Malice – Desire to hurt another or the propensity to inflict injury or suffering; Active ill-will.
God used this word 6 times in Scripture; 5 times to the Body of Christ in the Gospel of Grace; And once to Israel’s Little Flock in their tribulation book of I Peter.
Malice is born from the bitterness of your soul; envy, the desire to exact revenge, a longing to have others share in your misery; etc.
In the 1540s, the Courts redefined this word – “A design or intention of doing mischief to another without justification or excuse”. The original definition had nothing to do with ‘justification or excuse’. By their definition, plotting mischief can be justified and excused.