How to Overcome Evil
by Lynette Kittle
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” -- Romans 12:21
Do you realize by doing good, you are defeating evil?
Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? Yet many still believe you have to fight evil on its own playing field. Recognize how the enemy of God wants you to play at his level, rather than understanding how your simple, loving acts of kindness and compassion throw a wrench into his most devious plans.
1 Peter 2:15 explains, “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
Unlike popular belief, shouting others down or putting them in their place isn’t the most effective approach in responding to angry words. Rather, the way to silence tactless talk is through good works.
Because of your relationship with God, doing good should come easy, too, since, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:35)
Scripture describes how Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit went around doing good (Acts 10:38).
As Jesus lived, you are called to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 spells it out explaining, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Like Jesus went around doing good, God has prepared good things for you to do, setting it all up ahead of time so all you have to do is follow His lead.
In the same way, Galatians 6:10 directs, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
As 3 John 1:11 urges, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”
Likewise, Amos 5:15 urges you to hate evil and love good because as Proverbs 17:13 explains, “Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.”
By doing good, you follow God’s example of kindness and mercy towards you, as described in Titus 3:4,5. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, iBelieve.com, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, and more. She has an M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as an associate producer for Soul Check TV.
We want to experience God through the Bible… we really do!
But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way. What should feel alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to.
In the How to Study the Bible podcast, pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by walking listeners through her Alive Method of Bible study, helping us personally encounter God through his Word by giving us a practical, clear road map for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture to our lives. Just click below to start listening now!
