What does the devil want to use your money for? How does that question strike you? My money is just that, my money. I won’t let the devil use it for anything. How true is that?
Have you ever tried to ‘raise’ funds for a project. A project that you think is on God’s heart—one that the enemy probably opposes. So you pray for protection. You pray that the money would ‘come in’ on time. You do the spiritual battle of praying over the project including the money.
So yes, fundraising has an element of spiritual battling about it. In the battle we are clearing the path. Maybe it’s like an infantry battalion holds a line in the battlefield to keep the enemy back.
So I’ll ask you again, what does the devil want to use your money for? New shoes that you don’t really need, a statue for the garden or having your car detailed? I know it sounds like I’m judging those actions. Maybe the battle is in our heads. What is the question? Lord, should I buy this pink dog lead with flashing lights and a matching collar? Does the devil need this money? Does he need me to divert my resources to my pleasure?
In our weekly home group, we look at a part of the Bible every week. We often ask each other, ‘who needs our help?’ Maybe that help is time, a listening ear, a lift to a doctors appointment. No one has ever answered, the devil needs my money this week, so I’m going to buy myself a new outfit and some champagne. Often the opposite, I’m going to give some of my resources to help someone else, not myself. Not my own comfort or pleasure. Have you ever thought that when you choose comfort over giving you are diverting your gifts—and possibly to a purpose less than virtuous.
I think it’s too simple to say the devil wants to use ‘my money’ for evil. I think he’d find pleasure in just divirting our finances away from things that bring glory to God. Things that just divert our eyes away from God’s purposes to love the world through Jesus, who gave his life for us.
So I’ve got some fund raising to do. And I want people to give me some of their money. But if they’ve really given their whole lives over to follow Jesus with their whole heart—that includes all the money. So it’s all God’s. Lord we just need some internal transfers! And we need all those fraud checks that the banks do these days because we don’t want any of the Lord’s resources diverted to the enemy of our souls. He’s lying to us about what we need and how to use our money. He’s pretty good at marketing. And he’s got plans for our money—it usually involves comfort, excess and deception. Because that thought that one more cinnamon roll is what I need today, well, that’s a lie. Remember those discretional purchases are choices—usually not priority needs like shelter and food. It’s a lie. The devil doesn’t need any of your money. He just wants to use it to distract you from the purposes of God in your life.
Who needs your help today?