Romans 12:17-21 17 “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”-ESV

“We’ve got to fight fire with fire.” Maybe you’ve never precisely said those words yourself, but you’ve probably heard someone else say it. There comes a point in many conflicts where you can’t help but feel your opponent isn’t fighting fair. They sometimes go low, act underhandedly, or simply go to lengths you would never expect to get their way. It’s difficult in those moments not to simply match their anger, their language, or even their actions in your own response.

This last week when a large group of us went to the LCMS Youth Gathering, we were protested by some very angry people. The things they said and wrote on their signs were inflammatory, hateful, and designed to provoke. It would have been easy to shout back, insult them, or even take the bait and start a fight. Instead, the LCMS Youth Gathering sent out their young adults volunteers (Y.A.V.s) to sing, cheer, wave, and welcome the kids in. They bult a wall not of anger but of love, drowning out words of rage with words of grace and mercy. In the face of being resisted with profound love, the majority of the protestors simply gave up; with no one taking the bait or getting angry, they simply decided to leave.

As difficult as it is, fighting fire with fire simply isn’t the Christian way. Our ethos is quite the opposite; we feed our hungry enemies and give drink to our thirsty opponents. Rather than taking personal vengeance, we entrust the process of calling to account to the Lord. In the end, the Creator God will make right his creation, and we can rest confident that he will do so in a righteous and just manner. The only fire we heap is the “burning coals” that singe and challenge the guilty heart. By showing love in the face of hatred, by overcoming evil with good, we put the onus on our enemies to wrestle with the wisdom of their own behavior internally. The hope in the end is that they repent and find grace in Jesus.

It isn’t easy, but overcoming evil with good is the destiny of all things. God has won the victory in Christ, the devil’s days are numbered, even death itself will be swallowed up one day through life. These trials that tempt us are passing away, and all that awaits us is a better world where we can live in true joy with our God.

Standing with you as we fight fire with a cold cup of water,

Pastor Devin Murphy