Verse: Romans 12:21
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Devotional Thoughts:
Why does Paul tell them not to be overcome with evil? If we’ve been forgiven and set free from our sin, why does he need to tell them this?
Paul points it out is because he understands evil is tempting. It’s tempting. It’s inviting. It makes us curious. And whenever we’re tempted by evil, one thing we feel inclined to do is to get as close to it as we can, without actually taking part in it.
The other day I read a fictional story of Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was a reimagining of what Eve’s thought process might have been. Again, this is fictional, but it does illustrate how we approach things we know to be off-limits:
God never said you couldn’t pick the fruit, did he? He just said you weren’t supposed to eat it, right? Well, go on. Pick it . . . Good . . . Now smell it. He never said you couldn’t smell it. There’s nothing wrong with smelling the fruit . . . There, now, lick it. It’s not the same as eating. . .
And so it goes. Until we take a bite. That’s how evil tempts us all. One small step at a time.
Points to Ponder:
One of the difficulties with evil is it’s not always apparent. It can appear in the form of self-righteousness when we’re doing good:
I don’t do anything “the world” is doing. I don’t drink, smoke, cuss. I don’t cheat on taxes or tell lies. I go to church, read my Bible, and pray… I’m much better spiritually than those around me.
And so it goes. Step by step, you’ve embraced evil, not by the things you do, but by your pride in the things you don’t.
Evil is against God and his will – the opposite of what is good for us. The best thing for us is to be in the will of God. And the only way for us to ultimately overcome evil is through the one who overcame evil on the cross in our place. Jesus told his disciples to take heart, for he has overcome the world. To close with a quote from Billy Graham:
We can overcome the onslaught of Satan and the power of this world system of evil by the blood of the Lamb. We will never overcome by mere human effort. We will never overcome by our deeds of righteousness, however commendable they may be. The Bible says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
