Skip to main content

Romans 12:21: Do Not Be Overcome By Evil, But Overcome Evil With Good.


Romans 12:21
[21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (ESV)

We live in a world consumed by evil. In the Garden of Eden mankind was warned of the death that would come to them if they sinned against God's command. Man's sin brought death, not only to the first couple, but to all of humanity for all generations. Spiritual death is the root cause of all the trouble that we encounter in the world.

This instruction that Paul gives to us in Romans 12:21 is for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. We know that our faith in Jesus grants us forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life. In the meantime we still have to deal with the effects of evil that are all around us. As Christians, how we deal with evil is very important to how effective we communicate the Gospel.

We are not to be overcome by evil. A life lived for Christ is going to be a life in which we will suffer persecution. Those who are evil are ultimately doing the bidding of the enemy. If we are not strong in our walk with the Lord the attacks of the enemy will be more than we can bear. Having a proper understanding of the power of evil helps us to prepare accordingly.

So, how do we prepare ourselves to avoid being overcome by evil? We plan on overcoming evil with good. When the enemy attacks us through a person who brings persecution we choose not to retaliate. We offer love when they offer hate. We do not hang on to bitterness which only destroys us, but rather we demonstrate the same love of Jesus that we ourselves have received.

Evil is real. Evil is headed our way in the form of persecution by people who do not love the Lord. Stay close to the Lord. Plan beforehand to offer forgiveness and love to those who do not treat you with anything but hatred and contempt.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their