Looking To God’s Word When Dealing With Harmful People

As Christians, we know that we live in a world that is full of evil and danger. There are people out there who seek to do us harm, whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual. But we also know that we have a God who is greater than all of these things, and who promises to be with us always, even in the midst of our struggles.

So how do we overcome those who seek to harm us? How do we live fearlessly in a world that can be so dangerous? Keep reading to learn about my experience dealing with harmful people and the practical strategies based on God’s Word that took me from being a victim to a victor.

My First Experience With Harmful People

Years ago, there was a person in my life who harassed me daily because I didn’t want to be a part of his life.  When he was able, he followed me wherever I would go.  He would just show up and stare at me or make threats.  He went to people I knew and said that I had done terrible things and wrote my name and phone number on the walls of men’s bathrooms.  Needless to say I received many phone calls that left me clueless about why this was happening until years later when I found out it was because of him.

He told me many times that he knew people who would bring harm to me once he told them where I lived. I thought he was lying, but one night 4 men showed up at my small bungalow apartment.  They were at the side entrance door within the patio, banging on it so hard I thought they would burst through it at any moment.

I had just moved in, so I didn’t have a landline, and at that time there were no cell phones.  The lights were out and I felt panicked until I remembered the stories my father had told me about the many times God had protected him. I prayed inwardly for God to protect me. The banging stopped almost simultaneously, and they walked away.  I looked to make sure until I saw them leave.  I left to stay with my parents until I felt safe.

Overcoming Self

Whether those men were told to harm me or only scare me I’ll never know, because I didn’t ask the person who had sent them, nor did I acknowledge to him what had happened.  Instead, I decided not to be afraid of this person ever again or be anxious about what he might do to me next.

I knew the police couldn’t help me because I couldn’t prove anything, but I decided not to allow this man to have power over me.  It made me mad to think about how he felt it okay to invade someone’s life. At first, I used willpower to overcome my fear, but I learned in my Bible studies that I was trying to have faith in “self” or myself rather than in God through Jesus Christ.

Prayer and meditating on specific scripture about overcoming fear kept me safe. I trusted in God as my protector as well as my healer to get past the stress and anxiety this person gave me. At that time, I decided to trust God only and never involve the police, but I realized later that if we need help, we give God the opportunity to work through the expertise of others.  Alone we may not know or understand what to do.

We need to always look to God first in situations where people wish to harm us. He knows the evil intents of people’s hearts, and he knows what we need to help us or keep us safe. Everyone is different and God knows how every harmful person regards their victims and how we need to react to a specific person who is trying to victimize us or the situations they create for us.

God has us covered, but we must shift from looking to ourselves when it comes to dangerous people to His wisdom by trusting in Him as our protector. So, first I’ll share the process I learned, and then the steps I developed from it.  Hopefully this article may help someone who is vulnerable to a person trying to harm them.

Learning To Deal With Harmful People

First, I decided to never show fear to anyone who had evil intent against me. Second, I realized that I needed to look to God’s Word over my ways or ideas of how to deal with people who have selfish, evil and malicious intentions over other people. I later learned that I had those two decisions in reverse order at the time.  But at that time, I didn’t know any better.  We look to God’s Word first because it gives us the ability to overcome fear from within us in Christ.

What I learned from my Bible studies is that first we love God and trust Him to protect us by centering on His Word before all things. Through this love we can be free of fear according to 1 John 4:18 which says that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” I meditated on this and practiced it.

By shedding fear in the midst of facing evil, we can be clear thinking and we’re able to hear God’s guidance, think practically about any situation, and be ready to act on what we hear.  We can also prevent dangerous situations and people from harming us by being led by the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

While fear may grip us, as it has for myself in some instances, we override it with trust in God. I was gripped with fear once just by opening an envelope with an unexpected bill for a large sum of money. All I could do was quickly turn to God to find my peace so that I could figure out what happened and fix it.

I got to this place by daily affirming God as my protector and helper in life. I centered on Him rather than my problems. Doing this frees vulnerable people from being a target to evil people because it attracts them to us. This is why I was an easy victim to this person and others like him.  When God became my protector, I found my confidence and strength. This served as a tacit message to all types of narcissistic people.

While the experience I mentioned earlier wasn’t that person’s last act of harm against me, in Christ I was able to overcome each situation without harm until he stopped altogether. l had learned to trust God, so I was armed with faith and the truth of God’s Word to stand against evil because Jesus defeated Satan through His work on the cross.

So, from my experience, people in the Bible who faced life or death situations, modern day Christians, and Christians I have work with, I developed the following practical steps that helped me to deal with harmful people in Christ’s victory.  I found that there were some people who caused me more fear than others, but they became better people when I learned to overcome my fear of them.  God’s Word can heal the evil in others through the power of His love working through us.

