"Overcome Evil"

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

With evil present in the world everywhere around us we have to be on guard and not let it overcome us. How do we know when it has? When it causes us to lose our joy, it has overcome us. When the evil that we see around us causes us to want to throw up our hands in defeat and give up. When it causes us to want to quit running the race that is set before us. When we stop yielding the fruit of the Spirit, we have let it overcome us. When we have fear but no faith because of the evil acts and words of others, then it is overcoming us. When it takes your eyes off of God and His kingdom, it has overcome you. When we let it discourage us, steal our peace or depress us, then it has overcome us.

The verse above is a command. It tells us not to be overcome by evil. In other words we are not to let evil defeat us. Is that possible? Can we have any power over evil when it comes against us? It would not be a command if it were not possible. The same verse that gives us the command also gives us the solution- "Overcome evil with good". We overcome it by doing what is good.

How do we overcome evil with good? By doing those things that are good. Such as keeping your mind renewed in God's word. By keeping your heart and mind fixed upon the Lord. You do it by remembering that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood so go after the real enemy-spiritual wickedness- with the weapons you have been given. If the evil is coming through a person that you have dealings with, show some act of kindness to them (Romans 12:20). Pray- pray for yourself, for the person, for the situation. When you speak to that person, speak the truth in love, not in argument, not in frustration, but with fearlessness. Guard your heart by not listening to evil reports through the television, radio or conversations. When evil comes through a temptation and tries to get you to yield, pull out your sword of the Spirit, call a fellow Christian for prayer support, pray in the Holy Spirit.

As I have said, evil is ever present. Evil will be in the world as long as the devil and sin are in the world. But evil doesn't have to overcome you, it doesn't have to affect you to the point where it destroys you- overcomes you. And when you are personally faced with evil it will not overcome you if you will follow God's word and implement His strategies and solutions for overcoming it. Evil and good are the opposite. So do good when evil comes instead of giving into it and you will overcome it.

Have a great day. You do not have to be overcome by evil because Jesus has already made you more than a conqueror over the evil one.

For further reading:
1 Corinthians 10:13
1 John 4:4
1 Peter 5:8-10
James 4:7
Matthew 5:44
1 Thessalonians 5:15