EP 14: Overcoming Evil With Good
In this week’s episode, Elle shines discusses overcoming evil with good. Upon Christ’s return, evil will be gone for good. In the meantime, however, we are called to be agents of His great love in a world that so desperately needs it.
Welcome
Well hey there and welcome to episode 14 of the Daughter of Delight podcast. 2020 has proven to be a difficult year in so many ways. The purpose of this episode is not to focus on the remaining reality of evil in this world but to instead focus on how to proactively overcome it. I am deeply convicted this is a message that we all need to be reminded of, so we are going to plant ourselves in Romans 12:14-21 today- the call to overcome evil with good.Before we get started, I want to share the review of the week with you!
Review of the Week
Dia1223 says, “It’s such a delight (no pun intended) to have a podcast like this at a time like this. Elle is so thoughtful in her preparation and approach to the topics she covers. It’s obvious to tell she is a student of the Word of God who is committed to training up her listeners to feel more confident and empowered as they study the Word and live their daily lives guided by the Word, This podcast is sure to bless and encourage all who listen!” Dia1223, sister, I’ve gotta be honest- I loved that pun. Let me add to it. I am so delighted that the Lord is using this podcast to bless and encourage you in your walk with Him. When I read reviews like yours, I am not only encouraged to keep creating Gospel-centered content but also affirmed that one of the best places to do that is right here on the podcast. I am loving this new venture so much and I’m so glad and grateful to have you along for the ride! Thank you!
Your Review Matters
To any of my sisters tuning in who are loving the podcast but haven’t left a review yet. It would seriously mean so much if you did. This is a very easy way to help spread the word about the podcast. And by that I mean, reviews are what help the podcast grow. So please consider partnering with me in this way to help spread the news of what God is doing through Daughter of Delight. Sending all of my hugs and appreciation your way!!
Updates
Life
I thought it would be fun to take a second to give a little life update. If you listened to last week’s podcast episode, you probably remember that I mentioned we had our first official foster placement, a 16-year-old boy. It’s officially been a little over a week now and things are going really well. Michael and I were not planning on taking in anyone over the age of 13 starting out, but when we got the call for this particular placement it was a very clear yes from the Lord. So, thank you to those of you who have been covering us in prayer. We feel it and God is undoubtedly moving within the walls of our home. Thank you, thank you!
Rooted in the Word Challenge
The other thing I want to share with you is about the accountability challenge I shared on IG stories and in an email a few weeks ago. I honestly could not believe the response I received from asking how many of you would be up for participating in a 7-day challenge that would help you cultivate a rhythm of getting in God’s Word every single day. It became very apparent to me how much of a need this is, so you better believe I am working on it! Obviously, family comes first and since we received a foster placement my schedule has shifted just a bit- but I do want you to know I am working on it and can’t wait to do it with you! So stay tuned for more information soon!
Overcoming Evil with Good
Alright, now that we’ve got the review of the week and those fun pieces of information covered, let’s talk about Overcoming Evil With Good. I am going to saturate this episode with as much truth as I possibly can because, again, I am so convicted that it’s a Gospel message we all need to hear.It is no surprise to us that we live in a lost and broken world. It is a dark place and evil absolutely exists within it. Until Christ’s return, this is our reality.This is why it is so important that we view this world through the lens of the Gospel. Because no human solution can cure only what Christ can. I am excited to read Paul’s words with you about how to overcome evil according to Romans 12:14-21. Before we dive in, though, let’s talk about some key contextual need-to-knows about this particular letter.
About the Letter of Romans
At the time he wrote this letter to whom he addressed as “God’s beloved in Rome” in Romans 1:7, Paul was in the Greek city of Corinth. In Romans 1:10-13, we learn that Paul desired to go to Rome, but had been prevented thus far. In Romans 15:23-28, we learn that Paul hopes to go to Rome on his way to Spain, which would be where the next chapter of his ministry endeavors would take place. But before he did any of these things, he made it clear that his immediate plan of action was to go to Jerusalem with the offering for the poor from the Gentile churches (15:25-27).Needless to say, Paul was a busy man!
Paul Was Excited to Go to Rome
I think it is pretty safe to say that Paul looked forward to visiting his brothers and sisters in Rome. It was something he had wanted to do for years but had not yet had the chance to because of his ministry duties. It is also safe to say that Paul desired to preach the Gospel and impart spiritual impact and growth to them. In Romans 1:11, he says, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you…” and in Romans 1:15, he says, “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome” (ESV).
