What Does God Say About Enemies?
Somebody came to mind when you read the word enemies. Maybe it is a person who lied about you, a family member who cut you off, a boss who made your life small. The Bible does not pretend these people are imaginary. David wrote about enemies constantly, and Jesus assumed you would have them. What Scripture refuses to do is hand you the weapon you want. It hands you something stranger and stronger instead. Read what God actually says before you decide what to do next.
6 Scriptures for Enemies?
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Matthew 5:43-44
Jesus quotes the version everyone already believed, then overturns it in one line. Love your enemies. Notice the verbs that follow: bless, do good, pray. These are actions, not feelings. He is not asking you to feel warm toward the person who hurt you. He is asking you to act toward them the way God acted toward you.
Read the full chapter →“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”
Luke 6:27-28
Luke's version opens with the phrase which hear. Jesus knows most people will let this teaching wash past them. Praying for someone who mistreated you is the hardest prayer there is, and also the one that changes you fastest. You cannot keep hating someone you are honestly praying for. One of the two will give way.
Read the full chapter →“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:19-21
Paul never says the wrong done to you will go unanswered. He says the opposite. Vengeance belongs to God, and He will repay. Your job is not to balance the scales. Your job is to feed the hungry enemy and hand the gavel back. Be not overcome of evil means the real danger is no longer what they did; it is what carrying it will do to you.
Read the full chapter →“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.”
Proverbs 25:21-22
Bread and water for the person who wronged you. It sounds absurd until you reach the last clause: the LORD shall reward thee. God sees the kindness nobody else would offer, and He counts it. The coals of fire are not revenge in disguise. They are what unearned mercy feels like on the receiving end.
Read the full chapter →“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”
Psalm 23:5
God does not always remove your enemies. Sometimes He sets a table right in front of them. David's picture is a man eating in peace while the people who wanted him ruined watch him be honored instead. Your vindication may not look like their defeat. It may simply be your peace, in full view.
Read the full chapter →“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
Exodus 14:14
Israel stood at the sea with an army behind them and nowhere to run. The instruction was not to fight harder. It was to hold their peace and watch. Some battles are yours to fight, and some are only yours to stand still through while God fights. Knowing which is which is half of wisdom.
Read the full chapter →A Prayer for Enemies?
God, You know who I am thinking about right now. I do not love this person, and I am tired of pretending otherwise. But You loved me while I was still working against You, so I know it can be done. Teach me to pray for them, even through my teeth at first. Take the vengeance out of my hands; it was never mine to hold. Fight for me while I hold my peace. Amen.
More prayers →Stand Down and Listen
Play Matthew 5 and hear the Sermon on the Mount read at a walking pace. These words were first spoken to people with real enemies, occupied and outnumbered. Let them settle before you answer anyone.
Browse all available books →