How To Overcome Evil With Good Instead Of Being Overcome By Evil – Rom. 12:

How to Overcome Evil With Good Instead of Being Overcome By Evil – Rom. 12:21

Quote:184. "Faith enables us to understand what God does. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see. As a result, faith enables us to do what others cannot do."(Wiersbe, 318)

Overcome: From the Greek word nikao meaning to prevail over, to master, to be victorious. We have a choice in every situation to either be a victor or to be vanquished. Too many believers are failing to experience consistent victory over their anger, fear and selfish desires. Jesus wants us to experience His life in all of its abundance, but too many Christians today are allowing themselves to be defeated by the world, the flesh and the devil. Quote: He, who overcomes with the good of patience, forbearance, kindness, and beneficence to those who have wronged you, is better than the mighty. Here are a few guidelines for overcoming evil with good instead of succumbing to power of evil that seeks to defeat us emotionally, mentally, physically, socially and spiritually.

1. PRAISE God that you are already a conqueror through Christ who loves you. (Rom. 8:37) THANK God for making you a conqueror over sin, human desires and evil through the power of Christ who lives within each believer. Too many Christians fail to appropriate, recognize and utilize the power of Christ to help them do everything God asks them to do. We cannot experience what it is to be an overcomer unless we recognize and thank God for what we already have in our new identity in Christ and in the body of believers WE belong to. Paul wrote, “He has put all things under His feet and appointed Him as head of the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things in all ways and makes everything complete, and who fills everything everywhere with Himself. (Eph. 1:22,23) Praise God for giving you His overcoming power a member of His body.

2. OVERSHADOW any opposition with His mighty power. To overshadow something is to let it appear much more prominent or important. Be like Mary who learned how to let the power of God overshadow any negative criticism, misunderstanding, or misconstruing of the facts when she was told, “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) “Then the angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you like a shining cloud and so the holy offspring will shall be born of you.” (Luke 1:35)

3. OVERLOOK another’s fault. To overlook is to fail to notice, to ignore, and to look beyond. Proverbs 19:11 says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” Learn to be bigger than any problem through the power that Christ gives you. In a day when lawsuits and people are quick to demand their rights Paul tells us that we are not to take vengeance in to our hands, but leave room for God’s wrath. We are to overcome with forgiveness that will break the cycle of retaliation and lead to reconciliation. The alternative is terrible because returning evil for evil hurts us just as much as it hurts an opponent. Forgiving another person frees you of the heavy load of bitterness that defiles many. Choose to be better rather than bitter from every situation.

4. OVERFLOW with love, hope, joy and faith. The Greek word is hyperperisseuo, which means to abound more exceedingly. To overflow means to extend beyond the limits by going over the brim of vessel. David wrote, “My cup overflows.” (Psa. 23:5,6) People who allow the Spirit of God to empower them will have the spiritual resources that allow them to overflow with kindness, patience, and a harvest of righteousness. People who are overflowing of the fruits of the Spirit will be able to replace any negative tendency with righteousness, godliness, faith, love and peace. A person who is in close communion with the Lord, His Spirit and His word will overflow with the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Quote: “He that cannot quietly bear an injury is perfectly conquered by it.” (Matthew Henry)

5. OVERPOWER with Christ’s mighty power working in and through you. Paul wrote, “I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” (Phil. 4:13) Plug in to the power source of Christ’s word, His presence and His love so you do give in to the temptation of responding out of your flesh instead of Christ’s power in you. He who began a good work in you is able to complete it. (Phil. 1:6) Do not doubt, fret or get sidetracked by unimportant problems that are like insects that can be warded off with Christ’s powerful repellants. God told Zerubbabel, “Not by power or by might, but by my Spirit says the Lord. Mountains will be removed.”