A belief held commonly among Christians maintains that as long as we are living in the world we are debtors to our flesh. We must sin. We must serve our flesh until we die. It does not seem to bother such "believers" that the Scriptures teach the opposite.

And again:

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

The righteousness, holiness, and godly obedience of the believers have been destroyed out of the churches because of false teaching, such as the definition of grace as the Divine apology for our sins, the excessive emphasis on the love of God without a balancing statement concerning the terror of the Lord, the mischievous doctrine of the "pre-tribulation rapture," and the using of "faith" to get what we want. There is an abundance of "ministry" but the witness of God's Person, Word, and eternal purpose has been extinguished.

What Antichrist never could accomplish by means of the gun and bayonet he achieves easily by overcoming the Lord's people with the appetites of their flesh. Satan's main weapon has been the distorting of Paul's doctrine concerning "righteousness by faith" to mean thorough repentance and godly behavior are not integral parts of the salvation offered through the new covenant.

Paul, the teacher of the doctrine of salvation by grace, warns us repeatedly: "Put to death through the Spirit the lusts of your flesh. If you do not, you will forfeit your citizenship in the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21); you will by negligence lose your resurrection life, as did the five foolish virgins (Romans 8:13; Matthew 25:8)."

When the prophets are in sin there is no authority or power in their testimony. They have been conquered by the world. Their dead bodies lie in the street of Sodom, in the way of the lust of the flesh.

Jude speaks of those in the churches who run "greedily after the error of Balaam for reward." Of the sins mentioned in the Scriptures, none is denounced by statement and example more strongly than covetousness, the love of money, the lust of the eyes. This is "Egypt," the love of the world.

Antichrist is conquering in many areas today. He already, in certain nations, has nearly destroyed the Christian testimony. He has achieved this with the tool of affluence. The prophets love "give ye." The people enjoy having it so. The testimony of the Lord Jesus perishes from the churches as a result.

We think of the destruction of Balaam, a powerful mystic. We remember the leprosy of Naaman cleaving to Gehazi. The forces of Hell overcame one of the Twelve, and Jesus referred to the conquered one as "the son of perdition [destruction]," saying it had been good for him if he never had been born. And for thirty pieces of silver!

To be continued.