The key to the battle isn’t just realizing that Satan is trying to take us down or that we have vulnerabilities, but recognizing what feelings or thoughts we have and what actions we take that signify loving the world. Loving the world in this way sabotages our relationship with God, taking away our only hope for triumph. We can only love God or the world, not both, as the two are adversative. Why love the one who malevolently brings us pain, suffering, loss, and offers only death and decay? Why love the one we do not belong to rather than the One who has adopted us as His own loved children, who offers eternal joy, true life? (John 15:19, Eph. 1:4-6)
So the question is, do we know how we are loving the world? What time am I spending each day to adore the world, to pursue my longing for what it offers? This is the beginning of believing God wholly; trusting His words enough to venture into dangerous territory carefully avoided in past days. It’s scary, and the path is not free of trip hazards. The enemy encourages us often to latch onto and cultivate ungodly desires; nonetheless, we are not absolved of responsibility. Since when does having an enemy who wants to destroy us mean we don’t have to fight? Feels kind of oxymoronic, huh? The truth is, Satan will never quit taking potshots until he is silenced at the end. The good news is, the eternal Lord is even more resiliently fighting for us! But time’s disappearing behind our feet, and we have a role… until we examine our days in the fiery light of God’s holiness instead of attempting to avoid its piercing exposure, exasperation with the pace of our spiritual growth seems inexorable.
“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” — 1 John 2:17