Fun fact
Here’s a fun fact for you: the book of Romans is not only the longest letter in the New Testament, but it covers so many topics regarding the Christian life. This letter greatly influenced church reformers like John Wesley, Saint Augustine and Martin Luther in their faith lives. They viewed the letter of Romans as a key to understanding all of Scripture, which makes a ton of sense when you consider all that Paul covers in it. We’re talking sin, law, faith, works, grace, human destiny, election, salvation, sanctification and justification, and so much more! Romans is, without a doubt, an influential letter that every Christian should cover. With these things in mind, let’s take a look at Romans 12:14-21 and talk about overcoming evil with good.
Overcoming Evil with Good: Romans 12:14-21
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.Here, Paul gives us an entire list of things to do and things not to do. Some of these things certainly sound easier said than done. The truth is, they are completely impossible without the loving and guiding aid of God’s Spirit in us. For this episode, I am going to break this pericope, or selected passage of Scripture--that is, Romans 12:14-21--up into three different sections. I want to do this because there are three different characteristics of love that Paul touches on in this particular passage.
Overcoming Evil with Good: Romans 12:14-15
The first section I want to look at with you is verses 14-15. Let’s read them again:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Sympathizing Love
These verses are a call to a sympathizing love. When this love is mutual amongst the body of believers, we will genuinely place the needs of others before ourselves. We will invest ourselves in the sorrows and joys of one another. So much so that we will make them our own. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:26, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (ESV).
Example ONE
Let’s say that you and a friend from church work at the same place and there is a promotion you are both chasing after. We’ll call her Suzy. The day of the promotion announcement arrives, and you learn that you didn’t get it. Suzy did. Instead of feeling jealous, angry, sad, or all of the above--because, let’s be honest, being upset would be an easier thing to do--you congratulate and rejoice with her instead. You are able to do this because you know that God has His best in mind for His children. And for you, this promotion was not it. But for Suzy, it was. And because you recognize that God is in every detail in the lives of His children, you are able to rejoice with Suzy and be genuinely happy for her. You are able to share a sympathizing love with her.
Example Two
I’m on a roll here so let’s talk about one more example! Let’s say that you have a family member who is not a Christian and often makes fun of your faith. It’s like every time you are around them they have to bring it up...they have to belittle you in some way. Instead of giving in to their little game, however, you treat them with the love of Christ in thought, word, and deed. And you genuinely pray for the Lord to spark a heart change in them because you desire for them to experience what you have and continue to experience as a child of God.
God's Spirit in Us
The sympathizing love that Paul is getting at here takes the strength of God’s Spirit in us. Without it, we would be holding grudges, harboring anger and picking fights in situations like what I just shared. That being said, Truth should always be wielded with a scalpel, NOT a hammer. If people are still determined to sew discord no matter how well you love them, you can still rejoice! This is because, as Matthew 5:10 says, blessed are all those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Make it your focus to forgive them and move on even though they desire to stay put, knowing that you serve Christ’s wishes and not the world’s. This sympathizing love that Paul speaks of here in verses 14-15 is so special and makes a lasting impact. Let’s pursue and participate in this love.
Overcoming Evil with Good: Romans 12:16
Alright- now, let’s take a look at verse 16. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
United Love
Verse 16 expresses a call to a united love.When Paul says to live in harmony with one another, he means to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. To love one another as ourselves- in agreement and disagreement. To desire their welfare as our own- in agreement and disagreement. He words it beautifully in Philippians 2:2 by saying, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (ESV). In the latter half of verse 16, we are told to never recognize anyone as “beneath” us, no matter the status we may carry in society. In the eyes of God, we are all the same. And this is the very truth we must love our brothers and sisters in Christ with. In a world that values status, superiority and self, loving those who the world classifies as less than, can absolutely be perceived as distasteful. But we must not care. What we must care about is the bigger picture at hand; how we have the opportunity to share the greatest love of all to those around us; how we can participate in the redeeming work God is doing in this world through acts of love!
Example
The best example of this is found in John 13, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. By washing His disciples' feet, Jesus did what a servant would do. What made His act so special, though, is that He was their Lord; their Teacher. In their society--and ours--no one of any stature would have stooped to such a lowly level of servanthood.But Christ did, and because of that, we must, too. Because He gifted us with the absolute greatest act of love. He set the example. So forget what the world says. Let’s follow His lead instead. Let’s pursue a united love.
