7 Characteristics Of A Wicked Person And How To Respond

Before we talk about the characteristics of a wicked person, I want to acknowledge something upfront — you might be wincing at the word “wicked.” Calling someone wicked or evil can feel harsh, even unkind. It may even feel wrong, as if labeling certain behaviors as “wicked” is somehow sinful. I get it. Truly.

But stay with me.

The Bible uses the word “wicked” more than 300 times. Scripture gives us clear descriptions of the characteristics of a wicked person — not to shame anyone, but to warn us, protect us, and help us recognize patterns that lead to harm. God is giving us the information we need to guard ourselves from unnecessary pain and destruction. Even though the topic of wicked or evil people isn’t a common Sunday morning sermon, the reality is that these people exist — and Jesus said we would know them by their fruit.

My hope is that this article equips you to be wise, discerning, and protected from the schemes of the enemy.

Evil People vs. Wicked People

In the Bible, the words evil and wicked often show up together, are used interchangebly at times, but do have some subtle differences. 

Evil generally refers to anything that causes harm, pain, or corruption. It can describe bad things that happen in the world—like disease or disasters—or the moral kind of evil that comes from people doing wrong. Evil can be both what’s happening inside a person’s heart and what shows up in their actions. I’m going to say that again- In Scripture, evil refers to the condition of someone’s heart and sometimes it refers to their actions. Wicked, on the other hand, usually describes people who live in open rebellion against God. It’s not about a single bad choice—it’s about a pattern of life that resists what’s good and right. Wickedness isn’t about making mistakes—it’s about refusing to confess & repent of them. 

It’s helpful to remember that both evil and wicked are pushing against God’s best for someone. We also know for sure that both are destructive for both the person with evil behavior as well as those around them. The last thing I want to point out is that an evil heart is like a spectrum- an evil heart doesn’t wake up one morning and and turn into a wicked person. It’s a muscle that has become stronger with practice and thousands of small decisions that led to an increasingly hardened heart. In other words, it’s a long standing pattern. 

Aren’t we all sinners? This is a standard response to discussing the condition of evil and wickedness. And, yes, we are all sinners. The sins of a person are not what make someone wicked or evil. The marks of a wicked heart are the refusal to acknowledge the sin and repent. This pattern of rejecting the reality of the sin and repenting is not only consistent, it’s persistent.

Characteristic of a Wicked Heart

1. Pride and Entitlement

Pride is an inflated view of oneself that elevates personal desires, opinions, and importance above others — and even above God.  

Entitlement is the belief that a person deserves special treatment, exemption from rules, or automatic access to your time, energy, or resources — simply because they want it.

Pride and entitlement sit at the very core of a wicked man. A wicked person may not boast loudly, but their actions declare, “I am above correction, deserving of more than others.”  Entitlement is the outward expression of that inner pride, demanding special treatment, recognition, or control.

Pride and entitlement blinds a person to truth, convincing them they are the exception—that rules and consequences do not apply. Scripture warns that pride was the downfall of Satan himself. Like him, the wicked heart is consumed with self-exaltation. Entitlement becomes its evidence—an unmistakable sign of rebellion against God and a refusal to walk in humility or truth. Wickedness grows out of pride—the desire to be one’s own god.

Examples of Entitlement

• Expecting your time, attention, or emotional energy on demand.
• Getting angry when you set a boundary.
• Believing rules apply to everyone except them.
• Taking without giving — and seeing nothing wrong with it.
• Expecting forgiveness without taking responsibility.
• Believing their needs automatically outweigh yours.
• Interrupting, talking over you, or dismissing your perspective.
• Expecting you to read their mind and meet their needs perfectly.
• Acting offended when you need support or help.
• Assuming you owe them loyalty despite their lack of loyalty or harmful behavior.
• Feeling justified in controlling your choices, friendships, or schedule.
• Viewing consequences as “unfair” when they apply to them.
• Resenting you for having needs, limits, or preferences.
• Expecting praise or admiration for basic decency.

