As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. | 2 Thessalonians 3:13–15
Long before literature gave us likable antagonists and Hollywood became obsessed with the anti-hero, the Bible had already presented us with a very complex idea of who we imagine our enemy to be. This is most evident in the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus tells the crowd:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. | Matthew 5:43–44
Likewise in the passage at the top, we are encouraged not to put those who are against us so easily into the category of enemy, without also connecting to them the idea of love and care. Our enemies in this life are both those who we stand against and those for whom we have compassion. Our relationship with our enemies is complicated.
While our society loves a principled villain or conflicted hero on the screen, in real life we prefer things a bit more clear cut. We are more comfortable when life falls into easy categories. We want to imagine that we are the good and those who disagree with us are the bad. Even when we know it is not that simple, we convince ourselves of this so that we can feel noble in our battle against the other. We make people the villains worthy of our hatred and vitriol simply because they land on a different side of the issue than we do. We demonize others because it makes us feel more righteous in the place we stand.
Along with this, we put the label of enemy in the wrong place. We see this in the current battle over COVID. I have seen people refer to the enemy as: right wing, left wing, Fauci, Inslee, the unvaccinated, the CDC, Biden, and Trump (and many others). The problem is, none of these are actually the enemy in this fight – the enemy is the disease itself. All of those mentioned above are people (or groups) who are both victims of the real enemy, as well as people who may deserve some amount of responsibility in how it has been handled. By misplacing the enemy, we put ourselves at war with those who we should be fighting alongside. Instead of listening to the concerns of those we disagree with, we attack them.
This, in turn, affects ALL of our relationships. When the lines are drawn this way, it puts us on high alert with everyone; we live in fear of others and how others will judge us. In this state, we can’t be vulnerable, are afraid to trust, and feel isolated and lonely. By getting the enemy wrong, we make healthy relationships impossible. We begin to feel like everyone is against and that we have to hide our true selves from all people.
This goes way beyond COVID. We have been doing the same thing around issues of politics, morality, and religion for a long time. In these, the real enemy is not an ideology, but the Father of Lies, Satan. The Bible describes him this way:
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. | 1 Peter 5:8
Those we disagree with are suffering the destruction of this beast. While they may act out of this in destructive ways, they are always both victim and victimizer. You may be thinking: but doesn’t that still make them at least part enemy?
This is where the Bible’s teaching becomes so powerful. It doesn’t tell us to act like people’s sin is good, nor does it ask us to pretend that their sin doesn’t hurt others. It calls us to see our enemies as a complex mix of God’s goodness and Satan’s destruction. While some may seem closer to Satan than God, Jesus’ teaching calls us to work toward them receiving God’s grace. A funny thing happens when you actively pray for someone and desire God’s grace for them: they begin to seem a lot more like you, a sinner in need of grace. It cultivates compassion.
Compassion is the ingredient needed for healthy relationships, and even more for a community of diverse people. If we are all trying to figure out how to get everyone else to receive a bit more of God’s goodness, then grace becomes a communal endeavor. While it is easy to point out those whom you are against, much greater is a life surrounded by people you are working with (even if it sometimes feels like their efforts make yours more difficult).
The Bible helps us to identify the true enemy, but also how to treat those who seem to be against us. In a world that is becoming more and more divided, the church should be leading the way in reconciling through compassion, not only because it works, but also because it is a reflection of the love and mercy that we have been gifted by Jesus.