But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
~2 Timothy 3:1-7
~2 Timothy 3:1-7
Pause!
Before I talk about this passage and what God has placed on my heart, I feel like I need to clarify something spoken of here. Verse six says this: "For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions," I can almost hear the comments section raising in uproar over this. Though it clearly says 'women' in this passage I believe it is speaking of all people, only owing the wording to the first century notion that women were weak because they were for the most part uneducated. The truth is that we are all weak and susceptible to the influence of the Enemy and those under his sway.
What makes us 'weak' as it says in this verse? Well, when we allow ourselves to be compromised by living a sinful lifestyle and putting our earthly passions before God and His kingdom. So if we look at it from this perspective, then all of us are in equal danger and can be crept upon by those with ungodly intent.
What makes us 'weak' as it says in this verse? Well, when we allow ourselves to be compromised by living a sinful lifestyle and putting our earthly passions before God and His kingdom. So if we look at it from this perspective, then all of us are in equal danger and can be crept upon by those with ungodly intent.
unpause
Since the first day in the garden we have been threatened by an enemy. I know it is easier to think of what we fight against as a concept like 'temptation' or 'evil', but the truth is considerably worse. This enemy is the fallen angel Lucifer, yes the one depicted on TV as a romantic anti-hero. Satanists call him the ultimate rebel fighting for his rights over the oppressive establishment. And those unfamiliar with Scripture might picture a little red man with horns and a pitch fork, or the equal and opposite of God. All of these depictions are poison wrapped in candy, misinformation coated in glossed truth. Like the TV show, Lucifer was cast down from heaven when Lucifer chose to betray God. And he is a rebel against God, not for some grand or righteous purpose, but because he wants to overthrow God and take his place for his own power. Finally, Lucifer is the opposite of God. God is about love and serving others; while Lucifer is about hatred and taking for himself without regard for the well being of any others.
Satanists and some priests would say that Lucifer wars with God over the souls of man but I do not believe he cares in the least about you or I, not about our happiness not about our pain and he gains nothing from our 'souls'. He has one big beef and that is with God. Lucifer hates God with an unending passion, craving God's power but unable to obtain it. Unfortunately for Lucifer, there is NOTHING he can do about it. He cannot hurt God, he is not even on the same playing field as God. God is as far about Lucifer as he is above us! So if Lucifer (whom we call Satan which means 'adversary') is after God, then why does he come bothering us?
He would not, seeing us as specks unworthy of his attention except God loves us, making us His one soft target. God loves us and we are fleshy little things with big old targets on our foreheads. Lucifer knows how much God loves us, how deeply God seeks after us and works for our betterment. If he wants to hurt God... all he has to do is hurt us and our relationship with Him. Lucifer does not even care if we worship him, as long as we are looking away from God he is happy. And every time one of God's children is turned away from Him it is like a knife in God's heart.
As important as this is to know, why are we talking about it today? Why go over the motives of fallen angels? This is important to know because of 2 Timothy 3:1-7:
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Which do you think would hurt a parent more; to have a child ripped away and killed, or to convince one child kill their sibling? This is Lucifer's strategy, this is his goal. We could go through each of these things listed at the beginning of 2 Timothy chapter three and see them at work in the world today. Proud, arrogant, greedy, brutal people living for themselves at the expense of others. Am I saying we are in the end times? I have no idea, maybe, but even if we are not, we are living in a world where we are becoming more obsessed with personal gains and what we think we deserve then what is truly important.
The worst part, the thing that breaks my heart and makes me weep, is that we do this and teach our children to do this and more. They are the 'weak woman' spoken of in this passage. They are burdened by our sins and led astray by the various passions we teach them to pursue. We teach them in grade 3 to question who they are, what they are. A child is not able to make decisions for themselves until they are 18 years old but we tell them they can decide their gender when they are 7. Is it a wonder why body dis-morphia and gender identity issues are sky rocketing?
Lucifer has been manipulating the narrative for generations, adjusting our perception of him. So how do we turn this back, how do we fight against a power that has literally had thousands of years of practice? We can't. Let us be honest with ourselves, if it was us versus him we lose 10 for 10. BUT! We are not the ones who have to fight him, God is with us and through Him we will live. By putting God at the center of who we are and what we do, we take on God's spirit and confound the plans of Lucifer. We become beings of love, of self-sacrifice, of joy and of peace leaving no place for the taint to take root. It is an ongoing process that requires vigilance and commitment and will at times hurt, this is a war after all. When we side with God there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is an eternity with Him filled with His love and peace. The light we see when we follow Lucifer either knowingly or not... that my friends is fire at the end of the tunnel.
I hope you take this as an encouraging message today. Being a follower of Christ is not easy but it is worth it. Remember, you are loved, you are cherished, you are awesome. God bless.
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