James 3:16 – For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

James 4:6 – But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’

Psalm 10:3–6 – He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

2. A Hardened Heart

A hardened heart is spiritual and emotional condition in which a person becomes insensitive to God’s truth and conviction. They repeatedly resist correction and justify wrongdoing until their conscience grows dull. It’s not an overnight event—it’s a gradual desensitization that happens every time someone rejects conviction, ignores correction, or chooses pride over repentance.

Signs of a Hardened Heart

• Persistent pride
• Refusal to take responsibility
• Dismissing correction or wisdom
• Justifying harmful behavior
• Manipulating or twisting truth
• Lack of empathy
• Repeating the same sin with no remorse
• Blaming others for consequences
• Viewing themselves as the victim
• Hostility toward conviction or boundaries

Ephesians 4:18 – They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Zechariah 7:12 – They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.

When the heart grows hard, it loses sensitivity to both God and people. There’s little empathy, no remorse, and no willingness to change. More information in Characteristics of a Hardened Heart (in Relationships), this kind of heart becomes emotionally and spiritually closed off.

3. Deceptive and Manipulative

One of the most pronounced characteristics of a wicked person is that they manage their lives with deception. Yes, I said manage their lives with deception. Lying becomes a strategy to gain control over relationships and circumstances—always at the expense of others. It’s also how they conceal sin so they can continue without being found out. Distorting truth helps advance the wicked person’s ultimate goal: to elevate self above others and dodge accountability. This pattern of behavior is deeply destructive and is one of the sins God hates—likely because He knows its devastating impact. This is one of the most pronounced signs of an evil person.

Manipulation is a more covert and sinister form of deception, designed to make others question themselves or feel as though they are crazy. The books of Proverbs and Psalms have much to say about manipulative tactics, as seen in the Scriptures below.

It’s also important to remember that Satan is called the father of lies, and no truth is found in him. When someone habitually uses deception as a tool, they reveal a dark core that reflects the heart of Satan himself—the complete opposite of the heart of Jesus Christ, who is called Truth.

Bible Verses About Deception & Manipulation

Psalm 28:3 – Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.

Psalm 12:2 – Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.

Proverbs 26:23 – Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

Proverbs 10:32 – The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

Psalm 10:7 – His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

Psalm 58:3 – Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.

Proverbs 12:5 – The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

2 Timothy 3:13 – While evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Job 15:35 – They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit.

4. Cruelty and Lack of Empathy

Cruelty is defined as the willingness to cause emotional, spiritual, or physical pain without remorse — and sometimes with enjoyment, indifference, or justification.

Examples of wicked things a cruel person does…

• minimizes or mocks your suffering
• uses your vulnerabilities against you
• feels no responsibility for the pain they cause
• may even feel empowered by hurting or upsetting others

Lack of empathy is defined as the inability or unwillingness to understand, feel, or care about the emotions or experiences of others.

A person with no empathy…

• doesn’t consider how their actions affect others
• invalidates emotions instead of understanding them
• shows indifference when someone is hurting
• reacts with annoyance, blame, or self-focus instead of compassion

Psalm 17:10 – They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

Psalm 73:7 – From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.

Proverbs 21:10 – The wicked crave evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them.

Proverbs 12:10 – The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Romans 1:31 – They have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

2 Timothy 3:2–3 – People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good…

5. High Conflict And Divisive

A high-conflict person is someone who thrives on conflict. This is very different from healthy conflict, which leads to understanding, growth, and eventual resolution. Healthy conflict works toward unity — even if it takes time to get there.

A high-conflict person, however, pursues conflict for its own sake. Resolution never comes because resolution was never the goal. The goal was the conflict itself.

The instigating of conflict can serve many purposes:
• create confusion,
• distract from their own wrongdoing,
• project their internal turmoil onto others,
• gain more power and control in the relationship.

For the wicked, conflict is not a moment — it’s a strategy.

Proverbs 6:12 – A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth…

Proverbs 6:14 – …who plots evil with deceit in his heart—he always stirs up conflict.

Proverbs 16:27–28 – A scoundrel plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire. A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.

Psalm 140:2 – They devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.

1 Timothy 6:4–5 – They are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6. Justification and Refusal to Acknowledge Wrong

This is probably a good place to acknowledge that we are all sinners in desperate need of forgiveness every single day. Confession, forgiveness, and repentance are central to the Christian faith.

