How The Wisdom of God Will Rescue You From Evil People

“Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted. These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths.

Proverbs 2:12-13 NLT

You probably don’t have to think very hard to remember the last time you were confronted with an evil person. Unfortunately we live in a time where evil is rampant. You can feel it within your spirit when someone is in darkness. You can hear it in the words they speak.

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

Luke 6:45 NLT

We Were Once Evil

Before we come to salvation, we are sinful and in effect, evil.

If you know Jesus as your Savior then you know what I’m talking about. At one time we lived as the world lived and adopted their truths as our own. It is only by the grace of God and the blood He shed for us that we have been given right standing before Him.

We used to walk in darkness before we knew the truth. We were corrupted by the sin that ensnared us. Thankfully, God sanctifies His children. He disciplines us so that we look more and more like Him. We are now part of a life-long process of being refined. Evil is stripped away and replaced by the fruit of the spirit. It isn’t anything we strive for, it is a direct result of a life changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What Are the Marks of an Evil Person?

How do you know what is truly considered evil? The Word of God is our standard of truth and in it you will find the behavior that is consistent with that of an evil person. While He is the only one who can know a person’s heart, we are able to discern whether someone has ill intentions by being aware of the fruit they are producing.

It should go without being said that the ultimate depiction of evil is he who is the enemy of the cross, Satan himself. I wrote a post on how to recognize the underhanded methods of the enemy which lists the kind of deviant behavior that the Devil exhibits.

But since the Word of God says that there are also evil people, we would be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn’t familiarize ourselves with those characteristics the Bible warns us of. As I list these characteristics below I will also share notoriously evil people from within the Bible who exhibited not only one, but many of these attributes.

1. Prideful and Arrogant

• Psalms 94:3-4 NLT – How long, O Lord? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat? How long will they speak with arrogance? How long will these evil people boast?”
• Proverbs 8:13 NLT – All who fear the Lord will hate evil, therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.

An example of pride and arrogance is displayed in Haman in the book of Esther. He counted himself as powerful and more important than Mordecai and was infuriated that Mordecai wouldn’t bow to him. His plotting ended up backfiring and he got himself impaled on a pole that was meant for his enemy. You can learn about him in the Book of Esther.

2. Plotter/Schemer

• Proverbs 16:30 NLT – With narrowed eyes, people plot evil; with a smirk, they plan their mischief.
• Psalms 140:8 NLT- Lord, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud.
• Psalms 37:7 NLT – Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Jezebel was a Queen who influenced her husband in order to get what she wanted and plotted evil against God’s anointed. You can read about her in 1 and 2 Kings.

3. Traitor/Betrayer

• Proverbs 21:18 NLT – The wicked are punished in the place of the godly, and traitors in the place of the honest.
• 2 Timothy 3:4 NLT – They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

Judas Iscariot was the ultimate traitor as he betrayed Jesus with a kiss. He was one who sat with Jesus and walked with him. Yet, he betrayed him for a bag of gold and ultimately sold his soul because of greed. You can learn more about Judas in the gospel Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

4. Liar

• Proverbs 14:25 NLT – A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor.
• Exodus 23:1 NLT – You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.

Potiphar’s wife is an example of one who lied because her sexual advancements were rejected by Joseph. Because he turned her down, she lied and accused him of raping her. Joseph was subsequently imprisoned because of her deception. You can read about her in the Book of Genesis.

5. Unjust

• Proverbs 28:5 NLT – Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely.
• Psalms 94:20 NLT – Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side–leaders whose decrees permit injustice?

Pharaoh wrongfully persecuted and oppressed the Israelites in the land of Egypt and would not let God’s people go. He placed strenuous amounts of work upon them until finally God rescued the Israelites from his grasp. You can read about him in the Book of Exodus.

6. Rebellious

• Proverbs 17:11 NLT – Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished.
• 1 Samuel 15:23 NLT – Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.
• Jude 1:11 NLT – What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

Absalom rose up against his own father King David and attempted to kill him. He also tried to turn the Israelites against David by plotting and committing heinous acts. You can read about him in 2 Samuel.

7. Oppressive

• Psalms 94:21 NLT – They gang up on the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
• Psalms 94:5-7 NLT – They crush your people, Lord, hurting those you claim as your own. They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans. “The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”

King Herod Antipas killed John the Baptist and pawned off Jesus to Pontious Pilate who sentenced Him to death. You can read about Herod Antipas in the gospels.

How Are We Rescued From Evil?

Since the Word of God tells us that Godly wisdom will rescue us from evil people, is it enough to know what kind of characteristics a questionable person exhibits? I’m afraid not.

Wisdom will help us to know how we should respond when confronted with evil.

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Ephesians 6:12. NLT

Since our fight is not against flesh-and-blood, it is useless to retaliate or seek revenge. While a person isn’t our true enemy, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t demonic spiritual forces at work within a person that yields evil behavior.

So how do we respond?

Pray Against Evil

We pray. Pray not only for your enemy but we pray boldly. Try praying with hands raised towards them binding the enemy at work within them. Cast down the Devil’s work and proclaim the victory that is ours!

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and destroy false arguments.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NLT

Did you know that you have that kind of authority in Christ?

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is our through Christ, who loved us.”

Romans 8:37 NLT

Did you catch that? The victory is the Lord’s, and not only that, it’s ours too! Hallelujah! That means that we can pray and do not have to worry about schemes, plots, and lies. We can pray the Word of God over our situation and the Lord is faithful to respond.

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7 NLT

I challenge you to pray bold prayers over the person who is exhibiting evil behavior in your life. I urge you to try it. Wield wisdom instead of allowing evil to wreak havoc. Pray the Word of God over your situation and the person that the enemy is using. You WILL see powerful things happen.

Perhaps you are feeling convicted by the Holy Spirit because you realize you’ve been allowing the devil to gain a foothold by influencing your actions and behavior. You may have even fallen prey to the tactics listed above or began utilizing them yourself. There is no better day than today to humble yourself and ask God for forgiveness.

The Lord is not only faithful to forgive, but He will rescue you.

Love Your Enemies

“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”

Matthew 5:44 NLT

The ultimate display of God’s love is to pray for those who are against you. You should prayr not only for their salvation but for their eyes to be opened. Also pray that their hearts of stone will be turned into hearts of flesh.

When you pray like this, not only will their heart be softened, but so will yours.

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