How Does a Godly Man Deal with Evil Pt 2

There are evil people in the world. Evil people must be dealt with swiftly and justly by the governing authorities. When justice is ignored or unduly delayed, evil people are emboldened to act more wickedly.

But how is a godly man to deal in his heart with the wicked acts of evil people?

On October 25 in Lewiston, Maine, eighteen people lost their lives, and 13 were injured, when Robert Card opened fire in a Lewiston bowling alley and later in a local bar/restaurant.

Last week I outlined four truths a godly man needs to remember in order to deal with evil:

Evil in the world exists because of inborn sin in man’s heart. 2) The godly man sees evil from God’s point of view – that God hates evil, and all the wicked will be punished. 3) God loves sinners and wants everyone to repent. And 4) The godly man understands that the real battle of good against evil is fought in the spiritual realm and not against flesh and blood.

It is this final truth that we will examine more closely today. How does realizing that our battle is not with people but with the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms help us deal with evil?

First, because we understand the source of all evil as being Satan and his demons, we can love people who do evil things knowing that they are ensnared by the Evil One and destined for hell unless they repent. While the righteous man will hate evil deeds, he will love the evil doer because that is what God did for us. Romans 5:8 says, “For God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were His enemies, Christ died for us.”  

Finally, instead of being overcome by evil, we are enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Jesus said to “love your enemies, do good and pray for those who hate you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). When we embrace the truth that evil people are first and foremost God’s enemies, yet He loves them, we are empowered to do the same.

The godly man is not permitted to hate, regardless of the evil done to him or others. Hate is of the Evil One – love is of God, and overcomes evil every time.