Mercy to the cruel
Is cruelty to the innocent
Plus the cruel need punishment for rectification and hopefully have a change of heart. So in that very real sense, punishment IS mercy.
Agreed.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. And PRAYER is one of the most potent ones. I believe that God expects us to wield that weapon against the enemy and his minions forcefully.
We believe David's prayers were somewhat of a model for such.
Whether one considers Biblical examples of God's vengeance against spiritual demonic forces or demonized persons ... a passive or weak response is not in order, imho.