How should I deal with those who use aggression against me?
Exodus 17:4Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”
Psalm 22:12My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
Psalm 27:12Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence.
Psalm 35:17How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions!
Psalm 36:11Don’t let the proud trample me or the wicked push me around.
Psalm 57:4I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey—whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.
Psalm 59:3They have set an ambush for me. Fierce enemies are out there waiting, Lord, though I have not sinned or offended them.
We are to come to God honestly, seeking his protection, advice, comfort, and wisdom. The first thing we can do in dealing with aggressive people is to ask God to deal with them his way. In relationships, countering aggression with aggression usually escalates our problems.
Leviticus 19:18“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
1 Samuel 26:8“God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!”
Romans 12:19Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.
Hebrews 10:30We know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.”
We are to leave all vengeance to God who alone is fully just. He sees when we are wronged, and will make sure justice ultimately prevails.
Proverbs 22:24-25Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
1 Samuel 19:1-3Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”
1 Timothy 5:22Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
We are to have no part in others’ inappropriate aggressive behavior. God may even call us to help the aggressor’s intended victim.
Genesis 39:12She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
John 6:15When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.
When others exhibit aggressive behavior, sometimes the best solution is to leave. Running away from evil, temptation, or harm is often not cowardly, but wise.
Isaiah 1:17Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
Matthew 5:41-44“If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
Matthew 21:12-13Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”
Luke 4:29-30Jumping up, they mobbed him [Jesus] and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
Luke 6:29“If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.”
Acts 9:3-5As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!”
Romans 5:8, 10-11God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. . . . For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
2 Corinthians 10:1Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away.
Jesus not only preached turning the other cheek—he did so himself. Though he could have called down instant judgment on those who opposed him, mocked him, or tried to kill him, he did not respond with aggression. Jesus, however, did not stand by while others were being oppressed. He confronted the religious leaders’ pride, hypocrisy, and lack of love for the poor and hurting. But Jesus did not justify rejecting and hating a person or group of people because of their aggressive behavior. Paul, a Pharisee, was chosen to become the greatest evangelist of all time. And all Christians—including us—were sinners living in rebellion to God before Christ chose to die for us. Ultimately, Jesus responded to human aggression with perfect love—both a love for the victims and a love for the aggressor. We are called to do the same.
