Evil is rampant in the 21st century, and it only looks like it will worsen. Christian persecution, immorality, and murders are also on the rise. When a person is wronged, they are often motivated to seek justice or revenge. However, Christians must live according to God’s laws and biblical teachings, including overcoming evil with good. But how do you do that?
To overcome evil with good, we must love sincerely, bless, and pray for those we consider our enemies. Additionally, we should not repay evil with evil or take revenge. Instead, we should trust God enough to leave it in his hands. We should also look for a solution in God’s word and use Jesus as an example. Before responding to any evil done against you, ask yourself: What would Jesus do?
Biblical Ways To Overcome Evil With Good
Evil is morally objectionable behavior that causes harm, destruction, or misfortune. As Christians, we are supposed to be winning against evil. But we’ve got to do it God’s way. That means we should not pay evil with evil but abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Here are practical ways to overcome evil with good.
Love With a Sincere Heart
The Bible instructs us to overcome evil with good, as seen in passages like, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). It’s human nature to feel resentful when people hurt us. But if you love what is good, you’re bound to hate evil. The Bible emphasizes the need to do good by saying, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good (Romans 12:9). This is easier said than done because loving those who love us is easy, and anyone can do that (Matthew 43:48).
However, to be perfect like our Heavenly Father, we must go beyond loving our neighbors. We must also love our enemies or people we consider evil. To truly overcome evil, we must love unconditionally and sincerely. Part of loving sincerely is praying and doing good to those who wrong us (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27).
Forgive and Don’t Hold Grudges
Jesus was betrayed and persecuted, yet He chose forgiveness and understanding. Even when the Romans nailed Him to the cross, Jesus said in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” The principle of turning the other cheek also reflects His emphasis on non-retaliation and forgiveness, even when faced with harm. In other words, we should adopt an attitude of humility and seek to be peaceful with those we consider evil.
Joseph is another example of what forgiveness means and what it can do. His brother sold him into slavery, but eventually, he forgave them, and the whole family ended up benefiting from Joseph’s position in the Egyptian government (Genesis (37–50). In addition, Joseph acknowledged that what his brother did was evil and repaid it with good.
“You meant to do evil/harm to me, God intended to turn it to good, to bring about the survival of many people; so don’t fear, I will provide for you and your families” (Genesis 50:20-21).
The Gospel of Mark also addresses forgiveness by saying, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive those you have anything against, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your offenses” (11:25). When we forgive evil things done towards us indiscriminately, we let go of anger and the need for revenge, which leads to sin. Instead, we choose compassion and humility as commanded by God (Colossians 3:12).
Be Above Reproach
Every Christian is to live above reproach (Philippians 2:15) to serve as an example for non-believers to emulate. If your reputation is credible and you’re an example worth following, you will stand firm against any false accusation or attempts to undermine your integrity.
Being above reproach also means having spiritual resilience (rooted in faith and prayer) that provides Christians with the foundation to overcome evil. In this case, we don’t fight or resist evil in the powers of our flesh; instead, we take on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13).
Let Jesus Be Your Example
The story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is a great example of how to fight or overcome good with evil. Jesus was tortured, mocked, and crucified, yet He was innocent (Matthew 27-28). In this scenario, evil was elevated, and good was rejected. The torture Jesus received from the Romans points to injustices that can occur when evil prevails.
Nonetheless, Christ experienced so much suffering to save humanity; in the end, his resurrection was a victory over death and evil. So, to fight evil, we must show everyone the same self-giving love that Jesus did for us on the cross.
Do Not Take Revenge
It is tempting to take on the role of God and seek to punish those we feel deserve it. However, As Christians, we are commanded not to take vengeance but to leave justice in the hands of God (Leviticus 19:18). God says, “Vengeance is mine” (Romans 12:1), while Proverbs 20:22 states, “Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong! “Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.
Romans 12:17-19 also reiterates a similar message by emphasizing that we should not avenge ourselves or return evil with evil. As people forgiven by God through Christ, we should emulate God’s nature by forgiving those who have wronged us so that we can reveal to them that God is forgiving.
Bless Your Enemies
When people hurt us, the last thing we want to do is to pay them with kindness; after all, they don’t deserve it. But the Bible says we should repay evil with blessing (1 Peter 3:9, Romans 12:14, Luke 6:28). So, if we are to overcome evil, the right thing to do is to invoke God’s blessing on our enemies. After all, our words have the potential to do good (Proverbs 18:21).
Conclusion
We can overcome evil with good by abiding by God’s laws and teachings. The Bible teaches us to forgive, pray, and bless our enemies. We should also avoid taking revenge and leave it to the wrath of God. When seeking to understand how to overcome evil with good, Jesus sets the example that we are to follow by returning blessings for cursing and committing Himself to His heavenly Father’s care.
