Episode 21

Romans 12:20 | What Does "Heap Coals of Fire on Your Enemy's Head" Actually Mean?

Romans 12:20 is one of the strangest verses in the Bible. Paul spends the whole chapter building toward something and then lands here: feed your enemy. Give him something to drink. And in doing so, heap coals of fire on his head.

This episode unpacks what that image actually means, why the instruction is more intimate than it sounds, and why enemy love is not where spiritual formation starts. It's where formation shows up when it's been going on long enough.

If loving your enemy feels impossible right now, the answer is not to try harder. The answer is to go back to the beginning of Romans 12.

Formation to Transformation | A Worship Devotional. New episodes every weekday at formationtotransformation.com

Mentioned in this episode:

If you've enjoyed this devotional, would you please leave a rating and a review? You can keep up with everything at ryanloche.substack.com

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

About the Podcast

Show artwork for Formation to Transformation | A Worship Devotional
Formation to Transformation | A Worship Devotional

Listen for free

About your host

Profile picture for Ryan Loche

Ryan Loche

Dr. Ryan Loche (PhD) is a worship pastor, professor, and theologian helping worship leaders and everyday disciples be formed by Scripture over time. He leads The Church Collective, a training network for worship, creative, and production leaders. Ryan’s work centers on worship as formation before expression and the slow, faithful transformation of becoming like Jesus.