Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 12:21

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." — Romans 12:21 (ASV)

Be not overcome of evil. Do not be vanquished or subdued by injury received from others. Do not allow your temper to be provoked, your Christian principles to be abandoned, or your mild, amiable, kind, and benevolent disposition to be ruffled by any opposition or injury you may experience. Maintain your Christian principles amid all opposition, and thus show the power of the gospel.

Those who allow their temper to be provoked, who become enraged and revengeful, and who engage in contention with those who injure them, are overcome by evil (Proverbs 16:32).

But overcome evil with good. That is, subdue or vanquish evil by doing good to others. Show them the loveliness of a better spirit, the power of kindness and benevolence, and the value of an amiable, Christian deportment. By doing so, you may disarm them of their rage and be instrumental in leading them to a better way of thinking.

This is the noble and grand teaching of the Christian religion. Nothing like this is found in the pagan classics, and nothing like it ever existed among pagan nations. Christianity alone has brought forth this lovely and mighty principle, and one of its purposes is to advance the welfare of humankind by promoting peace, harmony, and love.

The idea of overcoming evil with good never occurred to people until the gospel was preached. It has never been acted upon except under the influence of the gospel. On this principle God shows kindness; on this principle the Savior came, bled, and died; and on this principle all Christians should act in treating their enemies and in bringing the world to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.

If Christians will show benevolence, if they will send forth proofs of love to the ends of the earth, the evils of the world will be overcome. Nor can the nations be converted until Christians act on this great and most important principle of their religion, on the largest scale possible, to OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.