Love Your Enemies
When hatred fills your social media feed and vengeance seems justified, Christ calls you to the most radical act imaginable: love those who persecute you.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10th revealed something dark about our culture—including among those who call themselves Christians. As social media erupted with celebration over his shooting and death, I watched people who claim to follow Christ revel in another human being's violent end.
Some of my own friends revealed themselves as well through their reactions—celebrating violence, mocking death, showing that their allegiance was to political tribes rather than to Christ's radical way of love.
This forced me into Scripture to wrestle with what might be the most misunderstood and radical command Christ ever gave: love your enemies.
Not tolerate them. Not ignore them. Love them.
The Scandal of Enemy Love
Christ's teaching on enemy love isn't a suggestion for advanced disciples—it's the defining mark of His followers.
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." — Matthew 5:43-45
This wasn't just revolutionary in Jesus's time—it remains scandalous today. Every human instinct, every cultural norm, every political tribe tells us to celebrate when our enemies fall. To mock their suffering. To wish them harm.
But Christ demands the opposite. And He modeled it Himself: "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), spoken while being tortured to death by His enemies.
Why Christians Celebrate Their Enemies' Deaths
When I saw professing Christians celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination, it exposed a spiritual crisis: many "Christians" aren't actually following Christ. They're following a political ideology dressed in religious language.
The truth is known in sacrifice. Look for fruits, not trees.
If your Christianity doesn't transform how you respond to your enemies, you might be a Churchian rather than a Christian. See: Don't Be A Churchian for understanding the difference between cultural Christianity and actual discipleship.
Real Christianity costs you the satisfaction of revenge. It costs you the pleasure of seeing your enemies suffer. It costs you the social validation that comes from joining the mob.
When Christians celebrate violence against their political opponents, they reveal they've never actually died to themselves. They're still operating from the flesh, not the Spirit. Their allegiance is to their tribe, not to Christ.
The Power of Forgiveness
Forgiveness isn't weakness—it's the most powerful force in the universe. It's what breaks cycles of violence. It's what transforms hearts. It's what demonstrates the reality of God's kingdom.
Consider what enemy love accomplishes:
It exposes the bankruptcy of hatred. When you respond to violence with love, you reveal the spiritual poverty of those celebrating death. Your refusal to join the mob becomes a testimony.
It breaks demonic strongholds. Hatred and revenge are Satan's tools. When you choose love, you literally make Satan struggle. See: Make Satan Struggle for understanding spiritual warfare.
It transforms your own heart. You cannot simultaneously harbor hatred and experience God's presence. Choosing to love your enemies frees you from the prison of bitterness.
It witnesses to the watching world. Nothing proves the reality of Christ's transformation like loving those who hate you. It's inexplicable apart from divine grace.
What Enemy Love Looks Like Practically
Loving your enemies doesn't mean:
- Agreeing with their ideology
- Enabling their sin
- Pretending they haven't hurt you
- Becoming passive about injustice
Loving your enemies does mean:
- Praying for their salvation, not their destruction
- Refusing to celebrate when they suffer
- Speaking truth without personal hatred
- Hoping for their redemption rather than their ruin
- Forgiving even when they don't deserve it
When I disagreed with Charlie Kirk on many issues, the Christian response wasn't to wish him dead—it was to pray for his transformation. To hope that God would work in his heart. To desire his ultimate good, which is knowing Christ fully.
The Hard Truth About Forgiveness
Forgiveness is not optional for Christians. Jesus made this crystal clear:
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." — Matthew 6:14-15
This isn't about earning salvation through works. It's about the evidence of transformation. If God's forgiveness has truly touched your heart, it will overflow into forgiveness for others. If you can't forgive, you haven't truly experienced being forgiven.
I've had to forgive people who've wronged me deeply. Business partners who betrayed me. Friends who abandoned me when following Christ became costly. Family members who mocked my faith.
Each act of forgiveness was a death to my ego and a resurrection into freedom.
Breaking Free From Tribal Hatred
Modern culture—especially online culture—runs on outrage and tribal hatred. Algorithms reward the most inflammatory content. Politicians gain power by demonizing opponents. Media profits from division.
As Christians, we must sever our ties with this culture of hatred. See: Sever Your Ties With Modern Culture for breaking free from destructive cultural patterns.
This means:
- Unfollowing accounts that profit from outrage
- Refusing to share content that celebrates anyone's suffering
- Speaking against hatred even when it comes from "your side"
- Building relationships across political and ideological divides
- Modeling grace in how you discuss those you disagree with
The Ultimate Test of Discipleship
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, demonstrated what enemy love looks like at the moment of death: "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7:60). He learned this from His Master, who forgave from the cross.
Can you pray for those who persecute you? Can you bless those who curse you? Can you do good to those who hate you?
If not, you haven't yet experienced the full transformation Christ offers. You're still operating from human strength rather than divine love.
Reflection and Practice
When confronted with enemies—personal, political, or spiritual—ask yourself:
- Am I praying for their salvation or their destruction?
- Do I secretly celebrate when they suffer?
- Can I separate their actions from their personhood?
- Am I willing to forgive even if they never apologize?
- Does my response to enemies look different from non-Christians?
The world is watching how Christians respond to their enemies. When we join the mob in celebrating death, we prove we're no different from everyone else. When we choose radical love and forgiveness, we demonstrate that Christ's kingdom operates by different rules entirely.
Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Forgive as you have been forgiven. This isn't advanced Christianity—it's basic discipleship. And it's the most powerful witness we have in a world drowning in hatred.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." — Matthew 5:44-45