What does the Bible say about enemies?
The Bible offers a profound and multi-layered view of how believers should understand and respond to their enemies. From ancient cries for justice in the Psalms to Jesus’ radical call to love and forgive, Scripture reveals a redemptive trajectory in how God deals with opposition. This trajectory culminates in the Gospel, where God reconciles His own enemies through Christ’s death and resurrection.
In a world marked by division, vengeance, and tribalism, the Bible’s approach to enemies is not only countercultural—it is kingdom-shaped. This article explores five core biblical insights on the theme of enemies:
The Old Testament call to human decency toward enemies
Divine justice and the role of imprecatory psalms
Jesus' radical command to love enemies
Christ’s death as reconciliation for enemies
Our spiritual battle and the ministry of reconciliation
1. The Old Testament Call to Kindness Toward Enemies
Even in its earliest books, the Bible calls for humane treatment of enemies. Though ancient Israel often engaged in warfare, God’s law included instructions for acts of compassion toward personal adversaries. Exodus 23:4–5 commands: “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it… be sure you help them.”
This is not simply about livestock—it reflects a broader principle of mercy, even when dealing with those who oppose us. Likewise, Proverbs 25:21 states, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” These commands established a baseline of justice and decency toward enemies grounded in the image of God present in all people.
Such instruction anticipates a deeper kingdom ethic, one not merely concerned with restraint but with redemptive kindness. The Bible thus begins shaping a vision of enemy-love rooted in God's own patience and mercy.
2. Divine Justice and the Imprecatory Psalms
The Old Testament also includes fierce prayers against enemies, especially in the imprecatory psalms. These laments call for God’s judgment against those who commit evil. In Psalm 58:6–8, the psalmist cries, “Break the teeth in their mouths, O God… let them vanish like water.” These are not personal vendettas, but pleas for divine justice in a world plagued by wickedness.
Still, even within these cries for justice, the Bible maintains the principle that vengeance belongs to God alone. Deuteronomy 32:35 reminds, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” God's people are not called to retaliate but to entrust their cause to the just Judge of all the earth.
The narrative of divine warfare throughout the Old Testament portrays God Himself as the one who battles enemies—both human and cosmic. Exodus 14:14 declares, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” This develops a foundational truth: God's people are not to destroy their enemies through human strength but to trust in God’s timing, justice, and mercy.
3. Jesus’ Command to Love Enemies
In the New Testament, Jesus brings a transformative and unexpected teaching: love your enemies. Matthew 5:44–45 says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” This is not soft sentiment—it is active, counterintuitive obedience grounded in divine love.
The Apostle Paul reiterates this ethic in Romans 12:20–21: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” In the Bible’s kingdom framework, justice is never divorced from mercy, and mercy never ignores justice. Rather, they meet in the cross.
Jesus does not abolish the concept of enemies—He reorients how we engage them. Under His reign, to love one’s enemies becomes a mark of true discipleship and a witness to the nature of God's kingdom. This kind of love reveals that we ourselves have been shaped by divine compassion.
4. Christ’s Death Reconciles Enemies to God
The clearest biblical message about enemies is found at the cross. Jesus' crucifixion is the ultimate expression of love toward enemies, both human and spiritual. As He hung on the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Paul explains in Romans 5:10, “While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son.” This changes everything. We are not merely called to forgive enemies because it's moral—we forgive because we were forgiven when we were still enemies of God.
The Gospel reveals that God's justice was poured out on Christ so that mercy could be extended to all. Through Jesus’ death, human enemies of God become His children, and spiritual enemies are disarmed (Colossians 2:15). In this, the Bible shows that divine love does not erase judgment—it fulfills it through substitution.
5. Spiritual Warfare and the Ministry of Reconciliation
Finally, the Bible reframes our understanding of enemies by pointing to the unseen realm. As Ephesians 6:12 teaches, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of evil.” Human enemies are not the ultimate adversaries—they are fellow image-bearers who may still be rescued by God's grace.
This insight shifts our focus from retaliation to reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18–20 declares, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.” As such, believers represent the Gospel not by destroying enemies, but by extending the same peace they have received.
To love our enemies is to acknowledge both the reality of evil and the power of redemptive grace. The Bible does not deny injustice or minimize harm, but it invites us to fight evil with righteousness, trusting God’s final judgment while participating in His present mercy.
Conclusion: Enemies, the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God
The Bible’s vision of enemies moves from human decency to divine reconciliation. It does not ignore evil, but it places ultimate justice in the hands of God while calling His people to live as agents of mercy. In the cross, we see that even enemies can become family.
Christians are called to reflect this truth in how they live—resisting hatred, rejecting vengeance, and embodying the love that overcomes evil. In doing so, we bear witness to the kingdom of God, where swords are beaten into plowshares and enemies are invited to the table of grace.
Until that day when all things are made new, the church is to be a living picture of what happens when enemies are forgiven, welcomed, and transformed. This is the power of the Gospel—and it is the only hope for a world divided by strife.
Bible Verses about Enemies:
Exodus 23:4–5, "If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it."
Proverbs 25:21, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink."
Psalm 58:6, "Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions!"
Deuteronomy 32:35, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."
Exodus 14:14, "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Matthew 5:44–45, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven."
Romans 12:20–21, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Luke 23:34, "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'"
Romans 5:10, "For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
