Do you know your enemies? What does the Bible say about your enemies?
The Bible has a lot to say about them!
In Matthew 5:44, Jesus tells us, But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (NIV). He goes on to tell us that if we do this, we will be sons of God (verse 45). Knowing that God’s people are always in the minority — like being lambs among wolves (Matthew 10:16) — He had to make sure His people were prepared to live and work among the enemy. Here are five Bible verses about how to handle your enemies!
What is an enemy? He is a person who hates someone, who seeks to harm him, who wishes him harm. We have, I suppose, people of this type around us, whether at school, at work, in our friendships, and/or family. But what does God say about these people? The Word of God tells us in Matthew 5:44-45 (KJV) “But I say to you: Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you. and who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father which is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the wicked and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Love your enemies, even if it’s hard!
Difficult isn’t it? Yes of course it is, but it is God’s will for us that, despite their attitude towards us, and their wickedness, we can reflect Christ, and walk in the love of Christ. The Word tells us in Proverbs 25:21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For you are heaping coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you”.
Moreover, the spiritual world is very real, even if we do not see it with our carnal eyes but it is very real. We have chosen to take the path of eternal life, we have abandoned the train of this world, and therefore left the camp of the enemy. The Bible warns us about how to interact in our human relationships in Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the princes of this world of darkness against evil spirits in the heavenly places”.
You already have victory over your enemies!
Since we have left the things of this world and consecrated ourselves to God, we will necessarily be persecuted, we are not going to hide our faces, because the Bible clearly says so in the passages below:
2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV) And everyone who wants to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Matthew 10:22 (KJV) “You will be hated by all for My name’s sake.”
John 15:18-19 (KJV) “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you did. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, because of that the world hates you”.
Through these verses, we can see that if you are persecuted in this world, know that you are pleasing to God for the things of this world are enmity against God. It’s not always easy to stay courteous, to be good Christians, to keep your mouth shut when we want to open it, but God knows us so well that He has given us spiritual weapons to tarnish closed.
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Ephesians 6:10-11 (KJV) “Besides, be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power. Put on all the armor of God, so that you can stand firm against the wiles of the devil. “
These weapons are among others: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of justice, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, and the shield of faith. Further, 2 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV) tells us, “For the weapons with which we fight are not carnal; but they are powerful, by the virtue of God, to overthrow fortresses”.
In conclusion, I have good news for you, because although you have enemies who persecute you, know that you already have victory! God gave you the victory because He says in Acts 2: 35 (KJV) “until I make your enemies your footstool.” So, keep the faith that the almighty God reigns and will reign forever and that He is with us in every moment of our life, whether in moments of joy, but also in difficult times. Amen! Glory be to Him!