Overcoming Evil with Good: Romans 12:17-21
Okay, now take a look at verses 17-21 with me: 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Peace-Filled Love
The love that Paul speaks of in these verses is a peace-filled love. It is a peace that only Christ can bring about through us. And, ultimately, it is a peace that Christ will bring in full upon His return. In the meantime, however, this is a peace we are to pursue amongst one another to the best of our ability. God’s Word teaches us how to behave toward our enemies. It is the complete opposite of what the world has to say. But this is a good thing. A great thing!
Pursue Peace
Rather than pursuing vengeance and victory in the face of our enemies, we are called to instead pursue peace; to seek to do them no harm; to do all the good that we can.We are to feed them when they are hungry and give them something to drink when they are thirsty. Doing these very things will demonstrate the call that we have to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Let us not forget that our enemies are our neighbors. How we love them matters.
Overcoming Evil with Good: Romans 12:20
In verse 20, Paul says that when we do these things--when we feed our enemy and give them something to drink--we will heap burning coals on their head.This is an interesting phrase and I really like the way Matthew Henry explains the meaning of it. First, he says our love for our enemy will melt the enemy into repentance and friendship and mollify--or appease--the enemy’s spirit toward us. It will aggravate the enemy’s condemnation and it will make his malice against us more inexcusable in his sight. What Henry is getting at here is that God will use our acts of love to help soften the enemy’s heart. Whether we see the change or not, we can trust that God is working. The three different qualities of love that Romans 12:14-21 shine light on are the very traits of Christ’s love for us. Combined, they portray Christ-centered LOVE, which is exactly how we overcome evil. With the good of love!
The Greatest Example of Overcoming Evil with Good
Christ set the greatest example of loving our enemies on the cross. He literally died for His enemies -- us! Mankind hated Christ without a cause. Yet, Christ took His last breath with us in mind anyway because He knew His cause. It was love. And His love has made a way for us to have a relationship with our Father in Heaven. We are to reflect this love to our enemies in word and deed, no matter what. Here’s the thing. Our job in this world is to share the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. To live this out in the way we love others- including our enemies. If we want to be glimpses of the love and peace we so strongly desire to see in this world, we must exalt Christ. We must be His image-bearers. We must proclaim Him in the midst of our violent, dark and dying world.
Christ is the Cure
Sis, we must not put the Gospel message on hold in order to seek a cure that can only come from our Savior Himself. If we look anywhere outside of Christ, we are only wasting our time. Proactive, lasting change that honors God is the change this world needs, and it can only come from keeping our eyes set on Him and our hearts rooted in His Word. When we consider the brokenness of our world, I pray that we would acknowledge our true need for God. That we would recognize this world is saturated in sin, and no human solution can cure it. May we truly believe Christ is our only hope in this life. Upon His return, darkness will flee and Satan will be no more. Sin will be gone for GOOD and the reconciliation, peace and justice we desire to take place in our world will flow freely!
As We Wait
In the meantime, we are called to live our lives in a way that demonstrates Christ as the only cure. We are called to overcome evil with good. Sister, my prayer for us both is that God would use our love-provoked words and actions to help us overcome evil. Because He is the only good thing in us. Amen? May we be agents of reconciliation that share His truth, love and peace and fight to put sin to death as we wait for the return of our Savior. Let us rejoice that the King is on His way! Because when He gets here, the justice, reconciliation, and peace we long for will show themselves in full- once and for all.
The Key to Overcoming Evil with Good
Remember: Sympathy centered love + unity centered love + peace centered love = Christ-centered love. The greatest and strongest love of all. My prayer for us is that this love, this Christ-centered love, would be the very love--the very motive--for every thing we do in this life. Soli deo Gloria!
More
Did you enjoy today’s episode on overcoming evil with good? Check out last week’s episode,Taming the Tongue, here!Want more Gospel-centered encouragement? Click here!
Meet Your Host
ELLE CARDEL
Elle is a 26-year-old southern gal whose heart is after Christ. She lives in a historic fixer-upper in Shelbyville, TN with her college sweetheart and hubby, Michael. She is on a mission to encourage and empower women across the globe with the life-giving, transformative truths found in God’s infallible Word.Elle believes that in order to truly know and enjoy life with the Father, we must live and breathe His Word. This belief is part of the story behind how Daughter of Delight came to be. If you would like to learn more about the DOD story, click here you can do so here!