8737 evil, believers’responses to

Scripture outlines several ways in which believers should respond to evil.

Evil is to be avoided

Ps 1:1; Pr 4:14; 1Th 5:22 See also Job 28:28; Ps 119:115; Pr 4:27; Pr 14:16; Isa 52:11; Ac 2:40 Peter’s appeal to the crowd; Ro 12:9; Ro 13:14 Evil likened to yeast: 1Co 5:6-7; Gal 5:9
2Co 6:14-18; Eph 4:27; Eph 5:3,6-7; 2Th 3:6; 1Pe 3:11; Ps 34:14

Evil is to be hated

Pr 8:13 See also Ps 97:10; Am 5:15; Jn 3:20; Ro 12:9

Evil is to be rebuked

Mt 16:23 pp Mk 8:33 2Ti 4:2 See also 1Sa 2:29; 1Sa 13:13; 1Sa 15:22; 2Sa 12:9 Nathan rebukes David; 1Ki 18:18 Elijah rebukes Ahab; 2Ch 16:9; 2Ch 24:20; 2Ch 26:18; Ezr 10:10; Ps 141:5; Da 4:27; Da 5:22; Mt 14:4 pp Mk 6:18 John the Baptist rebukes Herod; Lk 23:40; Ac 5:3-4 Peter rebukes Ananias; Ac 5:9 Peter rebukes Sapphira; 1Ti 1:3; 1Ti 5:20; Tit 1:13; Tit 2:15

Evil is to be resisted

Pr 1:10; Gal 2:11; Eph 6:11; Jas 4:7 See also 1Co 5:13; Eph 5:11; Heb 12:1; 1Pe 2:1; 1Pe 5:9

Evil is to be repaid with good

Lk 6:35; Ro 12:20-21 See also Pr 25:21-22; Ex 23:5; Lev 19:18; Mt 5:44 pp Lk 6:27; 1Th 5:15; 1Pe 3:9

Believers should pray in response to evil

Mt 6:13 pp Lk 11:4 Ac 4:29; Heb 4:16 See also Ex 17:4; 1Ki 18:36; 2Ki 19:19; 2Ch 20:12; Ezr 8:23; Ne 1:4; Mt 26:41 pp Mk 14:38 pp Lk 22:46; Ac 12:5; Jas 5:13

Believers should trust God in the face of evil

Ps 23:4; Mt 26:39 pp Mk 14:36 pp Lk 22:42 See also Ps 4:8; Ps 20:7; Ps 27:1; Isa 12:2; Da 3:17-18; Hab 3:17-18; 2Ti 1:12; Heb 13:6; Ps 118:6-7

See also