January 22, 2026
9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Christians for all time have always been confronted with this great difficulty. How are we supposed to live in the world and yet not follow down its wayward spiral? Unfortunately, many have lost the fight in this battle, as they have chosen to walk away from a life with Christ. This is not some small mistake to overlook, but rather a devastating decision that alters where we will spend eternity.
The passage above details for us one person in the Bible who did such a thing. A man named Demas, who was in some way a partner alongside Paul in the ministry of the Gospel. In fact, in the letter to Philemon, the apostle Paul calls him a fellow worker, which means he was closely tied to much of Paul’s missionary work (Philemon 1:24). At this point in Paul’s ministry, he is in one of the most desperate places of his life. He is much older, facing imprisonment and a death sentence. He is also likely experiencing the frailty of his body from all that he has endured throughout his life. Therefore, when Paul says that Demas had deserted him, he truly meant that Demas had left him in his most vulnerable state.
However, in Paul’s view, it was much worse than that. Not only had Demas deserted the apostle, he had abandoned his sincere love for Jesus Christ for the pleasures of this world. This was effectively the greatest of all disappointments, to watch a beloved friend walk away from the Lord for worldly things. What does it mean that Demas loved the world? In reality, it means that Demas believed a lie. He believed in his heart that what the world had to offer him was far more satisfying than what God could give him. This is the very lie that we are sold over and over again. If we are not careful, we too will fall prey to the world’s false illusion of "something better".
How does the world lie to us? Through the deceptive work of Satan and his demonic tactics, he has created an allure and attractiveness to worldly pleasures. He is working tirelessly to catch your eye, steal your gaze, and distract your fragile heart. John states that the world is filled with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). It was the same temptation presented to Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:6). It was the same pride offered to Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:8–9). The devil portrays the temporary treasures of this world as though they are eternal, and he presents a life with God as though it were fleeting. We must see it for what it is. We are being sold a lie. Think carefully about what is showcased throughout our media, our culture, and our society. Can you sense the distractions being thrown your way? The plain truth is that without a loyal love for the Lord Jesus, the world is waiting in the wings to seduce your affection.
This is why the Bible says that we must not love the world or anything in it. If anyone loves the world, there is no logical way they can have love for the Father (1 John 2:15). True believers have a love for Christ that surpasses any mere fascination with this present age. We have renounced our worldly citizenship and have received our adoption into heaven. Let us then live for the eternal even while we remain here in the temporary.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I see and feel the temptations of this world all around me. But I know that you are the strength within my soul. Keep me and hold me fast. Help me to love you more than anything else in this world. Amen.