Be not overcome of evil
Neither of the evil one, Satan, who is very busy to stir up the
corruption of nature to an hatred of enemies, and to seek
revenge; but give no place nor heed unto him, resist him, and he
will flee from you, ( James 4:7 ) ; "put on the
whole armour of God", ( Ephesians
6:11 ) , whereby you may defend yourselves, that he cannot
touch you: nor of the evil of sin that dwells in you; "for whom a
man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage", (
2 Peter
2:19 ) ; nor of the evil of the man that has done you an
injury, as you will be, if you return evil for evil, or take any
steps and measures to avenge yourselves; for then not you, but he
that has done you the wrong, will be the conqueror:
but overcome evil with good;
overcome the evil man, and the evil he has done you, by doing
good to him, by feeding him when hungry, by giving him drink when
thirsty, by clothing him when naked, and by doing other offices
of kindness and humanity to him; which is most likely to win upon
him, and of an enemy to make him your friend: and if not, however
it will show that you are conquerors, yea, "more than
conquerors", ( Romans 8:37 ) , through
the grace and strength of him that has loved you, over Satan,
over the corruptions of your own hearts, and over the malice and
wickedness of your enemies.