Can Love Be a Weapon?
We might be surprised
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21, NIV)
Is the power of good greater than evil, and is the power of love greater than hate?
As Christians, we are supposed to be acts of love and goodness. Implementing these strategies can be challenging. Sometimes, being kind and patient is more difficult with a family member than a stranger, and harder yet to one closer than a family member — ourselves.
Besides a history with family members, what is blocking our love connection? Is it pride or unforgiveness?
First and foremost, as Christians, we need to understand that Christ is in us.
His power is in us. Why do we not utilize that power? If we thoroughly believed that good had the means to overcome evil and that love was strong enough to eradicate hate, we would be tapping into this power without hesitation.
The second thing is we need to love and forgive ourselves. If Christ has forgiven us, why can’t we do the same?
I have held onto guilt and shame even though Christ has forgiven me. Guilt and shame help me to rehabilitate my actions, but they can also stifle my work for the Lord.
The third thing is we need to go back to the basics.
Let’s contemplate the cross and sacrifice. From His great love, God revealed Himself to the world in flesh and blood, represented by the vertical beam of the cross, which stretches from heaven to earth. He extended His arms of love to unite all humankind, characterized by the horizontal beam.
Fourth, we must understand that His subjection to death exemplified great strength. His love was a weapon to destroy sin’s sickness.
Christ subjected Himself to the physical confines of flesh and blood limitations. He did indeed die from the torture. He felt enormous pain and stopped breathing.
Fifth, we need to understand the extent of His love.
God’s grace poured out on the Jews and Gentiles, women and men, scholars and the ignorant, prostitutes and priests, the rich and the poor. We do not grasp God’s love’s full power if we believe in excluding others. We need to know that the Spirit of God is for all.
The horrendous execution of God in the flesh was an enormous sacrifice justifying the need. Instead of a vengeful God of retribution, we could see a Father of redemption through Christ. We were no longer afraid to approach Him.
Yes, God became human so that humans could see God.
With Christ's power in us, we should display His same attributes. In the end, darkness can never overcome light, but light can overcome darkness. The same is true with love. Love is a great weapon. His passion was and is the greatest weapon to destroy sin.
There is a saying that goes — kill them with kindness.
God did that for us. He killed sin with His compassion. He killed the darkness with His light.
We are part of the cross of Christ and directly plugged into the Godhead. We can love, even when hurt by hate. We can overcome the evil in our hearts with Christ's goodness.
A wise lady once told me, “Jenny, you cannot hold unforgiveness in your heart with Jesus in your heart.” She was correct; there was not enough room for both.
We may not be able to change hate and evil from another person, but we can exemplify God’s love in and through us. He never intended us to be a doormat or punching bag. God’s healing is for us also.
Love is an inward-heart thing, a gift for ourselves.
Believe in God’s power of love and use it today. Pray for your enemies, love the unlovable, help the hurting, forgive what seems unforgivable, and go the distance to eradicate the darkness of evil.
Why do we have discord, contention, strife, and wars if love is that powerful? The problem is that not all will choose light. However, each individual can decide for themself. The war in our hearts will cease when we acknowledge His love, and His illumination will overpower our darkness. Love is His greatest weapon, and it can also be ours.
In the end, love wins!