Someone who embodies the characteristics of a wicked person, however, refuses to acknowledge their sin. Not only do they deny it, but they persist in it. And when confronted, they deny, justify, minimize, lie, blame-shift, and do anything else that deflects responsibility.

The most heartbreaking part of this refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing is that they will never be free from the bondage of sin as long as they deny its existence in their life.

Proverbs 28:13 – Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Isaiah 5:20 – Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

John 3:19–20 – This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

Proverbs 26:11–12 – As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Jeremiah 2:35 – Yet you said, ‘I am innocent; he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment on you because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

Jeremiah 8:6 – No one repents of his wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’

Psalm 36:2 – In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.

7. Wicked Men Are Schemers

A schemer is someone who plans, plots, or manipulates situations behind the scenes for their own advantage—often through deceit, secrecy, or hidden agendas.

A schemer:

• works in the shadows rather than in honesty
• uses people as tools to achieve their goals
• manipulates circumstances to gain control or power
• plans harm or conflict while appearing innocent
• thinks several steps ahead with self-serving motives
• hides their true intentions until the moment benefits them

Psalm 10:8–9 – He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims; Like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

Psalm 36:1–4 – I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.

Micah 2:1–2 – Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.

How To Deal With Wicked People

1. Be A Fruit Inspector

God’s Word has given us the information we need to evaluate the people around us in order to determine who is safe and who is not. Evil wants to destroy- identifying evil actions and people is how we limit that destruction. You are made in God’s image and with a purpose. Evil desires to destroy everything it touches. Your God given discernement is for your protection.

Matthew 7:16–20 – By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Matthew 10:16 – I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

2. Avoid Such People

To avoid means to stay away from, keep a distance from, or intentionally not engage with someone or something in order to protect yourself or prevent harm. This is wisdom straight from God’s Word- a warning God extends in order to protect you. 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 – But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

3. Expose Evil

Expose means to reveal, uncover, or bring something hidden into the open so that it can be seen for what it truly is. Doing so helps make discernment and protection possible. It’s not about shaming someone- it’s about exposing the truth. This could be the very thing that turns them toward God.

Ephesians 5:11 – Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

4. Don’t Cast Pearls

Wicked and evil people have no desire to hear the truth. If you have already tried to tell them the truth and they have refused to listen- stop! Truth is like a pearl, pigs don’t value your pearls of truth. Furthermore, they will turn and attack you for trying to share the truth. This is more biblical guidance intended to protect you.

Matthew 7:6 – Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

​5. Grace Is Not Sufficient For The Wicked

In my own life, this verse was a turning point for me. Reading this flipped a switch in my heart with a wicked person. After years of exposing evil, sharing pearls of truth and offering grace upon grace- this verse felt like a punch and a release all in a single moment. It was one of those moments that I felt God’s voice and clarity in my heart. A wicked person does not respond to grace- they are not moved to repentance by it. This is good information for those of us who have been trying to love someone into godliness.

Isaiah 26:10 – But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.

6. Guard Your Heart

Being in the presence of evil will have an impact in your life. There is no way around this truth. You are called to guard your heart, because it is the control room of your thoughts, feelings and actions. 

Proverbs 4:23 – Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

7. Pray For The Wicked

Praying for a wicked or evil person might be the most powerful thing you can offer them. God loves everyone and desires that nobody would perish. Prayer is an act of love- it releases them into the hands of God- the most loving place they can be. 

Wrapping Up Characteristics Of A Wicked Person

In Scripture, wickedness is revealed through seven defining characteristics: pride and entitlement, a hardened and unresponsive heart, deception and manipulation, cruelty and lack of empathy, a love of conflict, refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing, and scheming that harms others for personal gain. These patterns are not occasional mistakes—they are persistent, practiced behaviors that reject truth and resist repentance. God, in His mercy, shows us how to respond wisely: evaluate people by their fruit, avoid those who consistently display these patterns, expose evil rather than enable it, refuse to waste truth on those who trample it, stop offering grace to those who persistently reject it, guard your heart from their influence, and pray for them from a place of safety. These biblical steps are not acts of judgment—they are acts of wisdom, discernment, and protection for your heart, your relationships, and your walk with God.