Joy, Justice, and the Love of Enemies

In the life of faith we often live in tensions. One of the more sobering tensions is this on one hand we see texts that celebrate the just judgment of God on his enemies; on the other hand we are commanded to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who persecute us. How do we faithfully hold together both of these biblical emphases in our daily walk with Christ?

Let’s look at both sides, and then offer a path forward to help us live in the freedom of God’s justice and mercy without sliding into the wrong kind of joy.

The Celebration of God’s Righteous Judgment

Consider how the Bible portrays God’s defeat of the enemies of his people. For example, when the people of Israel sang:

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:1)
This passage describes the deliverance of God’s people and the overthrow of Egypt’s army, and the song naturally praises the Lord for his strength, power and faithfulness.

In the New Testament, we encounter scenes of heavenly worship where the saints say:

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just.” (Revelation 19:1)
“Rejoice over her, O heaven … for God has given judgment for you against her.” (Revelation 18:20)
These texts show a vision of divine vindication God’s justice is displayed, his enemies are judged, and the redeemed rejoice that the holy and true God has done what is right.

The logic is this: God is not merely benign he is righteous. There is a sinful antagonism in this world, and that antagonism will be judged. When God judges mankind’s enemies and ultimately the antichrist powers the people of God may rejoice that the holiness of God is upheld, evil is exposed, and justice prevails.

The Call to Compassion and Love Toward Enemies

Yet the Bible does not leave us simply in the posture of rejoicing over destruction. There is another abundant set of passages that call us to a radically different attitude:

• “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it, and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.” (Proverbs 24:17–18)

• “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

• “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6:27–28)

• “Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God … if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” (Romans 12:19–20)

These texts make clear that our response to enemies must not be personal vindictiveness or delight in their downfall but mercy, humility, and a posture of love.

Why These Two Clusters Don’t Contradict Each Other

So we have two clusters:

1. God’s judgment and our rejoicing when the enemies of God are judged.

2. Our call to love and not gloat over the fall of our adversaries.

At first glance they seem to pull in opposite directions. But the tension can be resolved when we draw a key distinction: between rejoicing in God’s vindication and justice and rejoicing in our enemy’s suffering for personal satisfaction.

Authored theologians point out that the Bible permits rejoicing when God acts justly but forbids rejoicing in wrongdoing or personal vengeance. One commentator writes. “The Bible nowhere advocates rejoicing over the downfall of the enemy because of personal vengeance … Nevertheless … believers may rejoice at the destruction of the wicked” (so long as the focus is on God’s righteousness not gloating).

In other words:

• If we are praising God because He is righteous, sovereign, just the emphasis is on Him.

• If we are celebrating the ruin of a person because we got our way, because they hurt us, or because we feel vindicated that is a different thing entirely.

How to live this out in real life

Here are some practical guidelines:

1. Check the posture of your heart.
When news comes of someone who opposed God’s gospel and then faces judgment are you saying “Glory to God that he is holy and just” or “Ha! I told you so!”? The first is right. The second is pride.

2. Distinguish the object of your joy.
Our joy must be in the Lord: his name, his character, his justice. We rejoice that he sets things right. We don’t rejoice 24/7 that an individual suffers. As the psalmist says, “Let my tongue speak of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.” (Psalm 35:28)

3. Continue loving even when the enemy falls.
Think of those who once opposed you, or those under evil influence. Our calling remains: love them, pray for them, seek their good. The New Testament is quite clear on this: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him.” (Romans 12:20) Our posture is mercy.

4. Embrace the gospel-wide horizon.
Remember that the greatest “enemy” there is sin and the greatest act of judgment is the cross of Christ, which simultaneously holds out mercy. The death of Jesus is both terrible and glorious. Similarly when God judges his enemies, we may grieve the loss but rejoice the triumph of his holiness.

5. Avoid premature celebration of human downfall.
In some proverbs we are warned against gladness when an enemy stumbles because there may yet be repentance, or because our heart may harden in hatred. (Proverbs 24:17–18)

Why this matters

In a world marked by injustice, evil, persecution of the church, and suffering of the innocent, the posture of the Christian is tested. Some may swing toward vindictive joy “they got what they deserve” which gives license to hatred or pride. Others may swing toward passive love only, ignoring the reality of divine judgment and holiness. The Christian call is to both: love as Christ loved and honour God’s righteous judgment.

Did you know that in the U.S. 33 % of adults say they would support the death penalty for certain crimes? That reflects a human desire for retributive justice even apart from theology. In the gospel, our justice longing is fulfilled in Christ, who “became sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and who will one day render the final judgment.
Also, a survey by Pew Research found 58 % of Christians believe “God will eventually bring about justice on earth” by intervening. That hope points to the future day referenced in Revelation where God’s enemies are judged and the redeemed rejoice.

When we integrate those truths into our lives, we neither neglect God’s holiness nor abandon God’s mercy.

A few clarifying questions

• Does this mean we celebrate when someone goes to hell? No. The Bible doesn’t call us to glee over individuals’ eternal ruin. It does call us to respect the justice of God and the reality of final judgment.

• Does this mean we ignore evil in this world? No. There is a prophetic call to lament, to pray for justice, and to act.

• What if my enemy repents? Then our joy should shift to that: God’s mercy has triumphed over judgment (James 2:13).

• What if the enemy is still out there persecuting the church? Then our trust is in God’s justice and timing. We pray, we witness, and we rest in his ultimate vindication.

Final encouragement

In your own life you may face opposition, evil, injustice. You may see those who mock the cross, persecute the gospel, and harden themselves against God. Yet you are called to a higher response. Rejoice when God is glorified and his justice is accomplished not for your personal satisfaction but for his name to be exalted and for mercy to be available to the lost. At the same time, love your enemy, pray for your persecutor, seek the good of those who oppose you, because that is the heart of the gospel.

May we walk in the tension of holy justice and abundant mercy, understanding that our God is both Judge and Redeemer.

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