—Mark 7:20-23
Three enemies that we contend with as Christians are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world with its allure is the external foe. The flesh with its evil desires is the internal foe. And the devil with his enticements is the infernal foe. These are what we deal with on a daily basis.
The problem is that we become frenemies with the world. A frenemy is someone whom you normally don't get along with, but if it serves both of your purposes, you temporarily become friends. Or, it might be a love-hate relationship: You are on. You are off. You are on. You are off. Then again, it might be a description of a relationship that is poisonous, and whenever you are around that person, it drags you down spiritually. Thus, he or she becomes a frenemy.
Some of us have become frenemies with the world. When the Bible speaks of the world, it doesn't mean the planet Earth. It is speaking of a pervasive philosophy that infects everything, everywhere. We are told in 1 John 2:16, "For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world."

No comments:
Post a Comment