Spiritual Warfare: 'Not Surprising that Christians Are Hated'

God's Power for Our Battles — Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Don’t behave like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he kill him? He killed him because his own works were evil, but the works of his brother were righteous. Don’t be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
— 1 John 3:12-13 CEB

Today's Prayer

Lord, I always hoped to be loved by You and by my fellow Christians, and also to be loved by the world. But now I realize that this is not possible. The world is full of evil and anger and violence and disobedience, and if I follow a different path than theirs, Lord, the world will never love me. But YOU will. Help me to focus on YOUR love and pleasing YOU instead of trying to keep one foot in each world. Now I know that will never work. Lead me to the path of righteousness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Your Broken World
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Disciple, The beloved elder John wrote to My disciples because he deeply loved them and wanted them to find eternal life in me. His words to..."
Love Each Other!
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Beloved, You are the Father's child! You are precious! The Father adopted you into Our — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit's — family....."

Illustration

Illustration of 1 John 3:12-13 CEB — Don’t behave like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he kill him? He killed him because his own works were evil, but the works of his brother were righteous. Don’t be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Tuesday, December 1, 2026

What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'The Testimony of Someone Else' (Jn. 5:31-32)
"[Jesus continued,] "If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Psalms 25:18
"It is well for us when prayers about our sorrows are linked with pleas concerning our sins-when, being under God's hand, we are not wholly taken up..."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'God Uses Wounded Healers' (Acts 7:35-38)
"[Stephen reminded his adversaries of the kind of leader Moses was:] "So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they..."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'God Our Strength' (Ps. 81:1-3)
"Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Jacob. Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and the harp. Blow the ram's horn at new....."

About This Devotional

Spiritual Warfare is a daily devotional about God's power for our battles.

The Prayer for Spiritual Warfare is written by Steve Hemphill.

More Spiritual Warfare