the human person separates himself from God’s grace.
This beast is not an independent power. It is not stronger than the human person by nature. It remains dormant as long as the person lives in humility, generosity, and love, and remains faithful to the gifts and responsibilities entrusted to him by his Heavenly Father.
The beast sleeps when the human being lives according to love, because love is not merely a moral value; love is God Himself:
“God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16).
As long as a person is conscious of his holiness, of his identity as a child of God by grace, and remains faithful to God’s commandments, the inner beast remains restrained. The awareness of standing one day before God’s judgment is essential to Christian life, for Scripture tells us:
“For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).
On the last day, when God reclaims from the human being the gift of life, the soul will stand alone before Him. At that moment, wealth, power, and earthly achievements lose all value. They remain behind, because:
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7).
The only thing a person carries with him is his spiritual provision—his faith expressed through works of love. As Christ says:
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
According to what this spiritual provision contains, the Lord will either say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21), or the soul will face separation from God if it is empty of love, mercy, and good works, and filled only with greed, pride, and unrepented sin, where:
“Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).
The inner beast awakens when faith weakens, hope fades, and the human being falls into temptation. At that point, the person returns to the “old self” and abandons the new life given through baptism by water and the Holy Spirit, forgetting the words of Scripture:
“Put off the old man… and put on the new man, which was created according to God” (Ephesians 4:22–24).
When a person distances himself from God, disobeys His commandments, and lives as if God does not exist, the beast within rises and dominates. Sin then becomes not an isolated act, but a way of life, because:
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
In this light, Jesus presents to us the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16–21). This man was not condemned for being rich, but for believing that his life depended on his possessions. He spoke only to himself and not to God. He trusted his barns, not his Creator. Therefore God said to him:
“Fool! This night your soul will be required of you.”
This parable reveals a deep spiritual truth: the true beast within the human person is the illusion of self-sufficiency and independence from God. When God is removed from the center of life, the human being becomes a slave to money, power, and pleasure. As Jesus teaches:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
This truth applies not only to individuals, but also to societies and political systems. The crisis of our world—and of Lebanon in particular—is not only political or economic, but spiritual. It is the crisis of humanity that has forgotten God. Therefore Christ’s warning remains timeless:
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
In conclusion, the true struggle within every human being is between the image of God and its distortion. Salvation does not come by suppressing the beast through human effort alone, but by returning to God through repentance, grace, and a life rooted in faith and love. For in God alone there is true life:
“But now having been set free from sin… you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:22).
