56 Bible Verses about enemies, of believers
Most Relevant Verses
If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love what was its own. But it is because you do not belong to the world, but I have selected you from the world, that the world hates you.
I have given them your message, and the world has come to hate them, for they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
But everyone who wants to live a godly life as a follower of Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
For no one of you must suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or revolutionist, but if a man suffers for being a Christian, he must not be ashamed of it, but must do honor to God through that name.
Then the king will say to those at his right, 'Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take possession of the kingdom which has been destined for you from the creation of the world. For when I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was a stranger, you invited me to your homes, when I had no clothes, you gave me clothes, when I was sick, you looked after me, when I was in prison, you came to see me.'read more.
Then the upright will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger, and invite you home, or without clothing, and supply you with it? When did we see you sick or in prison, and go to see you?' The king will answer, 'I tell you, in so far as you did it to one of the humblest of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.'
And whoever causes one of these humble believers to fall might better have a great millstone hung around his neck and be thrown into the sea.
And he said to his disciples, "It is inevitable that hindrances should arise, but alas for the man who causes them!
and he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, sir?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," said the voice.
You will be hated by everyone, because you bear my name. But he who holds out to the end will be saved.
You will be hated by everybody on my account, but the man who holds out to the very end will be saved.
But they will do all this to you on my account, because they do not understand him who sent me.
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be in his own household.
Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? Not peace, I tell you, but discord! For from now on if there are five people in a house they will be divided three against two and two against three. Father will be against son, and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
One brother will give up another to death, and a father his child, and children will turn against their parents, and have them put to death.
Brother will give up brother to be put to death, and the father his child, and children will turn against their parents and have them put to death.
So they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all about the name of Jesus.
"We strictly forbade you," he said, "to teach on this authority, and here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and propose to hold us responsible for this man's death!"
But Saul harassed the church. He went into one house after another, and dragging out men and women, put them in prison.
Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the Lord's disciples, went to the high priest, and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women there who belonged to the Way, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.
There were false prophets too among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive sects and deny the Master who has bought them, thus bringing on themselves swift destruction.
They will exclude you from their synagogues; why, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is doing religious service to God.
And he said, "Look! I can see heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand!" But they uttered a great shout and stopped their ears, and they rushed upon him all together, and dragged him out of the city and stoned him, the witnesses throwing down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.read more.
As they stoned Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then falling on his knees, he cried out, "Lord, do not lay this sin up against them!" With these words he fell asleep.
About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had John's brother, James, beheaded,
I once thought it my duty vigorously to oppose the cause of Jesus of Nazareth. That was what I did at Jerusalem when on the authority of the high priests I put many of God's people in prison. When they were put to death, I cast my vote against them,
When he broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who have been slaughtered on account of God's message and for adhering to the testimony.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for your persecutors, so that you may show yourselves true sons of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on bad and good alike, and makes the rain fall on the upright and the wrongdoers.
"But I tell you who hear me, love your enemies, treat those who hate you well, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To the man that strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the man who takes away your coat, do not keep back your shirt either.
And they divided up his clothes among them by drawing lots for them,
As they stoned Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then falling on his knees, he cried out, "Lord, do not lay this sin up against them!" With these words he fell asleep.
not returning evil for evil, or abuse for abuse. You must bless people instead. It is for this that you were called??o obtain blessing.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And do not subject us to temptation, But save us from the evil one.' For if you forgive others when they offend you, your heavenly Father will forgive you too.read more.
But if you do not forgive others when they offend you, your heavenly Father will not forgive you for your offenses.
and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive anyone who wrongs us; and do not subject us to temptation.' "
When they reached the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, with the criminals one at his right and one at his left. And they divided up his clothes among them by drawing lots for them,
No! If your enemy is hungry, feed him! If he is thirsty, give him something to drink! For if you do, you will heap burning coals upon his head!
Then an expert in the Law got up to test him and said, "Master, what must I do to make sure of eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What does the Law say? How does it read?" He answered, " 'You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, and your whole mind,' and 'your neighbor as you do yourself.' "read more.
Jesus said to him, "You are right. Do that, and you will live." But he, wishing to justify his question, said, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers, and they stripped him and beat him and went off leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be going that way, and when he saw him, he went by on the other side of the road. And a Levite also came to the place, and when he saw him, he went by on the other side. But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon him, and when he saw him he pitied him, and he went up to him and dressed his wounds with oil and wine and bound them up. And he put him on his own mule and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out a dollar and gave it to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend I will refund to you on my way back.' Which of these three do you think proved himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" He said, "The man who took pity on him." Jesus said to him, "Go and do so yourself!"
Be calm and watchful. Your opponent the devil is prowling about like a roaring lion, wanting to devour you.
But the Lord stood by me, and gave me strength, so that I might make a full presentation of the message and let all the heathen hear it. So I was saved from the jaws of the lion. The Lord will rescue me from any harm and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Resist him and be strong in the faith, for you know that your brotherhood all over the world is having the same experience of suffering.
for the weapons I use are not earthly ones, but divinely strong for destroying fortresses.
Henceforth you must grow strong through union with the Lord and through his mighty strength. You must put on God's armor, so as to be able to stand up against the devil's stratagems. For we have to struggle, not with enemies of flesh and blood, but with the hierarchies, the authorities, the master-spirits of this dark world, the spirit-forces of evil on high.read more.
So you must take God's armor, so that when the evil day comes you will be able to make a stand, and when it is all over to hold your ground. Stand your ground, then, with the belt of truth around your waist, and put on uprightness as your coat of mail, and on your feet put the readiness the good news of peace brings. Besides all these, take faith for your shield, for with it you will be able to put out all the flaming missiles of the evil one, and take salvation for your helmet, and for your sword the Spirit, which is the voice of God. Use every kind of prayer and entreaty, and at every opportunity pray in the Spirit. Be on the alert about it; devote yourselves constantly to prayer for all God's people
So I would have young women marry and have children and keep house and avoid giving our opponents any excuse for abusing us. For some widows have already turned aside to follow Satan.
I have had a part in the great contest, I have run my race, I have preserved my faith.
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will fly from you.
I do not ask you to take them away from the world, but to keep them from evil.
Have no fear of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. You had better be afraid of one who can destroy both soul and body in the pit. Do not sparrows sell two for a cent? And yet not one of them can fall to the ground against your Father's will! But the very hairs on your heads are all counted.read more.
You must not be afraid; you are worth more than a great many sparrows!
but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And afterward you yourself must turn and strengthen your brothers."
Now the crown of uprightness awaits me, which the Lord, the upright judge, will award me on that Day, and not only me but also all who have loved and hoped for his appearing.
The last enemy to be overthrown will be death,
which has now been revealed through the appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus. He has taken away the power of death and brought life and immortality to light through the good news,
Then death and Hades were flung into the fiery lake. This is the second death??he fiery lake.
and he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no death any longer, nor any grief or crying or pain. The old order has passed away."