Jesus says the world is under Satan. Jesus also tells us that Satan is the Father of Lies. So what exactly does that mean?

It means the world is the realm of lies.

It means you’re either in the world (the realm of lies) or in the Kingdom (the realm of Truth).

There is no third option.

Most Christians live in the realm of lies. Even worse, given the choice, most Christians choose to remain in the realm of lies. Why? Because it’s comfortable there. It’s familiar there. It’s where they’ve always been and it’s where they want to be. They can’t imagine being anywhere else. And why should they? They can have their spiritual cake and eat it too.

They get to live with their family and friends, whether believers or not, earn a good salary, live in a nice house, go to the medical establishment for treatment (maybe even donate to a cancer charity for tax benefits) – in other words, they get to live like everyone else in the world, with all the creature comforts. And why shouldn’t they? Surely God is blessing them with family and friends (whether believers or not), and a good salary and a nice house and medical treatments and tax benefits. Surely those are blessings straight from God, right?

My grandmother used to say “the devil is good to his own”. If you’re living a life that’s indistinguishable from the lives of unbelievers, I don’t think your “blessings” are coming from God. Jesus is very clear about what life in the Kingdom looks like; he doesn’t sugar-coat it. He says you’ll live separately from your family and unbelieving friends; you’ll be poor and without possessions; you’ll be ridiculed, hated and despised; you’ll be constantly on the move, teaching and preaching the Word; you’ll either not work in the world or just enough to keep body and soul together; and you’ll rely 100% on God for health and healing. That’s what life in the Kingdom looks like.

What does your life look like? Do you have a job? A house? A family doctor? Tax write-offs? Are you living with your spouse? Your children? In other words, are you living the life of the world or the life of the Kingdom? You can’t be living both at the same time, with a little bit of the world mixed in with a little bit of the Kingdom, because that means you’re living the life of the world. You can’t be a little bit in the Kingdom any more than you can be a little bit pregnant. You either are or you’re not; you’re either pregnant or you’re not: you’re either in the Kingdom or you’re not.

The problem with claiming to be a Christian and yet living the life of the world is that you’re deceived. You’re living a lie. You’re fooling yourself. Do you think God is fooled by you claiming to be a Christian but living the life of the world? Or are you one of those Christians who thinks that Jesus’ directives don’t apply to you? That how Jesus’ followers lived thousands of years ago doesn’t apply to you? That the Commandments don’t apply to you? That being a Christian just means going to church and saying you believe in Jesus, but otherwise living your life like everyone else in the world? Are you one of those Christians?

Or are you like Jesus?

I need to ask this because I see a lot of people claiming to be Christians but living the life of the world. Jesus says by their fruit shall ye know them. If their fruit is a spouse and children and a job and a house and a family doctor, then they live in the realm of lies and are under Satan, not God. Especially if they go to the medical establishment for healing. That is the biggest piece of low-hanging worldly fruit right there, to rely on doctors and chemicals rather than on Jesus and God.

I’m not saying you’re living the life of the world. I’m not accusing you of anything. That’s not my job. That’s Satan’s job. If you’re living the life of the world while claiming to be a Christian, Satan is accusing you before God. And what’s your response to God? “I didn’t know”? But you do know, because Jesus told you and now I’m reminding you. “Everyone else is doing it”? But Satan is accusing YOU, not everyone else. You’re responsible for your choices, not for other people’s choices. “But it’s so hard to live like Jesus”? No-one said that following Jesus would be a cakewalk. Jesus says his burden is easy and his yoke is light, but it’s still a burden and still a yoke. You can’t get through life without some kind of burden and some kind of yoke, and Jesus’ are the easiest and lightest, which you would know if you were in the Kingdom.

As I said, I’m not accusing you of anything. But if you’re living the life of the world while claiming to be a Christian, Satan is accusing you. And I have a sneaking suspicion you might also be accusing yourself.

If that’s the case, you have a choice to make. You can keep on living in the realm of lies, going to church and saying you believe in Jesus and hoping that will be enough to save you in the end, or you can walk away from the realm of lies and enter the realm of Truth, following Jesus the way he teaches you in scripture to follow him, the way his early followers followed him.

The choice is entirely yours.

You are either living in the world in the realm of lies under Satan, or you’re living in the Kingdom in the realm of Truth under God. You can’t be living in both at the same time.

It’s not possible to live in both.

So where are you?