Overcoming Evil With Good: Faith, Authority, And Urgent Love

What if the most powerful way to confront evil is not outrage, but love that refuses to strike back? We walk through Romans 12–13 and unpack how agape love fulfills the law, why blessing enemies is possible only by the Spirit, and how living prayerfully keeps us from chasing what never satisfies.

We then face a thorny tension with clarity and care: honoring governing authorities while guarding conscience before God. Respect, taxes, and public integrity are part of Christian maturity, yet there are moments when obedience to God must overrule the demands of people. We look to Acts 4, where Peter and John model respectful defiance—boldly proclaiming Jesus when told to be silent—and we ask what that looks like in our time. The goal is not rebellion for its own sake, but a steady witness that exalts what is good, restrains what is evil, and keeps Jesus at the center.

Urgency threads through the whole conversation. The night is fading and the day is at hand, so we cast off works of darkness, put on the armor of light, and make no provision for the flesh. Hope fuels that urgency: the promised return of Christ strengthens weary hearts and sharpens our mission. We explore how this blessed hope shapes courage, kindness, and a public faith that is both humble and unafraid. Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s; render to God what is God’s—and let your whole life speak the gospel.

If this message encouraged you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more verse-by-verse teaching, and leave a review to help others find the show. What stood out most, and where do you feel called to act this week?

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Welcome to Come On Up, the radio ministry of the Mountain Cross in Waynesville, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

We try to do things based on what we want to get out of it, as opposed to the best for others. So, love, the love of the Lord, the supernatural power of the love of God working in and through us, we're able to fulfill the law, but there's no ending to it. We need to continually love one another. And again, it's not something that we can do, it's something that the Lord does in and through us. So we need to be in the Word. We need to be constantly in prayer. We need to be in fellowship with our Lord.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

When we live life focused on how we can gain and how we can get what we want, we will live in an unending whole of consuming and being unsatisfied. In today's message, Pastor Carl will encourage you to live life in constant prayer and consistent alignment with God. Focus on God and how he can gain and see how you benefit. Today, take time to stop amongst your regular schedule and pray to God. Talk with him. He wants to be involved in your life and guide you to live satisfied and whole. And now, here's Pastor Carl.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

