Today we can dig right into the study with no quick look at the author because it is the same as yesterday. The verse for today is below.
Luke 22:3) Then Satan entered into Judas.
Wow, that is a short and sweet verse! How did Judas go from a close and personal friend of Jesus to someone full of such hate? By this time Judas and Jesus had been on the mission field for three years. These three years had not been easy and it was far from glamorous. The 'important' people hated Jesus and because of this the Disciples were also hated. As a disciple of Jesus just think of the amazing things Judas saw! Wow!
We looked briefly at the reasons why Judas betrayed Jesus the other day. The real reason is shrouded in mystery. God only knows. It is quite possible that even Judas does not know the real reason. After all, God knows me better than I know myself.
Psalm 139:13) For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.
That verse became so real to me when I was pregnant with Eli. I could feel his movement and was constantly amazed by the fact that this tiny baby was being formed right within me. That is completely off topic. I apologize. Back to Judas. The Scripture says that Satan entered Judas. That is pretty scary. Satan saw something in Judas. He saw fertile ground to plant his evil seed. At some point Judas cracked the door open to Satan. Maybe it started with what seemed an innocent thought. Judas may have built a case against Jesus in order to justify his evil thoughts. I have done that. If I have a problem with someone I think of everything negative against them so I feel justified in my ill feelings towards them. This is not so uncommon if we are honest with ourselves. Heaven only knows what went through Judas' mind.
The practical application is what can happen when I give Satan a foothold. Granted I have the Holy Spirit within me so Satan has no ability to enter me. Some theological views would passionately disagree with me. That can be a debate for another day. Moving on. I still have the ability to act on my sinful desires, thoughts, passions, etc. Judas chose at one point to follow the arm of the flesh. My Bible study girls and I just studied the differences between acting in the arm of the Lord verses the arm of the flesh. What if Judas said, "get behind me Satan!?" Would Christ not have gone to the cross? He would have because that was his mission. There would have been another way for Jesus to get to the cross. That is not the point of our study, but would make another interesting study.
Judas felt justified in his actions. I am also good at justifying my sin. It is hard to resist.
Luke 9:23) And He said to them all (the Disciples), "If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me."
I used to think I did not commit 'big' sins. The sins I am thinking of are sins like thievery, murder, and adultery. I was good to go! Then God laid something very powerful on my heart. Sin is sin. God has no rating system. Granted, some sins come with harsher consequences, but sin is sin. I have sinful attitudes at times. I can be jealous, unloving, ungrateful, distrustful of the Lord, and the list goes on. These types of sin appear small, but like Judas it only takes a crack in the door to let evil in. Unconfessed and unrepentant sin can ruin the life of the Believer and the lives of those around them.
1 Peter 5:8-9) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know what your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
May I not give him a foothold. I think of another verse along the same line.
James 4:7) So then, submit yourselves to God, resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.
What another blessed assurance!
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