Evil is all around us. It’s not something we can completely avoid. In order to do so we would have to go outside this world (1 Corinthians 5:10). Thus, because we cannot avoid it we must determine the Christian’s best approach to dealing with it. The Bible’s inspired advice is simply this – “Be Not Overcome of Evil.” But in a world so consumed by it how is this possible?
Title: “Be Not Overcome of Evil”
Text: Romans 12:17-21
Main Point: Evil and good are two things that are very contagious. When somebody does good to us, or we see somebody doing good to others, we are often motivate to do good ourselves. However, when somebody does evil to us, or we see somebody doing evil to others, we often are motivated to do evil ourselves. Vengeance is just something that we are conditioned to try to obtain. When somebody does something to us, we automatically want to get them back. As Christians, though we should seek to be better than that. We have a higher standard to which we should attain; something far above the pettiness of pay-back. In Romans 12, Paul was instructing the Roman Christians regarding the perfect will of God, and the last half of the chapter is devoted to a medley of matters regarding Christian conduct, among which matters, Paul addressed the topic of vengeance (refer to text). There is a very clear precedent set here regarding how, as a Christian, I am to react to the presence of evil. What, though, are some principles to remember as I confront evil every day and am expected to live up to God’s expectation of me as a Christian?
§ Understand Evil Happens – One of the greatest questions still contemplated by the most respected thinkers in the world is why evil exists. Depending on your perspective of God the answer can be very clear or very convoluted. Where did evil originate? Evil had its beginning in the garden of Eden when man consciously chose to forsake God. When God was forsaken evil occurred and man had to depart from His presence. Since that time evil has overcome the earth (Genesis 6:5; 11:6; 18:20). And with general evil comes evil deeds directed toward one another. People’s hearts have become so hardened by sin that they simply do not think about what they say or do to others, even Christians. Such is absolutely inexcusable, but if we are going to overcome evil, we must recognize and understand its origin and existence.
§ Remember People Watch – People are always watching to see what our reaction to evil is going to be. There are those who have an honest curiosity as to how we will react to evil committed to us or others. There are those, though, who watch with hope that our reaction will incriminate us and make us fall. Jesus’ plea and instruction to His disciples was that they let their light shine before men who would see their good works and glorify God (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus understood something about human nature – that we watch others. Knowing that He told us to give those people something constructive to see. The reality that somebody is watching us should motivate us to act according to godly principles. Thus if we are going to overcome evil we must remember that people watch.
§ Know Good’s Power – It is amazing what can happen when we commit ourselves to doing good to others, even those who consider themselves our enemies. Paul illustrates it in Romans 12:20 by saying that in the process we “heap coals of fire on his head.” A number of great examples of such exists throughout the Bible but one of the greatest would be in the life of David. When David was just a boy he was already considered an enemy of King Saul because Saul saw him as a threat to his power. But for the foreseeable future while Saul sought to kill him David heaped coals of fire on his head because when he had the opportunity to retaliate and kill Saul he did not. And in 1 Samuel 24:16-19 Saul’s reaction to knowing of David’s continued kindness was to turn in attitude toward him. David sought the course of good and good won. It will every time.
As children of God we cannot afford to act as the world acts and we cannot afford to respond to evil as the world responds to evil. If we are going to grow as we can grow then we must not be overcome of evil but rather overcome evil with good!