I'm not gonna try to get even with you. The Lord, the Lord deal with you. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head. What a picture, huh? You're gonna kill him with kindness, is another way to put it. You know, you can't do this in your own strength. You can't do this in your own flesh because your flesh wants to lash out. Okay, my flesh wants to lash out. My flesh was serves you right. But that's not what the Lord did for us, is it? And that's not what we're called to do. And again, we're called to do this in a way that we move out of the way. And we allow the Lord to do it in and through us because He can do it and we can't. So bless others in the name of the Lord, in the power of the Spirit, because we have laid down our lives as a sacrifice to the Lord. We said, Lord, you purchased me, I'm all yours. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good. There is evil in this world, and it's growing more and more evil, it seems, every day. But we won't be overcome by evil if we're walking in the Spirit. In fact, it won't be a defensive thing, but it's an offensive thing. We can overcome evil with good. And what is good? The gospel is good. The Lord is good. And even if you torture me, I'm gonna declare the goodness of God because He loves you. That is not something that comes naturally, is it? That is something that is totally supernatural. And that brings us to chapter 13. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. People are put in positions not only in the church, but in the world at large. For different reasons that only the wisdom of the Lord can fully understand. Sometimes we can understand why people were put in positions and others weren't. But sometimes we'll never figure that out until later. So we're to realize that God is at work all around us, and so um as much as it depends on you, live peaceable with one another, and this includes being submissive to the governing authorities. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves. If you break the rules, you're gonna get punished. If you speed, you'll get a ticket. For the rulers are not a terror for good works, but to evil. Now, if those that are appointed by God in these positions are actually doing their work unto the Lord, or at least recognizing and honoring the law for the law, then the case is in general, look, they're not here to give you a hard time, they're here to keep the peace. To make sure that you're walking by the rules for the good of all of society. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what's good. And you will have praise for the same. Just don't mess up. Just do what you're supposed to do. Don't drink and drive. Don't beat your wife. You'll be all right. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is God's minister and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Now, sometimes that's hard to put our heads around because there's some people in authority that do not see themselves as ministers of God, but they're ministers of their own power and authority, and they're going to get whoever they get because they are benefiting it and they're growing in it. But in general, we need to understand that God has set up these systems and these uh position of authority in order to encourage goodness and to punish evil. Because in a society, goodness needs to be exalted and evil needs to be crushed. But when we live in a world where we've rejected God, things get turned upside down, don't they? Therefore, you must be subject not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. If you want to be right with God, you need to obey the governing authorities. Now, much like the Proverbs, um, these are generalities. Are there ever times where we are not to obey governing authorities? Are there ever times where those that are in authority are not walking in the way that they should in representing God? And we looked at a movie a couple of weeks ago, The Hiding Place, that that showed that issue that they were wrestling with, the Tin Boom family. Is disobeying the governing authorities lying to governing authorities more important if life is on the line? The governing authorities that are coming to arrest Jews for being Jews. And we could go all day and even more on this subject. Just I'll give you one verse to consider. This is Acts chapter 4, 19 through 20. Peter and John are taken before the Sanhedrin, and they're told not to say the name of Jesus. You need to just stop talking about Jesus. He's dead. You stole the body away. We know it. And you keep inciting these people. You just need to stop. We're representatives of God, and if you don't obey us, you're disobeying God. And they replied to the Sanhedrin and says, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Look, I don't mean to be disrespectful. And you could bring it up with God yourself, but we're convinced that we need to stand up and share what the Lord has shared with us. We need to stand up and declare the truth of the gospel. And if you think that goes against the Lord, well, that's between you and God. And if you need to punish us because of that, bring it on. But respectfully, we're going to keep on talking about Jesus Christ. So consider that in light of the first part of chapter 13. Submitting to governing authorities. If governing authorities ever come and say you cannot declare the gospel, what are we living for? We're living for declaring the gospel. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, that's your main call, isn't it? To live a life that glorifies the Lord and to be a witness of the gospel. And there are many ways to do that, but that's what we're called to. And if the government says you got to stop, who are you going to believe? Who are you going to obey? The government or the Lord? And if I get punished in the here and now because of standing up for the gospel? With the logic that the Apostle Paul has shared with us, it says, look, I've got eternity with the Lord. I've got a chance to bring some other people in. I'm willing to be punished. I'm willing to be tortured. But I'm standing up for Jesus because he is true. And what you guys are peddling is false. No offense, I'm just trying to be respectful, but I'm standing bold in the truth. This is the kind of thing that Paul is trying to get our heads around, trying to get the Church of Romans' head around. This is what we're called for. This is what we're called to do. Then he goes back, for because of this, because you're to submit to authority, you are also to pay taxes, for they are God's ministers, attending continually to this very thing. God has called these people, God has set up these, God has set up governments, God has set up authoritative areas, God has set up dominions. If the people in those positions of authority misuse it, that's between them and God, and it does affect the rest of society. But we're not to say, hey, we're we're not obliged to pay taxes, we follow the Lord. Paul is saying, no, you're to pay taxes because this is part of how God set it up. Render therefore to all their due, taxes to whom taxes are due. Don't cheat on your taxes, but get all the legal deductions you can, because that's good stewardship, and that's not cheating. But cheating is not good. You see, it's a fine line there, too, isn't it? Boy, we need the wisdom of God. Especially on April 15th. Customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, respect, honor, authority. Even if that person in that position is so disrespectful it makes you sick. You're to honor them and respect them because God has placed them in that position. That doesn't mean you obey everything they say or agree to everything that they say, but you respectfully, boldly share the truth. Honor to whom honor. And then he says, owe no one anything except to love one another. For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Look, there are things that we can do. I can show honor and respect to this person in authority, and as soon as I'm, you know, I'm not before them anymore, I can move on and I'm done fulfilling that task. But there's something that I'm never done fulfilling. And that's loving one another. In the church, especially, but to all the world at large, we're to show the love of Christ, and you can never be done loving people. There's always room to love people. Now, talking about um taxes again, Jesus put it this way: when um when he was asked to pay taxes, or Peter was said, they're coming and collecting taxes. And uh and then the crowds came to him and they start asking him, um, you know, who should we serve? Caesar? Or are you are you guys gonna, are you like, are you exempt from taxes? And Jesus answered and said to them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God. And they marveled at him. Yeah. We need to respect Caesar and we need to pay our taxes. But you also need to respect God and render to God the things that are his. They marveled at him, partially because Caesar considered himself to be God. And Jesus says there is a difference. They didn't know how to nail him down on this because he talked about respecting the authority, but he also kind of insulted the authority by saying, and Caesar is not