The Overcomers of Evil in Christ Jesus!

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  - Romans 12:21 NIV

The world urges us that we have to overcome evil by evil deeds by revenging. However, the word of God points out that we have to overcome evil with good deeds (Romans 12:21), due to the fact that all of us are called to be the lights of Jesus Christ to the world (Matthew 5:14-16). This is because we actually have been made to be the images of God (Genesis 1:27). “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30) Therefore, we also called to do the Great Commission in every circumstance; evangelizing people to Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). The reason for this is that all of us are meant to be one as we are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13), and Jesus prayed before His Father for all of us that we may be united, just as Christ and God are united (John 17:20-21). Thus, for this reason, the word of God declares:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)

Let us think about Jesus Christ for a second because He overcame evil with good. Firstly, God sent Him into the world from heaven as an image of Himself (John 1:14) to be crucified on the cross for our sins (Colossians 2:13-15) because of His steadfast love (John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:9-10). Even though Jesus probably hated to be beaten to the death, He persevered, for He knows that this was His father’s will (Luke 22:42). To be specific, Jesus could have sent His angels to destroy everyone who was flogging and torturing Him to the death but He did not. This is because He cared about the will of His Father firsthand (Matthew 26:53-54). Thus, when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross as an atonement of our sins, He defeated the power of the evil one (Hebrews 2:14-15). Furthermore, He actually went to the place of death and destruction, in order to proclaim that the eternal kingdom of heaven is being opened (1 Peter 3:18-22). Moreover, because of Jesus’ perseverance, crucifixion and resurrection, all of us are able to be the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24-25).

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:1-13)