Love of the World
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alluring bribe, “All this will I give thee,” all this power, all this wealth,
with which you may do a great amount of good. But when the object
for which they have labored is gained, they do not have that connection
with the self-denying Redeemer which would make them partakers of
the divine nature. They hold to their earthly treasures and despise the
self-denial and self-sacrifice required for Christ. They have no desire
to part with the dear earthly treasures upon which their hearts are set.
They have exchanged masters; they have accepted mammon in the
place of Christ. Mammon is their god, and mammon they serve.
Satan has secured to himself the worship of these deceived souls
through their love of riches. The change has been so imperceptibly
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made, and Satan’s power is so deceptive, so wily, that they are con-
formed to the world and perceive not that they have parted with Christ
and are no longer His servants except in name.
Satan deals with men more guardedly than he dealt with Christ in
the wilderness of temptation, for he is admonished that he there lost
his case. He is a conquered foe. He does not come to man directly and
demand homage by outward worship. He simply asks men to place
their affections upon the good things of this world. If he succeeds in
engaging the mind and affections, the heavenly attractions are eclipsed.
All he wants of man is for him to fall under the deceitful power of
his temptations, to love the world, to love rank and position, to love
money, and to place his affections upon earthly treasures. If he secures
this, he gains all that he asked of Christ.
The example of Christ shows us that our only hope of victory is
in continual resistance of Satan’s attacks. He who triumphed over the
adversary of souls in the conflict of temptation understands Satan’s
power over the race and has conquered him in our behalf. As an
overcomer He has given us the advantage of His victory, that in our
efforts to resist the temptations of Satan we may unite our weakness
to His strength, our worthlessness to His merits. And, sustained by
His enduring might under strong temptation, we may resist in His
all-powerful name and overcome as He overcame.
It was through inexpressible suffering that our Redeemer placed
redemption within our reach. In this world He was unhonored and
unknown, that through His wonderful condescension and humiliation
He might exalt man to receive heavenly honors and immortal joys in