God. Anyway, things to chew on, things to consider, pay your taxes, uh, do the things that are right. Don't be accused, don't get punished for things that you've done in your flesh that you could have avoided. If you're going to be punished for something, let it be for proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Well, going back, verse 8 kind of was a transition here. So owe no man anything except to love one another. For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments say, You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet. And if there's any other commandment, all is summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Because love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Now, this word for love that Paul uses is the word agape, which is the love that the Lord has for us. The supernatural love that we can't stir up within ourselves, within the flesh. The flesh cannot love in the way that God loves. But if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, Jesus lives in you through the person of the Holy Spirit, right? And you feel that love, and we're able to love God because He first loved us, but we're also able to love others. And if we love others, truly being led by the Spirit, we will fulfill the law. Because the law is all about how we how we try to do things based on what we want to get out of it, as opposed to the best for others. So love, the love of the Lord, the supernatural power of the love of God working in and through us, we're able to fulfill the law. But there's no ending to it. We need to continually love one another. And again, it's not something that we can do, it's something that the Lord does in and through us. So we need to be in the word. We need to be constantly in prayer. We need to be in fellowship with our Lord so that he can work his works in and through us. And do this knowing the time that now is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Look, guys, you're living your life, you started your church, and it's all great. You have these programs and it's fun, but look, there are people that are dying. The house is on fire. We need to get people out because it's burning down. Wake up. He's calling the church to wake up. It is time. And our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. And that's one of those statements that, well, of course it's nearer. The Lord's return is a lot nearer now than it was 2,000 years ago. But Paul is looking at the things that are happening, things that are happening in Rome. Another decade or two, Nero will be on the scene and be persecuting Christians. And it'll be a terrible, terrible time. We've got the opportunity now, Paul is saying, to get the gospel out. The Lord is coming back today, boy, it's closer than it's ever been, hasn't it? And if we look at the events of the world, we realize that the Lord's return is very soon. What are we doing between now and the return of the Lord? Are we living our lives, building our own kingdoms up? Are we getting out with the gospel, sharing the good news with the world that needs to hear it? The night is far spent, the day is at hand, therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Again, the first eleven chapters were written to the church at Rome saying, I'm glad you're Christians, but you're falling into the ways of the world, into the fleshly thinking. It's time to put that all away. We need to walk in the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit and get the gospel out while we still have time. The night is about over. The day is about coming. It's about to come, it's about to dawn. Let us walk properly as in the day. Don't work like don't don't don't walk like the world. Don't walk in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Why does he tell us to do that? Because we have the ability to fulfill the passions of our flesh. We still have the ability to fall back into the old way of doing things. And the church at Rome had been doing that. He just got done writing to the Church of Corinthians, too, and boy, did they really fall into the ways of the world. Paul's saying, we've been freed from this. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you've been made a new creation. The old is passed away. I've been crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives within me. Paul's saying, let him live in you. Don't resist him. Yield to him, surrender to him, allow him to work in your lives, because time is running out and the Lord is returning. We have a few folks that have shown a desire to go out and evangelize, and we've been looking for some tracks that would be appropriate to reflect how we what we believe as a church and kind of comment on the situations happening in the world today. And we came to the conclusion that we just need to make our own tract. And so just yesterday I was putting some things together that I had written in the past, and I added to them because one of the things that we have a burden about is sharing the fact that the Lord is coming back to rapture his church away. And that's a warning to people and hopefully a motivator for them to come to faith in the Lord too. And I want to share with you what I wrote about the rapture. It says, the Bible says, the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will ever be with the Lord. An event is coming for those who have placed their trust in Jesus, an event which precedes an unbelievable time of tribulation and wrath on an unbelieving world. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. The rapture is that event where believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, both alive and dead, will be removed from the earth and receive their full reward for trusting Him, salvation of their souls forevermore. It's a great mystery that has been revealed to His saints, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. With Jesus in their hearts, believers are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Are you ready to meet Jesus? And hopefully that'll give us something to ponder on, something to challenge us today. What are we living for? Are we living for the things of this world? Are we living for bettering my life? And there's nothing wrong with enjoying the things that we have in this world because God has given us all things to enjoy. Nothing wrong with bettering our lives in this world, but if that is our chief purpose, we've missed it. Our chief purpose is to be ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaiming the good news to a dying world that desperately needs to hear it. Amen. Let's pray and uh ask the Lord to bless us, to motivate us, to cause us to see the big picture and the urgency of the moment. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for Jesus. Lord, we thank you for your willingness to leave heaven to become one of us, to live the perfect life and to die the sinner's death. Christ died for sinners. You died in our place. You took the wrath of God upon yourself, and you defeated sin and death by raising from the dead on the third day. And when we believe you and when we trust you, we can rise again to new life as well, with a new purpose, a new calling, as followers of Jesus Christ and ambassadors of Christ with the gospel to the world. Lord, give us a renewed vision of the urgency that we we have in this moment to declare the gospel to the world. And if there's anyone in this room that really doesn't understand the gospel, Lord, we pray that you would bring it alive to them, cause them to ask somebody about the truth of the word, what it means to be saved, and don't let them leave without giving their lives to you today. We thank you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

You've been listening to Pastor Carl here on Come On Up as he covered another interesting passage in Romans. The book of Romans has many meaningful verses that are good to keep in mind. For example, Romans 6.23 states, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Never forget that God's generous gift of salvation through faith allows you to be saved by grace. May you walk in that truth today. Come on Up comes to you from the Mountain Cross, a group of believers in Jesus who seek to grow in faith by simply teaching the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter. We meet Sundays at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville, North Carolina, beginning at 10 a.m. To learn more about us, visit our website, themountaincross.com. You can also make plans to join us for the next Faith Film Night. We show faith-based films on the first Monday of each month. Our February film is the 10th anniversary presentation of Risen, which follows a Roman soldier who was given the task of finding Jesus' body after the resurrection. Mark your calendar for Risen back on the big screen, Monday, February 2nd at 6.30 p.m. at the Smoky Mountain Cinema. To learn more, go to themountaincross.com. You can also search for Faith Film Night on Facebook. That's all we have for today. But come on up to the mountain with us again tomorrow as we seek to learn more from the Lord through His Word. Come On Up is sponsored by the Mountain Cross, a Calvary Chapel fellowship.