How to Overcome Evil

Paul speaks to how we overcome evil in Romans 12.21. "Do not be overcome by evil," he writes, "but overcome evil with good." There is so much packed into those twelve words (in the Greek).

First, both evil and good cannot win out, it is not possible. If evil is triumphant, than good loses. If good wins, then evil is crushed.

Second, It is possible for a follower of Christ to be overcome by evil. Otherwise, Paul would not have written this admonition.

Third, it is possible for evil to be overcome.

Fourth, the instrument with which to overcome evil is good, which here we would see as the opposite, and the antithesis of evil.

Fifth, Paul doesn't explain exactly how good overcomes evil, or how to overcome evil by using good; he only states to do it. I suspect that he must have felt that how exactly to do it was self-evident. It did not need further explaining.