As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3

When men and women oppose the Gospel message, they are considered wicked and evil, as the context of these verses indicates. Certainly they are redeemable but they just do not have faith. In fact, their non-believing thoughts and ideas can dissuade us against the righteous life. I’ve seen many believing Christians come to the United States as students and leave university without the faith they once had. The philosophies and ideas of the world permeate a university environment, and without strong support from fellow Believers, it’s nearly impossible to protect oneself from influence.

That’s of course academia, but it’s also true with television, movies, music, and daily life.

But Paul recognized that we are not alone in our earthly struggles. We merely need to rely on the Holy Spirit to sustain us and guard us from errant and worldly ideas.