Overcome Evil with Good – Part 1

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

 

This week, Michael writes: The devil is never loyal to his own. Those who are captivated by the enemy will come to naught. The spirit of evil is the thief that comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. Evil destroys and eats its own. Evil will ultimately implode upon itself, therefore be not overcome evil, but overcome evil with good. God has called his people to stand in the gap against the evil of this world. We have been called to stand amidst the darkness of the world in the righteousness of Christ. Men and women in whom the spirit of the Lord resides are God’s fingers in the dike, holding back the evil of this world.

God is loyal to his men and women in the spiritual battle. He will never leave us or forsake us. According to Edward McKendree (EM) Bounds, humility is the essence and the vitality of prayer. Pride and vanity cannot pray. Our selfish sin nature has an aversion to prayer. Our flesh will remind us that we are unworthy to enter into the presence of God. The sin in our heart reminds us of our unworthiness. However, the Word of God says that the Lord Jesus told us, “, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Our rest is not in the righteousness of the flesh but in the spirit of God in Christ in us. In Him we live and move and have our being. We must remember who we are in Christ and whose we are in Christ in order to find rest and peace in him. 

 

When we align our hearts with His heart and acknowledge our righteousness in Christ, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man and woman avails much. We are bombarded by incessant incoming bombs … fiery darts launched by the adversary in the spiritual warfare. These spiritual laser-guided bombs target our weaknesses in the flesh desires. The paradox is not to fight back in my own power but in the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must take up the shield of faith that we may be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and dominions of spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

1 Peter 5:5-7 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

 

Humility is a rare quality … the world loves humility because it’s rare and refreshing. Pride goes before the fall. Vanity cannot pray. He hath showed thee O Man, what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Humility is the first response to the Holy Spirit. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ … who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even unto the death of the cross.

Let's continue Michael message on "Overcoming evil with good" in the next post. 

In Christ, Brian