In Proverbs, chapter twenty-five, verses twenty-one through twenty-two, “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.” The theme verse is almost identical to Romans twelve, verse twenty in the New Testament. “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.” The following verse sums up the mission of doing so in verse twenty-one, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
What is an enemy? An opposer, as in someone who hated or competed against you. A person who does not care to do you any good and does not wish you all the best. Not necessarily to hurt you physically, but it can go to that extreme. However, they may plan against you, to frustrate you, or torment you.
The following verse, after verse twenty, of Romans twelve, declares, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” The enemy expects those whom they oppose to react the same way: hateful, respond with vengeance, and not be peaceful and loving, but behave out of character.
To overcome enemies is to conquer them with kindness. To address them as though they were not an enemy, which is not that easy to do. However, if we ask God to help us, He will. It is the most glorious victory and would confuse the enemy. Since men became enemies of God, they have been ready to be enemies of one another. And those who receive Jesus Christ, not religion, must expect to meet with enemies in a world whose smiles seldom agree with Christ’s.