Pay Evil With Good

I wrote this text more than a month ago. I showed it to a friend and he pointed out the flaw in my illustrations being too “soft”. They didn’t reflect true “evil”. He was right.

In light of recent events, I think I should publish it. I barely changed it, only adding some stronger illustrations.

We all suffer evil in this life. It’s an inescapable reality of our fallen human condition. The question is not whether we will experience injustice, offense, and evil directed against us, but how we will respond when it happens.

The Christian attitude towards suffered evil is completely contrary to human nature. Our natural instinct cries out for revenge, for justice by our own hands, for reciprocity. When someone cuts us off in a meeting, the impulse is to show our intelligence with sarcasm or irony, to prove we’re not easily silenced. When an adversary in the public space distorts our ideas, the temptation is to respond with equal harshness, exposing their flaws publicly. When we’re targeted with insults on social media, our immediate response is to return insult for insult, multiplying the aggressiveness. When our faith or convictions are ridiculed, the natural inclination is to raise our voice and react with indignation. However, the Scriptures present us with a radically different path.

A Command, Not a Suggestion #

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

Romans 12:17

Paul isn’t offering a mere suggestion or utopian ideal here. This is a clear and direct command. And this command isn’t a Pauline invention, but is in perfect harmony with the teachings of the Lord Jesus and with God’s character revealed throughout the Bible.

The expression “Be careful” (προνοέω G4306) is particularly significant. This isn’t something that comes naturally to us. On the contrary, it requires deliberate effort, spiritual discipline, and dependence on divine grace. When we suffer discrimination because of our faith, the effort is not to respond with hatred, but to remain firm in testimony. When someone persecutes, insults, or humiliates us in public, the effort is not to let pride dictate the response, but to follow the example of Christ who, even before the cross, prayed for those who hurt Him. We are called to fight against our most basic instincts and choose a higher path.

The Context: Unfeigned Love #

This command doesn’t arise in isolation, but in the context of an authentic Christian life. Paul orders us:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:9-10

Our motivation cannot be merely external or performative. It must spring from a transformed heart that genuinely loves, that prefers to honor others before itself. This is a work of the Holy Spirit in us, not merely human effort. Impossible for men, but possible for God.

Fervor, Not Reluctance #

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Romans 12:11

We must not fulfill this command as if it were a heavy burden or an unpleasant obligation. We are called to do it with fervor, as if directed to the Lord himself.

This is extremely difficult. When someone hurts us, the last thing we want is to respond with kindness and love. But these are our orders. We must obey even when we don’t feel like it, constantly praying for a change of heart and remaining patient in tribulation.

Our Hope and the Day of Vengeance #

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Our ability to respond to evil with good is intrinsically linked to our eschatological hope. We know that the Lord’s coming is near, and that on that day all injustice will be corrected.

When a colleague wrongs us at work to get a promotion, or when a neighbor slanders us, or when a family member treats us with contempt, when a brother or sister in faith is murdered simply for exposing Christian convictions, we remember that Jesus will return. In His glorious return, He will bring with Him the day of divine vengeance. On that day, all wickedness — slander, betrayal, hatred — will be exposed and judged with perfect justice.

This eternal perspective gives us strength to endure temporal injustices. We don’t need to take justice into our own hands because we know that the supreme Judge has already set the day of judgment.

Biblical Pragmatism #

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Romans 12:18

We find some pragmatism here. The default attitude should be to suffer injustice and respond with good, but God has also established systems in this world to combat injustice.

When our car is vandalized, we can and should report it to authorities. If we witness a robbery, we have a duty to contact the police. If someone publicly defames us, we can seek appropriate legal channels. The principle of returning evil with good doesn’t nullify the structures of justice that God ordained, but governs our personal attitude: we don’t seek revenge, but justice through appropriate channels, always with a heart that desires the offender’s repentance.

The Lord’s Vengeance #

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 12:19

This principle isn’t new in the New Testament. Paul directly echoes Proverbs: Proverbs 20:22 .

Vengeance doesn’t belong to us because we have neither the perspective nor the authority to exercise it justly. Only God sees all hearts, knows all motivations, and has the right to judge with perfect justice. Those who don’t repent will receive payment for their works:

This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8

My heart trembles to think of that day.

Heaping Burning Coals #

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Romans 12:20

This intriguing image from Proverbs refers to the conscience and guilt that accumulate over the enemy when they see their evil repaid with good.

When a family member ignores us and we continue to love and invite them, these coals begin to accumulate. When we are mistreated and respond with kindness, the weight of conscience increases. When some laugh or even celebrate our pain, these divine coals do their work.

These coals, placed by God, weigh and burn in the conscience of the one who did evil. The more we repay evil with good, the more these coals accumulate. They will either produce repentance and reconciliation, or they will be just the beginning of judgment upon the enemies. On the great day of Christ’s second coming, those who rejected God’s goodness and that of His children will face divine wrath. The lake of fire is prepared for those who persist in their hard-heartedness.

Overcoming Evil with Good #

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21

This is the climax of Paul’s teaching. It’s not just about not retaliating evil, but actively overcoming it through good. It’s an offensive spiritual strategy, not merely defensive.

This principle isn’t found only in Romans. Paul repeats it in Thessalonians: “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:15 ). Peter echoes the same truth: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult” ( 1 Peter 3:9 ).

The High Standard of Jesus #

Jesus, the master of masters, illustrated this command very graphically in the Sermon on the Mount:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

Matthew 5:38-39

The Lord didn’t just teach this principle; He lived it perfectly. On the cross, instead of cursing His tormentors, He prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” ( Luke 23:34 ). Stephen, the first Christian martyr, followed this example when he was being stoned, crying out: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” ( Acts 7:60 ).

Practical Application #

This command applies to our declared enemies, but not only to them. Also to those who are close to us. Even to the one who sits next to us in church and whispers criticism; even to those who live with us and treat us with indifference. The response remains the same: not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead.

When we are reviled, we must bless. When persecuted, we must endure. When slandered, we must seek reconciliation ( 1 Corinthians 4:12-13 ). This is the distinctive mark of the children of the Kingdom, who await the glorious day when Christ will return to establish His perfect justice.

A Prayer of Consecration #

Lord, forgive me for not always obeying this command. Write it on my heart and mold me so that I can honor you by always paying evil with good. Make me follow your example. May my life reflect the character of the heavenly Father, who causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

May we be known not for our ability to retaliate or defend ourselves, but for our supernatural ability to love our enemies and overcome evil with good. This is the high standard of the Kingdom, and this is what we are called to.