THE COST OF WORLDLINESS – Why Friendship with the World is Enmity with God
By Rev. Samuel Arimoro
Main Text: James 4:4
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Supporting Text: 1 John 2:15-17
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
OPENING PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today with hearts bowed in humility and gratitude. Thank You for the gift of life, salvation, and the privilege of gathering in Your presence. Lord, we acknowledge that You alone are holy, and Your ways are pure and eternal.
As we prepare to hear Your Word, we ask that You cleanse our hearts from every form of worldliness that seeks to distract or defile us. Remove from us the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Let the light of Your truth expose every hidden affection for the world that wars against our souls.
Holy Spirit, speak to us today. Convict us where we have compromised. Awaken our spirits to love what You love and hate what You hate. May Your Word purify our desires, renew our minds, and set our hearts on things above, not on the things of the earth.
Lord, as we listen, help us to respond in obedience. Make us pilgrims who live for eternity, not for the fading pleasures of time. Draw us closer to You and deliver us from every subtle chain of the world.
At the end of this message, may our lives reflect Your holiness and our hearts burn with love for You alone.
In Jesus’ mighty name we pray.
Amen.
INTRODUCTION
One of the greatest challenges confronting the modern believer is the subtle pull of worldliness. In every generation, the spirit of the world seeks to compete with the Spirit of God for the attention, affection, and loyalty of the believer. The Bible draws a firm line; there is no middle ground between love for God and love for the world. Friendship with one automatically means hostility toward the other.
Worldliness is not merely about outward appearance or social lifestyle; it is a condition of the heart. It is the inward inclination to seek satisfaction, identity, or pleasure apart from God. It is the slow shifting of our affection from the eternal to the temporary, from the spiritual to the sensual. The tragedy is that many Christians do not recognise when worldliness begins to creep in because it often wears a garment of sophistication. It comes in trends, ambitions, and desires that seem harmless, until they draw us away from the presence of God.
The Word of God makes it plain: friendship with the world is enmity with God. To be worldly is to adopt the system, values, and spirit of this age. It means living as if this world is our home, forgetting that we are pilgrims and strangers passing through. Worldliness is not just about what we do, but about what rules our hearts.
A. UNDERSTANDING WHAT WORLDLINESS MEANS
1. The Spirit of the World
Worldliness is the invisible force that governs human society apart from God. It is that unseen system of values, beliefs, and lifestyles that operates in rebellion against divine truth. Paul described it in Ephesians 2:2 as “the course of this world,” directed by “the prince of the power of the air.”
This spirit promotes self-exaltation, materialism, sensual pleasure, and pride. It celebrates independence from God while mocking holiness. It teaches people to measure success by possessions, appearance, and popularity rather than righteousness, humility, and love.
2. The World as a System
When Scripture says “love not the world,” it does not mean the physical earth or the people living in it. God Himself loves the world of people (John 3:16). Rather, it refers to the worldly system, a culture that rejects God’s authority. This system exalts human wisdom above divine truth and promotes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
3. The Love that Replaces God
Worldliness is misplaced affection. It happens when our hearts begin to love the temporary more than the eternal; when we become more interested in being accepted by society than being approved by God. It is not what we have that makes us worldly, but what has us. A Christian can possess wealth without being worldly, yet be poor and still worldly if his heart craves material things more than God.
B. THE ROOTS OF WORLDLINESS
Worldliness has three fundamental roots as outlined in 1 John 2:16:
1. The Lust of the Flesh
This is the craving for sensual satisfaction, the desire to please oneself at the expense of holiness. It includes indulgence in pleasure, immorality, overeating, laziness, and every act that glorifies the body instead of God. The lust of the flesh whispers, “You deserve it,” even when it violates God’s will.
2. The Lust of the Eyes
This is covetousness: the constant desire to possess what one sees. It fuels greed, envy, and materialism. In our age of social media, the lust of the eyes is more rampant than ever. Many compare their lives to others and lose contentment. The eyes, when not governed by the Spirit, become windows for worldliness to enter the soul.
3. The Pride of Life
This is the desire for recognition, status, and importance. It is the subtle sin of self-glorification; wanting to be admired rather than humble. Pride is the root of all rebellion; it turned Lucifer into Satan. It blinds the heart to dependence on God and makes the self the centre of worship.
C. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF WORLDLINESS
1. Lot’s Wife – The Fox of Longing for the Past
Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom because her heart was still tied to the pleasures she left behind. She obeyed outwardly but not inwardly. Her longing cost her life. Likewise, many believers today leave the world outwardly but remain attached in their hearts.
2. Demas – The Cost of Loving the Present World
Paul once called Demas a fellow labourer (Philemon 1:24), but later lamented, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10). The love of the world choked his devotion and ended his ministry. The pull of comfort and fame remains one of the greatest dangers to those in service of God.
3. The Rich Young Ruler – The Snare of Possessions
Jesus invited him to follow, but he walked away sorrowfully because he had great wealth (Mark 10:17–22). His possessions owned him. He valued his riches above eternal life. This story reminds us that worldly attachment is costly —,it can make one reject divine invitation.
4. Esau – The Hunger for Immediate Gratification
Esau traded his birthright for a single meal. His stomach ruled his spirit. The world teaches instant gratification: to satisfy now and think later. But spiritual inheritance belongs to those who value the unseen above the seen.
D. THE SUBTLE DANGERS OF WORLDLINESS
Worldliness is not always loud or obvious. It often begins subtly, wearing the face of convenience, entertainment, or progress. It begins when the believer becomes comfortable with sin, when conviction fades, and when the things of God no longer excite the soul.
1. It Hardens the Heart
When we love the world, our hearts gradually grow insensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The pleasures of sin become more appealing than the presence of God.
2. It Chokes the Word
Jesus taught that the seed of God’s Word is often choked by “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” (Matthew 13:22). A worldly mind cannot receive deep revelation.
3. It Weakens Spiritual Authority
A worldly believer loses power in prayer and testimony. The authority of the Spirit thrives in purity, not compromise.
4. It Damages Christian Witness
Worldliness blurs the line between the Church and the world. When believers talk, dress, and behave like unbelievers, the salt loses its savour. The Church becomes tasteless and powerless.
5. It Leads to Apostasy
Unchecked worldliness eventually leads to falling away. When the love of the world dominates, love for God diminishes. Many who once walked in fire now live in ashes because the world quietly stole their hearts.
E. THE COST OF FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD
The Bible does not say friendship with the world “displeases” God; it says it makes one His enemy. That is the cost. No one can walk closely with God and the world simultaneously.
1. Loss of Intimacy with God
God cannot share His throne with another. When we give our hearts to the world, we lose the sweetness of communion. The presence that once felt near becomes distant.
2. Loss of Eternal Reward
1 John 2:17 reminds us that “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof.” Everything the world offers is temporary. Investing in worldly pleasures is like building castles in sand — they disappear when the tide of time comes.
3. Loss of Spiritual Focus
Worldliness blinds believers to eternal perspective. It makes us live as if earth were permanent. The eyes fixed on the world cannot see heaven clearly.
4. Exposure to Divine Judgement
James 4:4 declares that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Enmity invites judgement. Lot escaped Sodom by mercy, but his wife did not. To love the world is to walk on dangerous ground.
F. HOW TO ESCAPE THE TRAP OF WORLDLINESS
1. Renew Your Mind Daily
Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Constant exposure to the Word of God reshapes our values and cleanses worldly thoughts.
2. