I want to speak to you in this message about how we Christians are to deal with our enemies. Of course, it is my hope that you don't have any enemies right now (and that perhaps you won't have any next year when you're seven, either.) The truth is, sooner or later you and I are going to be faced with the question of how we should deal with someone who is willfully and persistently mistreating us.

God's word gives specific instructions to the Christian about dealing with enemies in Romans 12:14-21.

(Read Romans 12:14-21)

Though Paul's words here might at first seem difficult to practice and perhaps even a bit irrelevant to our situation, I assure you, counsel from the Word of God is always the best counsel there is. Stick with me and we'll see if we can make sense of this instruction. We'll start with

I. Some Preliminaries.

Several things are essential to note in considering this passage.

First, this passage is written to Christians (as is the entire letter to the Romans.) As such, these words are not just gentle suggestions as to how we should deal with our enemies. They are the commands of an inspired Apostle of Christ. While they might seem difficult, for the Christian, they are not to be discounted or ignored.

Second, we must understand what is meant by the word "enemy." The Greek word translated "enemy" in this passage (echthros) comes from a root word that means, "to hate." Thus an enemy is one who is motivated by the emotion of hatred or maliciousness. Perhaps the simplest working definition might be "someone who persists in doing wrong to us and does it purposely and with a hateful, malicious intent." Notice in this passage Paul speaks of one who "persecutes" in verse 14 and one who does "evil" to us in verses 17 and 21.

For the sake of clarification in this message, there are two classes of people who can possibly do evil to us. Non-Christians may do evil to Christians. Christians may do evil to other Christians. This passage does not deal with the issue of what to do if another Christian sins against us. Jesus covered that in Matthew 18:15-35.

Third, we need to understand that this passage in Romans 12 does not preclude going to legal authorities for protection against mistreatment by unbelievers where life, the cause of Christ, or perhaps large amounts of property are threatened. In Romans 13 (the very next chapter), we are told that the purpose of the civil government is to protect the righteous against evildoers (Romans 13:1-4.) Indeed, the responsibility of the civil government for this protection extends even to the use of capital punishment (See esp. v. 4.)

If you study the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul, you will see quite clearly that he sought legal protection in several incidents where he was persecuted unlawfully by Jews and Romans and the cause of Christ was at stake. In one case he even appealed his circumstance to the Emperor of Rome (Acts 25:11.)

We must always take into consideration all that the Bible says on a subject before we come to conclusions about the meaning of any one particular passage.

Fourth (and this is well beyond the scope of my message here), I don't believe this passage applies directly to issues of nation-against-nation conflict for which, in our American system at least, the civil government is responsible. I realize the difficulties involved in this, a discussion of which will have to wait for another time and place.

Fifth, we need to understand just what kind of evil-doing this passage is talking about. My understanding is that it is referring to the kinds of everyday evils that happen to all of us. For instance, the mistreatment one of us might receive from an unreasonable boss or an unbelieving mate who makes our life miserable. It might include some non-Christian in-laws who consider it their life's work to make us unhappy. It could be a nasty neighbor or gossiping associate at school. We might refer to such issues as "People's Court" kinds of evil (Judge Wapner, Judge Judy, etc. if you are familiar with that terminology coming from American television.) It concerns everyday kinds of evil done against us for which we are to be forbearing people, who use good to overcome evil. It might also include any evil for which there is no legal recourse for the Christian.

In order to explain the passage, I'm going to start with the last verse first. Verse 21 states what verses 14-20 are talking about. In  fact, verse 21 is:

II. The Theme of the Passage.

Verse 21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Let's think further about the key words in this verse. First, there is that word "evil."

I was preaching on a related subject in another city some years ago and afterward a group of divorced, single mothers approached me. My message had concerned bitterness and it had really struck a sensitive nerve with these women. Understandably they were struggling with much anger for the hurts inflicted on them and their children, both past and present by the mates who had deserted them. One lady told me outright that she was ready to do anything short of breaking the law in order to get vengeance on her ex-husband. To turn around the thought of this verse, she was about ready to let his evil overcome her good because of her anger. Of course, God has called her (and us) to do just the opposite.

I know a woman who became a Christian some years ago while her husband refused the offer to obey the gospel. Now he does his best to oppose her faith and make her life miserable. He ridicules her and mocks her and tears her down with words. I believe she would be a candidate for what Paul is teaching here.

Another key word is "overcome." We are not to allow evil like this to overcome us. Rather, we are to overcome the evil with good. As I see it, there are three possible positions a Christian can take in response to such evil done against him or her by an unbeliever. We might call the first,

A. The Defeated and Sinning Position.

Here the Christian wrongly keeps score and pays back in kind for each evil done to him or her. Revenge becomes the driving force. Perhaps the mistreatment comes from an unreasonable boss. The Christian cannot afford to quit the job, so he or she steals some tools or wastes some of the company's time to even things up. After all, isn't it justifiable because of the way they are treated? What else can one do? Besides, the rotten skunk has it coming! .... Surely any unprejudiced Christian onlooker would agree that such a person plays right into the Devil's hands. Not only does Satan control the boss - he now pulls the strings of the Christian. The defeated and sinning position is what this passage is warning us about: "Do not be overcome by evil..."

A second possible position in response to evil might be called

B. The Resigned and Barely Hanging On Position.

This position is subtle and perhaps claims more Christians to evil. The wife who has the unbelieving husband who mistreats her, for instance, concludes, "There's just nothing I can do. It's hopeless. I'll just lay down and take it like a doormat and hope that in the course of it all, I don't lose my faith. But don't expect very much from me, because you know that under the circumstances, with this kind of handicap, it is nearly impossible for me to seriously live the Christian life."

But God doesn't want us "under the circumstances!" He wants us on top of the circumstances! Look at the verse: "but overcome evil with good." We aren't told here to settle for defeat. God wants us to work for victory. A Christian can't just retreat to a comfortable place well away from the line of conflict and settle into "peaceful coexistence" with an enemy. According to this passage we are to be aggressive. We are to overcome evil with good!

I heard a good illustration of "peaceful coexistence" a few years ago when the Soviet Union was still in existence. A Russian named Ivanovich visited the Moscow zoo for the first time in his life. To his amazement he found a little lamb sharing the same cage with a fierce bear. His communist guide smiled and said, "Now, there is a prime example of Russian "peaceful coexistence." Ivanovich was skeptical at first but finally was fully taken in - until the guide added, "Of course, we have to put in a fresh lamb every morning."

God doesn't want us to peacefully coexist with evil. He says in this passage that we are to overcome evil with good. We are to be the aggressors. Action is called for in these verses!

The third position possible for a Christian in regard to an enemy is what we might call:

C. The Victorious and Overcoming Position.

Such a person actually does battle with the evil and drives it up against the wall. He seeks to destroy it.

That word "overcome" in the original language is a military word. It comes right off the battlefield. It was used to describe the total defeat and destruction of an enemy in battle.

Here is where we often miss the mark. We seldom realize the real issues. The issues go far beyond the immediate situation with our boss or our mate or any other circumstance where we are mistreated. There is a war going on! The forces of evil are arrayed against the forces of righteousness and they are locked in a struggle that has the outcome of eternal life or death. The issue is not really my job or my comfort or security. The issue is that the forces of evil are attacking the forces of righteousness. The objective is to destroy the people of God! It goes far beyond you and me and the particulars of our situation. Satan is pulling out the stops and the point of contact - the line where the sabers clash - is that situation we are facing with someone who is consistently mistreating us.

The battle orders from the Commander-in-Chief are to destroy the evil. Listen to Paul's words in Ephesians 6:12:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places."

He's saying that the struggle isn't really with the unbeliever, it is with the devil and his forces.

When we allow someone else's evil to cause us to return evil in kind, it is more far-reaching than just a personal slip. It weakens the army of God! Ultimately, there will be more dead comrades on the field.

We are being told in this passage in Romans that we are to fight evil, not run from it or lay down and let it walk over us. We are to press the battle, overcome the evil, destroy the wrong, capture the person who is a pawn of Satan and retrain him to be a soldier of the cross. That is how far this goes!

 "But," someone says, "I thought we were to turn the other cheek!"

 That is right. In cases where it is relevant, we are. In the right context, turning the other cheek can be one of the most violent, aggressive things we can do against evil.

We aren't Hindus. We aren't pacifists. We are soldiers and we are at war with evil. We are called to fight evil.

Listen to Paul's language in II Corinthians 10:5:

"For our weapons are...divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God..."

We are called to be soldiers of God, trained to attack evil and subdue it with good.

Another key word we need to consider is the word "good." We are to overcome evil with good.

Paul says in II Corinthians 10:4:

"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh..."

Christ doesn't train his soldiers to use the weapons of evil, because He knows that by doing so, we would be tremendously outgunned.The enemy has had all of human history to learn to use the weapons of evil. We have only a few years. We cannot match Satan at his own game. Would you take on Mike Tyson in the ring after just five boxing lessons? It is about as reasonable to take on Satan by using evil to try to overcome evil. You won't last long in that ring. 

But the army of Satan doesn't know how to handle persistent barrages of good. He doesn't train his forces for that. Consequently, you have a weapon that is, as Paul says, "divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses..."

The only thing that will drive out darkness is light. Darkness cannot stay where light penetrates. It is forced to retreat! If you try to drive out darkness with darkness, everyone will just stay in the dark. When a Christian returns evil for evil, the devil smiles because it strengthens his cause.

Was it good or evil that turned many members of the nation that crucified its Messiah into the driving force of first century Christianity? Jesus wasn't hallucinating when He was silent before those who accused Him and blessed them with a request to God for forgiveness. He was wielding a weapon that was destroying the stronghold of Satan. And He has called us to do the same!

"OK, OK, and tell us how it is done!" you say.

OK, I will. Actually, I will do better than that, because:

III. God's Word Tells Us How It Is Done.

Verse 14 says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not."

Notice that the instruction begins with telling us what to do with out mouths. I don't know about you, but when I get into trouble, it's usually my mouth that gets me there. So, the first thing we must do according to Paul is

A. Deal with Our Mouths.

Paul says, "Bless and curse not..." Do you know what a curse is? It is when you ask God to condemn or damn someone else to Hell. That is what you are saying when you say under your breath, "Damn you," or "Go to Hell."

We do not have authority to damn someone to Hell. Only God can do that. When we say such words, we are usurping God's place.

Over in Jude 9 we are told that Michael the Archangel didn't dare pronounce such a curse against the Devil himself. If that is the case, surely there is no room for us to curse another person made in the image of God!

Yet when we are mistreated, what so often comes out of our mouth? Cursing. This passage says it must stop.

We have to deal with our mouths. But it won't work just to discontinue the old habit unless we put a new one in its place. The new habit response commanded is that we give a blessing instead. We have to bless the enemy and what better way to bless him than with a prayer for his salvation? That is what Jesus said we should do. Remember? "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." So, there is a positive first step for you to practice next time you are offended by someone who has intentionally hurt you.

The second thing we must do is found in verses 15 and 16:

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."

No, I don't think this is telling us to rejoice with our enemy. In the larger context of this chapter, these verses are talking about our relationships with one another in the church. You see, it's hard to do battle with evil brought from the outside when you're battling with people from inside the church as well. On the inside is where the strength to fight is supposed to reside. So I have paraphrased this next step as

B. Strengthen Home Base.

A wolf once threatened a herd of mules. In their panic they began kicking in every direction and many of them were maimed and wounded by the hooves of others. Finally, they got their heads together and kicked outward. The wolf was forced to leave. We can't defeat the wolf when we're kicking and maiming one another. And verses 15 & 16 tell us what to do to get our heads together. Written in the third person plural: "You (all) rejoice with those who rejoice... you (all) be of the same mind, etc."

The morale of any army is a key to victory. If morale is up, battles are won. The army works together. Soldiers sacrifice for one another. They defend one another. They encourage one another to acts of uncommon valor and beyond-the-call-of-duty  bravery. Satan, of course, knows this. That's why he is constantly trying to drive little wedges between us even in the petty things that happen in our life together.

We've got to overcome the evil among us or it becomes  more difficult to see victory out there on the battle line. No, this isn't an excuse for living in a defeated way because things aren't perfect in the church. It is a call to start fixing the problems in the church (Are you listening? I'm talking you Y-O-U.) If you're going to "rejoice with those who rejoice," you'll need to work on your attitude toward your brethren. Put your life into making the church a place of healing and encouragement. It starts with you but it can be contagious. Don't just blame the preacher and the elders. Get with others who want to be overcomers and band together. Bear each other's burdens. Pray for one another. Confess your sins and struggles to one another. Do what you can to strengthen home base.

The third instruction is in verse 17a.

"Never pay back evil for evil to anyone…"

That one is simple to understand:

C. Don't Retaliate.

That is an absolute. It has no exceptions. In Greek the word translated, "never" means "never." (!) If you find yourself getting revenge, then you are sinning. The evil is overcoming you. You are fighting darkness with darkness. Satan is pulling your strings. You are dancing to the beat of his music. Don't retaliate.

The next principle is in verse 17b.

"Respect what is right in the sight of all men."

This one isn't immediately clear in English. If you have the NASV, the marginal reference says that it means literally, "Take thought for what is right..." We could put it this way:

D. Plan For What Is Right.

 One reason we fail and find we have cursed instead of blessed is because we do it before we really think it through. It is a habit, a knee-jerk reaction. It is upon us before we have time to think. So, unless we plan for what is right ahead of time, we'll continue doing the same thing we've always done. We'll curse and Satan wins another round. Think things through. Plan what you are going to say and how you will act ahead of time. You might seek some counsel in this from other Christians whom you know live their faith seriously.

The next principle is in verse 18:

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."

I've called this one,

E. Strive for Peace.

There is a danger in all this that we will want to destroy the person rather than the evil. We need to realize that our battle orders have two parts. First, we are to overcome the evil. Then we are to make peace with the individual if at all possible, so far as it depends upon us.

