These Bible verses about loving your enemies give you the core teaching of Jesus and the apostles on how to treat people who have wronged you, hurt you, or simply made your life difficult. They are for anyone who finds it hard to forgive, to pray for someone who has harmed them, or to act with kindness toward a person they would rather avoid. Each passage points in the same direction: love is a choice you make, and God gives strength to make it.
Verses for When Someone Has Hurt You
Some of the hardest moments come from people who should have known better, such as a former friend, a coworker who took credit for your work, or a relative who said something cruel. These passages address that raw wound and show that God takes the injury seriously while calling you to something larger than revenge.
Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you…
(WEB)
Jesus does not say to feel warmly toward your enemies before you pray for them. He asks you to pray for them anyway. Try naming the person specifically in your prayer this evening, asking God to bless them, even if your words feel forced at first.
Romans 12:19
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
(WEB)
Paul reminds believers that vengeance belongs to God. When you feel the urge to get even, write down the injustice and hand it to God in prayer, trusting him to judge rightly. That act alone loosens the grip of bitterness.
Luke 6:27-28
27 “But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
(WEB)
These words describe a love that moves toward those who curse or mistreat you. Think of one small, practical kindness you can offer the person who wronged you this week, such as a polite greeting or a patient reply, and let that be your first step.
Verses for Choosing Kindness When You Don’t Feel Like It
Love for an enemy rarely begins with a feeling. Often it begins with a decision about how you will speak, act, and respond when the moment comes. These verses encourage you to act in goodness first and trust that God will shape your heart over time.
Romans 12:20
Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
(WEB)
Paul quotes the Proverbs to show that returning good for evil is a strong and unexpected response. Consider a concrete act of care, like bringing a meal or offering help, to someone who has opposed you, and watch how it changes the tone of the relationship.
Romans 12:21
Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(WEB)
The verse says evil cannot be defeated by evil, only by good. When irritation rises during a conversation, pause and choose one gentle sentence before you respond. That small pause is how good overcomes evil in daily life.
Proverbs 25:21-22
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
(WEB)
This proverb tells you to feed and give water to an enemy who is hungry or thirsty. Look for a practical need the person in your life has, and meet it quietly, without announcing it or expecting thanks.
Verses About Forgiveness and Prayer for Enemies
Loving an enemy is closely tied to forgiveness, which the New Testament presents as something God first gave to us. These passages connect the command to love with the grace that makes such love possible, and they urge you to bring the relationship before God in prayer.
Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
(WEB)
Paul grounds forgiveness in God’s forgiveness of you in Christ. Before you speak to the person who hurt you, recall a specific mercy you have received, and let that memory shape the tone of your words.
Colossians 3:13
Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
(WEB)
Paul asks believers to bear with one another and forgive as the Lord forgave them. Name the grievance clearly in your own mind, then choose to release the debt, even if the other person never apologizes.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(WEB)
Jesus links our forgiveness of others to the forgiveness we receive from the Father. This passage is a sober reminder to examine your heart. Set aside time to tell God honestly where you are still holding resentment.
1 Peter 3:9
Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.
(WEB)
Peter teaches that when insulted, believers should not repay insult with insult but bless instead. Next time you feel the sting of a sharp remark, respond with a blessing or a quiet prayer for that person’s good.
Verses for Loving Your Enemies Through the Example of Christ
The strongest reason to love an enemy is the way Jesus loved those who opposed him. These verses point you to his example and show that his love reaches people who did not deserve it, which gives you both a model and a source of strength.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
(WEB)
From the cross, Jesus prayed for those who crucified him. When you feel too wounded to pray, borrow his words and ask God to forgive the person who wronged you, even if you are not yet ready to mean it fully.
Romans 5:8
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(WEB)
Paul writes that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Remember that you were once an enemy of God, and that his love went first to you. Let that memory soften your resolve to hold a grudge.
1 John 4:19-21
19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
(WEB)
John says that anyone who claims to love God must also love their brother or sister. Look at the person you struggle with and ask God to show you one way that love is expected of you today.
Matthew 5:46-47
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
(WEB)
Jesus asks what reward there is in loving only those who love you. Think about the people you naturally welcome and notice whether there is one more person, one you would rather avoid, to whom you can extend ordinary kindness this week.
Proverbs 24:17
Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown…
(WEB)
This proverb warns against rejoicing when an enemy falls. When you catch yourself feeling glad about a rival’s misfortune, bring that feeling to God honestly and ask him to change your heart toward compassion.
How to Use These Verses
Begin by choosing one verse that speaks most directly to your situation. Write it on a card or in a notes app and place it where you will see it during the hardest part of your day, such as the commute or the first meeting. Reading the same verse for a week will do more than skimming ten.
When you pray for an enemy, be specific. Name the person, the wrong done, and one good thing you want God to do in their life. Praying this way over several days often softens the heart before the relationship itself changes, and it keeps your prayer grounded in real love rather than vague goodwill.
A Short Prayer for Loving Your Enemies
Lord, you know the person I find hardest to love, and you know the hurt they have caused me. I do not want to hold on to bitterness, but I cannot change my heart on my own. Give me the courage to act in kindness even when I do not feel it, and help me pray for them sincerely. Remind me of the mercy you have shown me, and let that mercy flow through me to others. Keep my words gentle and my actions just, and trust you with what I cannot control. Amen.
