How to Overcome Evil with Good (Romans 12:21) - Your Daily Bible Verse - February 18
How to Overcome Evil
by Lynette Kittle
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” -- Romans 12:21
Do you realize by doing good, you are defeating evil?
Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? Yet many still believe you have to fight evil on its own playing field. Recognize how the enemy of God wants you to play at his level, rather than understanding how your simple, loving acts of kindness and compassion throw a wrench into his most devious plans.
1 Peter 2:15 explains, “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
Unlike popular belief, shouting others down or putting them in their place isn’t the most effective approach in responding to angry words. Rather, the way to silence tactless talk is through good works.
Because of your relationship with God, doing good should come easy, too, since, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:35)
Scripture describes how Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit went around doing good (Acts 10:38).
As Jesus lived, you are called to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 spells it out explaining, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Like Jesus went around doing good, God has prepared good things for you to do, setting it all up ahead of time so all you have to do is follow His lead.
In the same way, Galatians 6:10 directs, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
As 3 John 1:11 urges, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”
Likewise, Amos 5:15 urges you to hate evil and love good because as Proverbs 17:13 explains, “Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.”
By doing good, you follow God’s example of kindness and mercy towards you, as described in Titus 3:4,5. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Reflect on today’s verse with us. Share your thoughts in the Your Daily Bible Verse discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Kikovic
Related Resource: Praying Through Psalms 60: Victory in Hopeless Ground
What do you do when the battlefield stretches in every direction, and it looks like God Himself brought the defeat?
Join Jaime on the Praying Christian Women Podcast for a devotional on Psalm 60 — a raw, honest lament born out of being surrounded on all sides, where David dares to say You did this, God — and still picks up the banner and calls Him Lord.
Jaime unpacks the historical backdrop of David fighting enemies to the north, east, and south all at once, and shares a breathtaking story from her years near Death Valley — where barren, salt-crusted flats that look permanently dead suddenly erupted into a once-in-a-century bloom of purple wildflowers. Sometimes the victory is already buried right beneath the most hopeless-looking ground, waiting for God's rain to bring it to life. If this episode helps you navigate life with prayer and intention, be sure to follow Praying Christian Women on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
