16 August 2026

OUR SECOND ENEMY – THE WORLD

(Spiritual Warfare: SW 17)

The World is an evil system under the control of the devil which lures people into temptation and to disobey God. The Apostle John tells that “the whole world is under the power/control of the evil one” (1 Jn. 5:19). Hence people in the world without Christ are also under his control. The Christian is thus exhorted “not to love the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 Jn. 2:15). We are commanded by God to“come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor.6:17-18).

The devil uses the glitter of the world to tempt believers and to lure them away from God and His divine purposes. At the Temptation of Christ, the devil tried to deceive Him:“The devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. Jesus said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written: Worship The Lord your God and serve Him only”” (Matt.4:8-10). Many Christians are tempted with worldly wealth and glory and succumb to them and thus give up the worship of God to worship mammon.

The Apostle James warns us about being drawn to the world: “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas 4:4). How many Christians today have made themselves enemies of God by being worldly? Will such enemies be able to enter Heaven? John tells us that “whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn.2:15). We cannot serve God and Mammon (Matt.6:24). Mammon is another god that replaces the True God in our life.

We need to be serious about our commitment to the Lord Jesus, to worship and serve Him only. It is putting Christ above self, above everything else in life. It is putting Christ first as the Supreme Lord of all. To do that one must die to self – deny self – and follow Him. Just as the Apostle Paul said of himself: “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Gal.2:20). Then he also said, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal.6:14).

The cross divides and separates. It sets us apart from others and from the world. It divides people into two classes: those who commit to the Lordship of Christ or those who commit to the devil and the world. It is in dying to self and to the world that one may find eternal life in Jesus Christ. In God’s sight there are no fence-sitters. Our Lord Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Lk. 11:23). We are either for Jesus or for the world. For Him or against Him. “Choose you this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). May we make the right choice like Joshua!

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