All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.     Ephesians 4:31-32 HCSB

As Christians we walk a fine line when it comes to dealing with our enemies. We are told to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in Matthew 5:44. Romans 12:19-20 warns us against seeking vengeance against those who have wronged us. We are instructed to provide food and drink for our enemy if they are thirsty or hungry.

Today’s Scripture passage tells us not to be bitter, angry or speak or plot evil against anyone. It tells us to be kind and compassionate to everyone and forgive others as Christ forgives us. We are told that several times in the Bible. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus plainly tells us that if we refuse to forgive others, our Father in heaven will not forgive us.

Often times our enemy is someone who is just pure evil. When we dedicate our lives to Christ, there will be those who once called themselves our friends who will turn against us. There will people that won’t want to have anything to do with us because of the new person we have become.

The Bible tells us to avoid every kind of evil in 1 Thessalonians 5:22. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Paul talks about how people will be evil only caring about themselves.  They are described as abusive, unholy, slanderous and treacherous. He even says they will have the appearance of godliness but deny its power. Or they will be pretending to be Christians. We are told to avoid those people.

We know the devil comes against us when we are trying to be our best for God. He uses his minions to cause us trouble. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but the demonic forces of evil.

Don’t ever think it’s just a person coming against you. When someone plots evil toward you it is the devil using them for his work.

What do we do? Do we love them and pray for them, or do we avoid them? The answer is yes. We love them, pray for them and avoid them. We cannot associate with evil. If possible, try to reconcile with them and witness to them. If they refuse to listen, move on.

I faced this dilemma some years ago. It was so upsetting I spoke with my pastor about it. He told me I had to love my enemies and I had to pray for their salvation, but I did not have to trust them. This relieved my heart of a great burden.

I found the harder I prayed; the more God changed my heart. I still don’t trust this person, but I have compassion for them. I pray for them and love them from a safe distance. I keep my guard up when I am in their presence or speaking to them. I trust God to give me wisdom and discernment in dealing with them.

Jesus told His disciples in Mark 6:11 if anyone did not welcome them or listen to them to leave and shake the dust off their feet. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus told His disciples not to cast their pearls before swine. Do the best you can to share the gospel with those who come against you.

If they don’t listen, move on. Love them, pray for them from a distance. We are to love our enemies. We are to pray for those who persecute us. We are to avoid every kind of evil.

Praying for your enemies is not easy, but I have found when I pray for my enemies God changes my heart. I have compassion for them. I may not trust them, but God removes the bitterness from my heart. I can truly forgive them. Romans 12:21 cautions us against being conquered by evil. Instead, we are to conquer evil with good.

Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute and avoid every kind of evil. This makes life much easier.

Have a great day!