“Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This is one of those profound statements in the Bible, that when it hit me, it hit me hard. On the surface, it seems a no brainer: Duh! Of course, you overcome evil with good!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/kindness-300x200.jpg\")
Photo by Andrea Tummons on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n
But notice the first part. It doesn’t say “Don’t overcome evil with evil, but rather overcome evil with good.” It instead tells you what the consequence of attempting to overcome evil with evil is: you don’t overcome anything, you instead are overcome with evil.<\/p>\n
There is a lot of desire to overcome evil in this world, and for good reason. There is a lot of evil to overcome. But the majority of us are attempting to overcome that evil with bitterness, jealousy, threats, violence, backbiting, false accusations, hatred, etc. You will not overcome the evil you are attempting to by such means. You will only find yourself overcome by evil… you already have been.<\/p>\n
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said (I’m certain, echoing the sentiment found in Romans):<\/p>\n
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy, instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Eric M. Hamilton “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). This is one of those profound statements in the Bible, that when it hit me, it hit me hard. On the surface, it seems a no brainer: Duh! Of course, you overcome evil with good! But notice the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[183],"class_list":["post-23318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-evil"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35078,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/some-people-are-treating-me-as-if-im-not-welcomed-anymore-should-i-leave-or-put-up-with-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":23318,"position":0},"title":"Some people are treating me as if I’m not welcomed anymore. Should I leave or put up with them?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Several members at my church are treating me like I'm no longer wanted there. When I try to talk to them they don't want to hear it. It is really hard to think of leaving, I've been there all my life. My dad was a founding member of this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13470,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-i-overcome-my-evil-thoughts-even-though-i-am-christian-already\/","url_meta":{"origin":23318,"position":1},"title":"How can I overcome my evil thoughts even though I am Christian already?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 27, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How can I overcome my evil thoughts even though I am Christian already? Answer: I've always been amazed at how many people think that Satan gives up and goes away just because a person has become a Christian. Satan isn't going to stop tempting you with sin (evil thoughts),\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37171,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-want-to-do-something-bad-to-the-people-who-cost-me-my-job\/","url_meta":{"origin":23318,"position":2},"title":"I want to do something bad to the people who cost me my job","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, I have lost my job, and I can't stop thinking about doing something bad to the people who cost me my job. This thing is always on my mind, but I want to move forward, forget about it, and have faith in God that everything happens for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52612,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-someone-who-fails-to-give-a-greeting-be-ignored\/","url_meta":{"origin":23318,"position":3},"title":"Should someone who fails to give a greeting be ignored?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My brother complained to me about a girl who knows him very well. She came to his workplace but did not greet him. He was not happy because it showed disrespect in his opinion. (The lady is younger than him.) He also said that if he is in a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29583,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-i-have-to-give-my-father-a-proper-burial\/","url_meta":{"origin":23318,"position":4},"title":"Do I have to give my father a proper burial?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Where does it say \"honoring your father\" means even to go as far as giving him a proper burial when he dies? Answer: \"Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, \"The men of Jabesh\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5038,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-a-person-condemned-if-others-hate-him\/","url_meta":{"origin":23318,"position":5},"title":"Is a person condemned if others hate him?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 28, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it really possible that a person is condemned to hell if people fight with him or still hate him after an incident that he is perhaps sorry about but has no courage to talk about it? 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