Loving Your Enemies
(week 31/06)
Olubi Johnson
Matthew 5:44-45, 48 NKJV: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Here, the scripture tells us to love our enemies.
Now who are our enemies?
Our real enemies are not men: our real enemy is Satan and demons: principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and wicked spirits in heavenly places, operating through the sin nature in the carnal minds and flesh of men that make the men hate us and do evil to us.
Romans 8:6-7 NKJV: For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Ephesians 2:2-3 NKJV: in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Ephesians6:11-12 NKJV: Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
So we need to love men but hate the sin nature operating through them.
So we do not attack men, but we attack the sin nature and demonic forces operating through their minds and flesh by praying for them using the blood, the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit: the weapons of our warfare.
Jude 22-23 NIV: Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
So we love our enemies by praying for them and then following that up by doing good to them even when they have done evil to us: we overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21 NKJV: Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
So when men do us evil we understand that they are thirsty for right-standing so we give them the blood of Jesus to drink by forgiving their sins:
John 6:53-54 NKJV: Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
John 20:23 NKJV: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
1 John 1:7-2:2 NKJV: But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
They are hungry for right-doing so feed them with the flesh of Jesus: the life of God by asking life for them.
1 John 5:16 NKJV: If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.
We put coals of fire on their heads by praying for them in tongues so causing the fire of Holy Spirit to burn up the sin nature in their flesh and mind.
Mark 9:49 NKJV: “For everyone will be seasoned with fire”
Matthew 3:11 NKJV: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
We then show them mercy by acts of kindness and generosity, rather than acts of vengeance. As we do this we will love our enemies and overcome evil with good.
Now, if they respond with repentance God will bless them; if they refuse to repent they will fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10.30-31, 12.29) and receive divine punishment. It is God alone who knows just how much and when to administer this punishment, not you. Gods desire and intention is always to save men and not destroy them so He gives a lot of time and space for repentance.
Luke 9:56 NKJV: For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”
So you just pray for and do good to them and leave the rest to God!
