How to Walk Among Evil and Still Have Joy

By Jessica Brodie

Have you ever encountered someone simply, well, hateful? Mean, snarky, hurtful, seemingly bent on countering all things pure, good, righteous, and unspoiled with the taint of rottenness?

What do we do in situations like this? How do we react and not let it ruin our day?

Obviously, we’re supposed to do as Jesus commanded in Matthew 5 and turn the other cheek, loving our enemies with generosity and grace. But sometimes—even when we do this—the negativity we encounter saps the spark from our day. It reminds us that we do, indeed, live in an incredibly broken, fallen world populated by broken, fallen people, and a gloom settles upon us. We start to see the evil, the sinful, and the vile, and pessimism begins to rear its ugly head. Perhaps we grow depressed or weary.

But there’s a way to walk among evil and still retain joy, and Scripture speaks to this.

When Jesus talks about turning the other cheek in his Sermon on the Mount, he says this:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:38-42 NIV).

Do not resist an evil person, he says. Looking at the original Greek, the word translated as “resist” is anthistēmi, which also means to oppose, rebel against, withstand, or stand up against. In essence, Jesus is saying don’t stand up to this evil person. Don’t engage, don’t stoop to their level, don’t fight back. Instead, surrender with such staggering generosity that it upsets every worldly expectation.

The apostle Paul talks about this reaction to evil in Romans 12:

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. … Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:9-13, 19, 21).

That phrase, “honor one another above yourselves,” in the original Greek is roughly timē allēlōn proēgeomai—basically, it says to give other people a noble, deep respect that is far above the respect you give yourself.

Can you imagine the sort of wildly gracious and merciful reaction that would evoke? Another translation, the NRSV, says we are to “outdo one another in showing honor.” It’s the polar opposite of what the world would expect. And in doing so, we point to Jesus. We point to another way of living. We point to heaven, and in doing so, we set our sights on God’s kingdom in such a way that nothing bad can touch us. I imagine Stephen from Acts 7, who was so caught up in his vision of heaven that he perhaps didn’t even feel the pain of the rocks as he was being stoned to death.

The behavior Jesus requests—and Paul encourages—is not just the “Sunday school” answer, what we “should do” in a perfect world or a perfect scenario. It’s the answer to the problem, the way we can truly overcome evil with good.

That’s the not-so-secret secret to walking among evil and still having joy.

So the next time you encounter someone hateful, remember: turning the other cheek and overcoming evil with good isn’t just important because “we’re supposed to.” It’s the way we can maintain our peace and joy even as the world crumbles around us.

How about you—can you think of a time when you encountered evil and reacted with surrender and love? Did it help you or defuse the situation?

A prayer: Lord, help me not meet anger with anger, evil with evil, gossip with gossip, or hatred with hate. Help me surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to fill me so completely that I project only good, only love, only peace. Help this light to vanquish all darkness and point us all to you, now and forever. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.

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