5 Major Steps To Be Safe In The Lord Always!

Step 1: Dealing With Harmful People: Look To God In a Specific Way

The first thing we need to do is to trust in God. This may seem obvious, but it can be easy to forget during our struggles. We need to remember that God is with us, and that he is on our side. In the book of Psalms, we read, “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6, NIV). We need to remind ourselves of this truth every day, and we need to trust that God will protect us and guide us, no matter what.

Speak this truth to yourself, don’t just think about it. When you begin to feel fear or complacency that there is nothing you can do, take action by confessing that you are protected by God. He is your Heavenly Father who will never let anyone harm you if you trust in Him by faith. Say this often. There are times when we don’t have even a moment to call the police for help, and there are times when the police say they can’t help us because there is no evidence. These are the times when only God can help us.

Step 2: Dealing With Harmful People: Be Practical

The second thing we need to do is to be prepared. This means that we need to take practical steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones. If we know that there are people out there who are seeking to harm us, we need to be vigilant, and we need to take precautions along with trusting God to protect us.  This may mean installing security systems in our homes, carrying pepper spray or some other form of self-defense, or learning basic martial arts skills, while looking to God.

We must always be aware of our surroundings, and avoid situations that could put us in danger. And when people threaten us, we need to take them seriously. This doesn’t mean that we put our faith in these actions. We put our faith in God to work through these things and to protect us and any way that He may choose.

We must be proactive in today’s world about our safety to help God help us. Yes, He will be there when we need Him with miraculous help, but if we can avoid trouble, then we can avoid many negative situations.  Reliance on God to be our protecter, His Word and His guidance by the Holy Spirit is our light through the darkness of evil.  Always be ready to rely on God in Christ Jesus one hundred percent. Practice this truth when all seems well to be prepared.

Step 3: Dealing With Harmful People: Learn How To Love Your Enemies God’s Way

The third thing we need to do is to love our enemies. This may be the hardest thing of all, but it is also the most powerful. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

When we love our enemies, we’re not only showing them the love of Christ, but we’re also disarming them. Love has the power to break down barriers and to change hearts. It may not happen overnight, but if we’re faithful in our love, we may be able to overcome even the most determined enemy.

However, when dealing with harmful people, do this at a distance. Loving people in Christ doesn’t mean putting our lives at risk.  It means not having hatred for even the unlovable and praying that God will bless them.  Christian love includes forgiveness to keep us from negative and harmful emotions which can cause mental illness, sickness or disease.

Part of loving our enemies is forgiving them so that we can be at peace and not allow them to continually harm us. Unforgiveness can keep us from God’s protection.

A wonderful pastor who used to visit my family when we lived in another state taught me how to spiritually handle people who wish to cause trouble for others.  He quoted Matthew 5:44, and ever since that time, I have followed what it says with blessed results.  Either the person I prayed for ceased to be my enemy, or they left me alone.

Step 4: Dealing With Harmful People: Give and Receive Support

The fourth thing we need to do is to rely on the support of our fellow believers. We aren’t meant to face our struggles alone. We need the support and encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Hebrews 10:24-25, we read, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

However, be cautious. Be sure to trust the believers you share with.  Even Christians can gossip when they’re in a baby state of their Christianity or they can be judgmental.  Share only with trusted church leaders, friends, family or Christians in the church you attend that have a good reputation.  When you find the right person or people through prayer, be willing to share your problem and seek advice and support.

Step 5: Dealing With Harmful People: Realize Your Ultimate Victory

Finally, we need to remember that our ultimate victory is already assured. As Christians, we know that our ultimate home is in heaven, and that we will be with Jesus for all eternity. In John 16:33, Jesus tells us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We need to remember that no matter what we face in this life, our victory is already won through Jesus Christ.

I found that expecting victory is living a victorious life. I expect to win over anyone who comes against me because I don’t provoke negativity in people other than my belief in Christ.  If people hate Christ, then they will hate me because I love Him and will vocalize that truth.

This attitude gives me a strong confidence that people who enjoy manipulating others can sense, so they leave me alone and others who believe the same.  Our victory shows through and paralyzes the evil that desires to harm us.  This is because Jesus already defeated evil.

In Conclusion

As Christians, we will face struggles and dangers in this world. But we can overcome them by trusting in God, being prepared, loving our enemies, relying on the support of our fellow believers, and remembering that our ultimate victory is already assured. We need to cling to these truths, even in the midst of our struggles, and we need to continue to press on, with faith and hope, knowing that God is with us every step of the way.  I hope this article is helpful to you if you find yourself victimized by evil people.

Also, while seeking God, if you believe that your life is in danger, contact whatever legal authority in your area can help. Trust that God will work through them to help you.  -Margaret Lukasik

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