Previously, we defined the world as a system of thoughts and behaviors shaped by a distorted morality that diverges from divine thinking. Building on this definition, we understand that the influence of the world operates through two main channels: thoughts and morality.

The common thought pattern of the world is that man can manage without God, that he can do everything and achieve anything on his own, considering himself equal to God. In this system, God is seen as a non-essential option for mankind on earth. It is in this way that the devil injects all kinds of thoughts and ideas into the minds of men, leading them to believe that they do not need God and that they do not even come from Him.

This is why many scientists throughout the centuries up to the present day have firmly rejected the idea that the earth we live on is the creation of a superior intelligence, favoring instead a physical and chemical phenomenon they call the Big Bang theory.

By rejecting the notion that God is the author of anything, man cannot draw closer to Him. There are many examples of worldly thoughts that see man as being superior to or equal to God. The other aspect of the world’s influence is human morality. Morality is a set of behavioral rules practiced in a society, particularly in relation to concepts of right and wrong.

This is why God gave man a code of conduct in the Garden of Eden, instructing him on what to do and what not to do. The devil, therefore, attacks man’s morality, pushing him to transgress divine rules. This is how we witnessed the first murder in the Bible, despite it being forbidden for one man to take the life of another.

The situation of Abel and Cain’s offering is a perfect example. God did not accept Cain’s offering, and Cain became angry. This anger, which began as a mere feeling, eventually gave rise to ideas of murder in Cain, which, unfortunately, he acted upon, ending his brother’s life. Starting with a thought, Cain chose to commit the forbidden, introducing murder as an act that a man could carry out.

It is therefore not surprising to see genocides and murders today, for since human morality was corrupted, it has become very easy for a man to kill his fellow man. Human morality has become so infected and deviant that humans create their own concepts, such as homosexuality, zoophilia, cohabitation, and fornication.

Sex has become so trivialized that there are now laws permitting marriage between two men, two women, or simply declaring that it is normal to engage in sex outside of marriage. It is not surprising, then, to see that the world has entered the church, where it is very common to find people who have the appearance of godliness but deny its power, acting and thinking not according to divine standards but according to those of the world.

This is Satan’s goal; he does not stop at merely destroying man externally (body) and internally (soul), but he also aims to hinder the growth of Christ’s church, dragging it into a vicious cycle to prevent the children of God from manifesting His Kingdom on earth.

But thanks be to God, nothing can destroy the Church of Christ, and every man can still be saved from the world through the power of the Word and the work of the Holy Spirit. In this way, the world is an enemy of faith. Through the world, the devil injects all kinds of beliefs and thoughts, keeping the majority of people in ignorance and darkness.

The world is a dangerous weapon for any believer, and it is sometimes evident that many of God’s children are prime targets. When he cannot reach a man through the flesh, he uses the world to bring down as many as possible.

It is a terrible instrument in Satan’s hands, standing as an enemy of faith. No one is immune to the attacks of the world; as long as we are on this earth, we will always face everything that is meant to prevent us from experiencing the faith that never fails…

This text is an excerpt from the book “The Faith That Never Fails: Living the Palpable Faith“ written by Emmanuel MENIE.

We invite you to read the following article: “THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH?”