Overcome Evil
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 16:6
By steadfast love and faithfulness, iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD, one turns away from evil.
The is an allure to sin and evil. Ever since Adam succumbed to temptation in the Garden, humanity has had a love affair with evil and iniquity. We can try to lash ourselves to the mast, and violently put our palms to our ears to attempt to mask the Siren Songs of sin, but we find its pull too strong. We too often deceive ourselves into believing we can swim in sin’s seas and not get caught up in its deadly undertow and be swept out into its depths to drown in its darkness.
We need a better remedy in our personal fight against sin. This Proverb points us in the right direction. It is by the fear of the Lord that we are empowered to turn away from evil. We can’t just remove the demon. We must be filled with Christ lest seven others, worse than the first, come and occupy the empty place.
It is the reverence and awe of God, the contemplation of His great mercy and grace toward us in Christ, and the love that His love inspires, that sets us free to live holy lives. We don’t overcome sin merely be fighting sin. We overcome sin by loving Christ in the fear of God.
