“Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
Good vs. Evil-the age old story. It seems that every movie and every book have this theme somewhere laced into the plot. I googled it (147,000,000 results in 0.18 seconds), and here’s a very small visual snapshot of what came back in the search.
Ha! I don’t know what I love more. The ducks or the eyeballs with the crow pooping out its feathers. It’s interesting that as humans, we are so fascinated by the battle between the two. Well…SPOILER ALERT…this world’s story is already written. The final chapter has been penned. The final winner? Good. God. God is the final winner. He promises, in fact, that He’s already overcome the world, sin and death! That’s amazing. It’s super encouraging. God’s already won!
“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
But it’s the now and not yet theory. It’s already written. It’s already won. But it hasn’t happened yet. So there is a meanwhile. We are in the meanwhile. So not only does God beat evil, but He also calls us to join Him in the battle of the meanwhile. To do that He promises that we will have power even greater than He did!
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
Until the day Jesus returns, we are called to mirror Him and battle evil with His help. He has given us everything we need to overcome evil with good. To zone in on a few, let’s take a look at five amazing gifts He has given us to be able to do just that. He gives us new lives. He gives us authority. He gives us protective gear. He gives us the Word. He gives us the Holy Spirit.
1. New Lives
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
2. Authority
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
3. Protective “Gear”
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Ephesians 6:10-18a)
4. God’s Word
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
5. The Holy Spirit
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
In Christ we already have everything we need to overcome evil with good. Period.
That’s it! That’s the last verse in our section from Paul on the Marks of a True Christian from Romans 12:9-21. Post #20. What a journey. As a final review, here are all thirteen verses together:
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peacably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.”
That’s it. If there are any in particular you want to review, you can find all of them below at the bottom of the page in a category appropriately titled “All Blogs from Romans 12:9-21.” This has been an incredibly fun, challenging, convicting journey for me, and for all of us here at NBC, I’m Kate McKenzie. Haha. Just kidding. Really wanted to say that. I don’t really understand that line anyhow. It doesn’t make sense. Like wouldn’t you say, “I’m Kate McKenzie, and from all of us here at NBC, Goodnight.” Not “And for all of us here at NBC I’m Kate McKenzie.” Shouldn’t everyone know who you are? Wow. I digress.
Sincerely, what I wanted to say was, that I am praying for those of you that have joined me on this journey, or for those of you who will join in the future, I pray that your love for Jesus would convert into obedience and lives that bring Him honor and glory. He is so worthy. I love you, my blog-reading friends!!!
