Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.     Romans 12:21 HCSB

Maybe it’s just me, but I seem to see more and more evil in this world as the days go by. I wonder if I was oblivious to it in years past. Am I just becoming more aware of it or is it just getting worse? I can’t say for sure, but I know it’s everywhere.

We are told in these last days that it will be bad. In 2 Timothy 3:1-6 we are told about the deprived nature we will see in people in the last days. It speaks of the evil characteristics people will possess. We are told to avoid these people.

The best way to be safe from an evil person is to stay away from them. You can try to witness to them, but if they reject it move on. Pray for them from a distance. Pray that God will put someone in their path that they will listen to and be saved.

We know that we can’t always avoid evil. We should do our best as we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 which says to stay away from every kind of evil. But there are just times when we find ourselves confronted by it. Our Scripture passage tells us to conquer evil with good. This coincides with what we are told in Ephesians 6:10-18 about always being prepared to encounter evil and suiting up in the protective gear that God provides for us daily.

The first thing we have to understand is that when we encounter evil people, we encounter those who would rather follow Satan than follow God. They would rather follow the ways of this world than focus on the world to come. This is spiritual warfare, and it cannot be fought by human weapons like guns or bows and arrows. Only God and the armor He provides can save you from this type of enemy.

We must wear truth like a belt around our waist. We must wear righteousness like armor on our chest. We can strive for righteousness, but we must surrender to Christ to have the righteousness needed to protect our hearts. Our feet should be sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. We must do our best to live peacefully with others if possible, according to Romans 12:18.

We must carry the shield of faith. Above all, we must trust in God and know He’s got this. He will fight for us. This shield will extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). Psalm 91:4 tells us His faithfulness will be a protective shield and we will not fear the terror of the night or the arrow that flies by day.

The Helmet of salvation protects our heads. We must have the knowledge of Jesus Christ and know that He saves us with the blood He shed on calvary. We must accept Him as our Savior and surrender our lives to Him. We must wear this protective helmet to protect our minds against the lies of the devil.

We must take the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. We must study our Bible and know our Bible. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He quoted Scripture to Him. Satan tried to use Scripture to entice Jesus, but Jesus knew the Word because He was and is the Word. Satan couldn’t trip Him up. Scripture is our only offensive weapon; we must be able and willing to come out swinging it if necessary.

Then Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:18 to pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for the saints. We must pray for each other.

My boss used to always say never argue with an idiot they will only drag you down to their level and beat you to death with experience. When we confront evil with evil two idiots collide. My friend, Jesus is the only way. Only through Him can we defeat the devil. That battle has been fought and Jesus won the war when He gave His life on that cross. His blood defeated sin and death and the devil.

Trust in Him today. Surrender to Him and let Him protect you from the evil that is all around.

Have a great day!