It doesn’t take much for civilization’s glossy veneer to crack. We like to think of ourselves as evolved, enlightened beings, but beneath the surface lies the same brutish, selfish creature we’ve been since Adam and Eve reached for the forbidden fruit. History—and even a trip to your local Walmart during a storm—shows how quickly human nature reverts to its raw, fallen state when resources run dry. The Bible knew this about us long before the ice storms and supply chains confirmed it.
Take this hard truth: most grocery stores only carry about three days’ worth of inventory before they require resupply. (Yes, it’s true.) If the trucks stop rolling due to a bank collapse, fuel shortage, or natural disaster, the food is gone in a flash, and the “love thy neighbor” mantra evaporates just as quickly. When people can’t feed their kids, desperation sets in, and civility is the first casualty. This isn’t speculation—it’s reality. I’ve seen it up close and personal. During a brutal nine-day ice storm in Kentucky, where I was stationed at Fort Knox, I watched two grown men fistfight over the last case of water at Walmart. Day three of the storm, and already the survival instinct had kicked in.
Scripture doesn’t mince words about the nature of man. Jeremiah 17:9 warns, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” That wickedness is often hidden behind social norms and convenience, but it’s still there. We like to believe we’re altruistic, but take away comfort and scarcity turns us into animals. It’s why Proverbs 28:15 compares a wicked ruler to a “roaring lion or a charging bear.” It’s also why Cain killed Abel—the first recorded sibling rivalry ended in bloodshed over jealousy and pride. Fallen man, without God’s restraining grace, is a terrifying creature.
My experience isn’t academic; I’ve seen humans at their worst. Over 24 years in the active Army, including guest appearances in four civil wars, I’ve watched societies unravel when the systems fail. Once the food and water are gone, the fragility of civilization becomes painfully clear. Your kind neighbor becomes a competitor, and the fight for survival trumps shared values. It’s why Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness.” The darkness isn’t just “out there”; it’s in us. The Bible’s consistent warning about humanity’s need for redemption is grounded in this reality.
So, what’s the lesson? Civilization isn’t as solid as we think, and neither are we. The next time you walk down a fully stocked grocery aisle, take a moment to remember how temporary that peace is. The thin veneer of morality and order can only be held in place by God’s grace and a shared sense of accountability. Without it, we’re just one bad day away from fistfights over bottled water and neighbors turning into enemies. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,” Genesis 6:5 says, “and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” It was true then, and it’s still true now. Civilization doesn’t redeem us; only Christ does.
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