Don’t be agitated by evildoers, and don’t envy the wicked. For the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. Proverbs 24:19-20 CSB
We live in a world where evil seems to be becoming more prevalent. Even some who call themselves pastors are preaching for profit and leading people astray.
Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…” We are seeing a lot of that these days. Many of us deal with evil on a more personal level. Some of us attend school or work with people that plot evil.
Some may even have family members or find themselves in church with someone who plots evil. Dealing with evil people can be agitating. It can cause us to want to seek revenge.
The Bible tells us to do something different. Choosing to do what God tells us to do is not easy. Our Scripture passage tells us not to become agitated and not to be envious of those who do evil.
There are times when it looks like the wicked are winning, but we must never envy them. Our Scripture passage tells us they have no future, and their lamp will be put out. They will be destroyed. Things may look good for them now, but they are headed for a downfall. Why would we envy that?
In Psalm 37:1-2, David wrote, “Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.”
Years later, Solomon would give his dad’s same advice in Proverbs 24. In Proverbs 24:1-2 Solomon wrote, “Don’t envy the evil or desire to be with them, for their hearts plan violence, and their words stir up trouble.”
The one good thing I can say about all the evil in the world today is that it is truly a sign of the end times. It’s a sign that the Lord may soon be calling us to our heavenly home and dealing with the wicked people by assigning a whole other destination for them.
The reason I believe this is because Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-6 about the evil practices of men in the last days. He predicted that men would be lovers of self rather than lovers of God along with many other evil traits. He also wrote that men would hold on to a form of godliness but deny its power. This means they would act as though they were Christians but would still speak and plot evil. They would deny God’s power to destroy evil people because they will be evil people. We are told to not even associate with them.
It is our natural tendency to try to beat evil people at their own game. I strongly encourage you not to do that. Why? Because God tells us not to. Don’t let them agitate you. My boss used to say, “Never argue with an idiot, he will just drag you down to his level and beat you to death with experience.” The same holds true for an evil person.
So, what are we to do with all these evil people? We are to leave them to God. We are told in these Scripture passages to have nothing to do with them. When you must deal with them on some level for some reason, use extreme caution and limit your involvement.
When they fall, don’t gloat. Proverbs 24:17 says, “Don’t gloat when your enemy falls, and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the LORD will see and be displeased and turn His wrath away from him.” This means God will be displeased with you for gloating, and you may find yourself on the end of God’s wrath. Trust me, you don’t want that.
Leave evil people up to the Lord. Pray for their salvation and leave the rest to God. Romans 12:19 tells us not to seek vengeance but leave vengeance to the Lord. We are told in Romans 12:21 not to be conquered by evil, but to conquer evil with good.
Don’t let evil people get to you. There is a reason the Bible tells us they will be destroyed, and they will wither like grass. Trust Him, focus on Him, and leave them alone.
Have a great day!