“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?” Matthew 5:44-48(NLT)
“I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right,” 1 Samuel 12:23 (NLT).
Praying for and loving our enemies is a great privilege for Christians. Just as Jesus glorified His Father by having love (agape) for all mankind, so His followers are to copy His example. Loving our enemies provides a wonderful witness to everyone. Additionally, learning to love those who persecute us develops our characters and teaches us long-suffering, patience, humility, wisdom, and love (agape).
The Bible also promises that our enemies will be crushed. These scriptures are prophetic of what will happen during the end times through the end of the little season (Revelation 20:7-10).
“The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth,” Psalm 110:5,6 (NIV). Christ’s early work at His second advent is to demolish this evil world order so that He may establish His righteous kingdom on earth. Daniel 2:44 (NLT), “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever.” Although many will die during Armageddon, they will be resurrected, and have the opportunity to be healed of sin and to learn righteousness. (See John 5:28,29; Micah 4:1-7.)
At the end of the Millennial reign, God’s enemies, any who do not love God and refuse to obey the law of love, will die the second death. Those people along with Satan and unrepentant fallen angels will be destroyed forever – no longer exist. That is when God’s promise given in the Garden of Eden will be fulfilled. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he (Christ) will crush your (Satan’s) head,” Genesis 3:15 (NIV).