The Temptation of Living in Babylon

2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the LORD, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you, And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the LORD Almighty.

A recent conversation with a friend about the impact of mobile phones left me deeply disturbed. She had been traveling with her husband far out in western Queensland and had found, to her alarm, that there was no mobile range. She was very agitated over this discovery and grew anxious – very anxious- fearing what they would do if something went wrong, if their family needed to contact them or they themselves experienced trouble and needed to reach help. No phone signal had become her worst nightmare.

“Well,” I said honestly, “you would just have to pray and trust that God would meet your need at the time.”

She looked surprised as if I had suggested something outrageously ridiculous. “Yes, I suppose we would.” she hesitated.

But she didn’t look convinced that this was the best answer. I gathered she would have felt safer putting her faith in the phone rather than in her Creator.

On departing, I couldn’t help but think we all need to lose signal with the attachments we cling to more often so as to critique what we are precariously putting our faith in.

My friend’s dilemma is not surprising or uncommon, even amongst those who claim to follow Christ. Gadgets, especially phones, rule the roost. Everyone has one in their pocket, bag or in their hand. Electronic devices, and phones in particular, are such a common identity that they appear to be an extra appendage that grows from our body. Though useful, for the Christian who desires to live a life of holiness, they are a dangerous commodity that can subtly lure us away from Christ. As was the case with my friend.

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

John is carried away by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to be shown the great prostitute riding on the beast. It appears he has to get away from Babylon to have perspective on it. Similarly, we are so immersed in the world, all its enticements and false values, that we do not clearly see whereabouts we are being seduced. We are all vulnerable to spiritual adultery and need to often take a step away from everything to get a true perspective – God’s perspective – about where we have fallen victim to the temptations of Babylon.

Let’s consider some of the aspects of our lives where we may have adopted a worldly way of thinking and behavior. All of these areas may be harmless in themselves (like having a mobile phone). However, it is when we begin to place greater emphasis on them, and they become idols to us that we will fall into danger.

How should a person who is pursing faithfulness to Christ approach these aspects of life differently from a person who has been seduced by Babylon?

How do you approach each of these?

• Media, (including TV viewing, movies, music, news, podcasts, YouTube, books)
• Personal ambition – dreams and goals
• Education
• Sport and recreation
• Leisure time Travel
• Work
• Home and material goods

For the follower of Christ, it is imperative that we hold all these things lightly, knowing that all we have been given belongs to Christ. As Job so wisely said,

Job 1:21 Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

We are not our own, we have been bought with a high price by the precious blood of our Savior, Jesus, and the life we live now, does not belong to us, but is His. And we live the life we have each day with faith in Him. This is the approach to all aspects of life of the man and woman who is seriously desiring to glorify God with all that they have. Nothing less than this will do. Anything less is the approach of those who live in Babylon!

Revelation 18:4-5 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven and God has remembered her iniquities.