Balaam, a seer, was unable to earn his money by cursing Israel because the power and blessing of the Lord was on that nation. Therefore Balaam counseled Balak, the king of the Moabites, to provoke God's anger against Israel by sending out the Moabite girls to lure the Israelite warriors into fornication and into the worship of the demons that the Moabites worshiped.

Balaam understood that if he could persuade Israel to sin the wrath of God would fall on the people. Balaam then could rise up and curse the Jews in his spirit of prophecy. King Balak could overcome the Israelite army and Balaam would collect his pay.

This is true of the Christian army. It is impossible for the devil to overcome the soldiers of Christ while the power and blessing of Christ is on them. If Satan can lure the Lord's soldiers into sexual lust and into other forms of demonic activity and worship, then the judgment of God will fall on the sinners.

The wrath of God always is on lust and on all other forms of demonic activity whether committed by Jews, Christians, or any other religion or race of people.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit wields the Divine sword, the Word of God, through a sinning Christian. The Christian who ministers the Word of God while he himself is sinning will be judged by the sword he is wielding. He is not a conqueror even though the Holy Spirit is employing him in Kingdom tasks.

Notice that Balaam, a seer of God, was brought under the curse of God by the love of money just as were Gehazi, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira. The love of money blinded the eye of the seer, and in his blindness he brought himself under the judgment of God. Later, Balaam was slain by the Israelite army.

One of the temptations that face the Christian churches is that of the love of money. It is easy to fall into the snare of mixing religion and money in such a manner that monetary profit occurs.

The conqueror is to flee, flee, flee from the temptation to use the glory of Christ as a means of acquiring material gain!

If God calls us into His way we are assured He will supply our needs. He who gave us His Son certainly will furnish us with the necessities of earthly existence.

God warned Balaam, a true seer, to refrain from doing the bidding of Balak in the cursing of Israel. When gold was held up before Balaam's eyes he felt there must be some way of serving both God and money. At that moment Balaam fell into deception and a snare. The moment we believe we can serve both God and money we will fall into deception and a snare.

He who would be a conqueror must decide once and for all he cannot serve God and money. God will be served or money will be served. No person can serve both. Let us cast aside the unclean money, the God of riches, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ with singleness of heart.

(from The Conqueror)