Nothing brings peace like the surrender of the wrongdoer to Christ, but of course, not everyone will come to that point. I'm glad that Paul was realistic here. Because of free will, some people will not be won to Christ. If we had to win them before we could relax and know we had done a good job, then we'd never relax. Paul here defines the limit of our responsibility. "So far as it depends upon you..." I can rest after I have done all I can do. But let me be sure I have done so and that I'm not just copping out.

Of course there is another application to this. In some people there is a mind set for fighting. Some people are just spoiling to put on the gloves and go at it with others. These usually go beyond fighting the evil and glory in a fight with the individual. Certainly there will be times when such a thing happens. Paul was in plenty of fights. But he didn't go out looking for them and he didn't try to pick them. We must contend and press the battle without being contentious.

Verse 19 holds what's next. I've called it

F. Make Room for God.

Verse 19 says, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."

As it said in verse 17, we cannot take our own revenge. To take God's judgement into our own hands like vigilantes is wrong. Taking vengeance is taking away what rightly belongs to God. It is taking the law into our own hands. God is the only one qualified to carry out punishment in cases like we're talking about. Vengeance is His territory. It isn't ours. To take it upon ourselves is to usurp His place. So uncoil that vigilante rope and go rope some steers. It there's gonna be a hangin' pardner, it had better be God who does it!

By the way, this verse speaks to the objection some of us might have about the guy (our enemy) getting away with all the stuff he's been doing to us if we don't get him now. He's not going to get away with a thing. It's all being recorded. Unless he surrenders to Christ, he will pay for every last wrong, even the tiny ones. God knows how to take vengeance. He says He will. Do you believe Him, or not?

II Thessalonians 1:7-8 says,

"...the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out vengeance to those who do not know God..."

Nobody will get away with a thing. Make Room for God.

Finally, verse 20 tells us to

G. Target Our Enemy's Need and Pour On The Coals.

"But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head."

This is the thing that drives the enemy back. This is the light that drives out the darkness. This is the "divinely powerful" weaponry that Paul spoke of - the "good" with which we are to overcome the evil.

Find your enemy's need and fill it! He won't know how to deal with what you are doing. You'll catch him off his balance. You'll throw him down.

Or, to use Paul's figure, you'll "heap burning coals upon his head." I don't think this means you'll burn his conscience as some have suggested, though that could happen. It is really another war picture. The ancient people knew well the effectiveness of fire in battle and they used it. Often when an enemy was scaling the walls of a city, the women and children would be inside tending numerous fires. When the fires burned down to coals, they would go to the top of the wall and dump a load of them on the heads of the enemy soldiers coming up the walls. Get a load of those and you're finished! That is the picture Paul uses to show the effect of returning good for evil. It has destructive, evil stopping power.

But do we use our weapons? More often than not, we don't. We limp around with the other troops in powerlessness while our divine weapons sit in our tents. Worse than that, we try to pick up the devil's weapons and we're as hampered in them as David was in Saul's armor when he faced Goliath.

Conclusion

Don't like this instruction? Don't complain to me. Take it up with your God. He inspired Paul to write it. Go tell Him why you are unwilling to obey what He says.

Don't think it will work? Have you really tried it - I mean really launched a coordinated offensive - or have your efforts merely been little sneak trips into enemy territory, followed by a quick scurry back to safety? Doing what God says to do always pleases God. No, I don't mean by this that your enemy will, in every case, turn to Christ or surrender to this much higher and greater wisdom. He may continue to persecute you. What will work is that you will be functioning in harmony with the Creator of the universe, carrying out the instructions He has given to be used in cases like yours. If there is any way, in a world where free will is allowed by God, that this person's soul can be won, you'll be on the front lines of the war to make it happen. What better place for the true Christian to be?

In the days of the Revolutionary War, there lived an old preacher named Peter Miller who was a close personal friend of General George Washington. In that same town there was another man named Michael Wittman who had done everything within his power to oppose and abuse this preacher and make his life miserable.

One day Michael Wittman was involved in some wrongdoing and was arrested and charged with treason. The sentence was death.

The old preacher started out on foot (the only transportation he had) and walked the entire 70 miles to Philadelphia to plead for the man's life. He was admitted to the General's presence and at once he began to beg for the man's life. Washington said, "No, Peter, I cannot grant you the life of your friend." The minister exclaimed, "My friend? He is the bitterest enemy I have." Washington was understandably puzzled. "What?" he said. "You walked 70 miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts this matter in a different light. I will grant the pardon." And he did.

Peter Miller took Michael Wittman from the very shadow of death back to his hometown, no longer as an enemy, but as a friend.

That is what we are to be doing with our enemies, so far as it depends upon us...

*Author's Note: The principles expounded in this message were first pointed out to me when I read a little book written by Jay E. Adams many years ago that pertained to dealing with enemies. I can no longer locate the book. When I do I will cite it. [Back]

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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