“Love Your Enemies” — The Mark of True Christianity
One of the most radical, countercultural teachings of Jesus is found in Luke 6:27–36, where He commands His followers:
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”
To the natural heart, this is impossible. But to the reborn Christian—with the Spirit of God dwelling within—this becomes the very mark of authentic discipleship. Jesus wasn’t describing moral improvement; He was describing a new nature, the nature of divine agapē love.
This article explores what this love really is, what it isn’t, and why it reveals someone who is no longer a sinner enslaved to self-interest but a saint transformed by God’s character.
1. The Radical Call of Luke 6
Jesus doesn’t simply say “tolerate your enemies.” He gives active commands:
● Love your enemies
Not just sentiment, but a deliberate choice for their good.
● Do good to those who hate you
● Bless those who curse you
● Pray for those who mistreat you
● Give without expecting anything in return
This is not human behaviour; this is divine behaviour—a reflection of the God “who is kind to the unthankful and evil” (Luke 6:35).
2. This Love Is the Mark of True Christianity
Christianity is not just a belief system; it is the transformation of character into the likeness of Jesus.
✔ Loving enemies reveals a person who has truly met Christ.
Anyone can love those who love them. Jesus says even sinners do that.
✔ Enemy-love is the evidence of a new heart.
A heart filled with the Holy Spirit responds in ways that humans cannot produce on their own.
✔ This is the dividing line between a merely religious person and a saint.
Sinners repay evil with evil.
Saints repay evil with good.
✔ This is the family resemblance of God’s children.
“When you love your enemies… you will be sons of the Most High” (Luke 6:35).
Enemy-love is not a requirement to earn sonship—it is the fruit that shows you already belong to Him.
3. This Is Agapē Love — The Nature of God Himself
The love Jesus teaches is not emotional, not impulsive, not based on how someone treats you. It is agapē—the highest form of love.
Agapē love:
● Is not driven by feelings
● Is not based on attraction or favouritism
● Seeks the genuine good of others—even at personal cost
● Flows from the will, empowered by the Spirit
● Wishes the best for all, even the ungrateful
● Reflects the love God has for humanity
This is the same love God showed when Christ died for us “while we were still sinners, enemies of God.”
Agapē is not a human invention; it is God’s nature poured into us.
4. What Loving Your Enemies Does NOT Mean
To avoid misunderstanding:
✖ It does not mean approving their wrongdoing
God loves sinners, but He never approves of sin.
✖ It does not mean allowing abuse or refusing healthy boundaries
✖ It is not weakness or passivity
It is a moral strength the world cannot understand.
✖ It does not require feeling warm emotions
Agapē is action-first, emotion-later.
5. Why This Command Is Transformational
When a Christian loves an enemy:
● It breaks the cycle of retaliation
Revenge creates more revenge. Love stops it at the root.
● It displays God’s kingdom in a fallen world
People expect hatred; they are shocked by grace.
● It frees the believer from bitterness
Unforgiveness is a prison; love sets the heart free.
● It opens doors for repentance
Many people have been converted not by arguments but by undeserved kindness.
● It reflects the cross
The greatest display of enemy-love was Christ praying:
“Father, forgive them.”
6. Living This Out: Practical Expressions
Jesus gives real examples so His followers know what agapē looks like in daily life.
● Speak blessings, not curses
Even when attacked verbally.
● Refuse revenge
Leave justice to God.
● Give generously
Not calculating what you get back.
● Pray for those who hurt you
Prayer changes your heart and places your enemy in God’s hands.
● Serve when the opportunity arises
Kindness in action is louder than any sermon.
7. The Reward: Becoming Like God
Loving your enemies is not only a command but a privilege.
Jesus promises:
“Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High” (Luke 6:35).
This is the highest honour:
To look like your Father.
To shine like Jesus.
To reveal heaven’s character on earth.
Conclusion: The Signature of Saints
Enemy-love is not natural.
It is supernatural.
It is the unmistakable evidence of a person whose heart has been changed by Jesus Christ.
● It is the mark of Christian maturity.
● It is the fragrance of agapē love.
● It is the beauty of holiness.
● It is the badge of the saints.
When we love our enemies, we are not acting as sinners struggling to do good—we are acting as sons and daughters of God, revealing His nature to the world.
This is the Christianity Jesus taught.
This is the life He empowers us to live.
And this is the love that conquers evil with good.