Believers’ responses to evil

Evil is to be avoided

Ps 1:1; Pr 4:14; 1 Th 5:22

See also Job 28:28; Ps 119:115; Pr 4:27; Pr 14:16; Is 52:11; Ac 2:40 Peter’s appeal to the crowd; Ro 12:9; Ro 13:14

Evil likened to yeast:

1 Co 5:6–7; Ga 5:9

2 Co 6:14–18; Eph 4:27; Eph 5:3; Eph 5:6–7; 2 Th 3:6; 1 Pe 3:11; Ps 34:14

Evil is to be hated

Proverbs 8:13 NASB95

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

See also Ps 97:10; Am 5:15; Jn 3:20; Ro 12:9

Evil is to be rebuked

Mt 16:23; 2 Ti 4:2

See also 1 Sa 2:29; 1 Sa 13:13; 1 Sa 15:22; 2 Sa 12:9 Nathan rebukes David; 1 Ki 18:18 Elijah rebukes Ahab; 2 Ch 16:9; 2 Ch 24:20; 2 Ch 26:18; Ezr 10:10; Ps 141:5; Da 4:27; Da 5:22; Mt 14:4 John the Baptist rebukes Herod; Lk 23:40; Ac 5:3–4 Peter rebukes Ananias; Ac 5:9 Peter rebukes Sapphira; 1 Ti 1:3; 1 Ti 5:20; Tt 1:13; Tt 2:15

Evil is to be resisted

Pr 1:10; Ga 2:11; Eph 6:11; Jas 4:7

See also 1 Co 5:13; Eph 5:11; Heb 12:1; 1 Pe 2:1; 1 Pe 5:9

Evil is to be repaid with good

Lk 6:35; Ro 12:20–21

See also Pr 25:21–22; Ex 23:5; Le 19:18; Mt 5:44; 1 Th 5:15; 1 Pe 3:9

Believers should pray in response to evil

Mt 6:13; Ac 4:29; Heb 4:16

See also Ex 17:4; 1 Ki 18:36; 2 Ki 19:19; 2 Ch 20:12; Ezr 8:23; Ne 1:4; Mt 26:41; Ac 12:5; Jas 5:13

Believers should trust God in the face of evil

Ps 23:4; Mt 26:39

See also Ps 4:8; Ps 20:7; Ps 27:1; Is 12:2; Da 3:17–18; Hab 3:17–18; 2 Ti 1:12; Heb 13:6; Ps 118:6–7