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What Does the Bible Say About..Loving Enemies?

Luke 6:27-29 (King James Version) “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.” Why should we love our enemies? If I'm not taking this out of context, then does Christ love his enemy, Satan?

Answer

Later in the passage you mentioned from Luke, Jesus explains why he says to love your enemies. “For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:32-36) He gives at least three reasons here: (1) the thanks you will get, (2) that you can be called a child of God, and (3) to be like God.

John gives another reason. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” (1 John 4:20-21) We love our enemies because failure to do so shows that we don’t love God.

Does this mean Christ loves Satan? Certainly. Since love, in this context, is thinking of the greatest good for the other, then loving Satan would involve working toward his following God. There would be great rejoicing in heaven if Satan were to stop being an enemy of Christ.