In this life, it is the case that we will have enemies. I was once told by a man that Christians should not have any enemies. This man was himself a brother in Christ. He seemingly indicated to me that if a Christian had enemies, this was not the way things were to go, but the Bible teaches us that, as Christians, we will have enemies. Now certainly we should diligently pursue living peaceably with all men. Paul, speaking by inspiration of God, said in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” We should certainly not act in ways contrary to Scripture. We must try to be at peace with all men as much as we can and if it be possible. We do know that the Bible has told us that Christians will have enemies. There are those in the world, who hate Christians, simply because faithful Christians’ works are good and theirs are evil. I John 3:11-13 says, “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”
The fact of the matter is, people who lie in darkness hate those who walk in light. The only Person to ever live a sinlessly Perfect Life on the earth was Jesus Christ and yet even He had and still has enemies (Mark 12:36). John 3:19-21 says, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” Jesus was and is the Light of the world (John 8:12). He has called us by the Gospel to walk in Him and therefore to be the light of the world by reflecting His Light (Matthew 5:14). Since our Savior had enemies, who were His enemies because they hated righteousness and they did not want to stop sinning or even feel guilty about sinning, then we know the following is true. Likewise today, when we walk in the light, we will have enemies, who will hate us without a just cause. They will oppose us, because we stand against their wrong.
Jesus said in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
While it is true that we will have enemies in this life, we must still not mistreat them. Let us make sure that they are not our enemies, because of any wrong that we have done. I Peter 4:15-16 says, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” Let us then walk as Christ walked and seek to bring even our enemies to repentance!
-Jason Gann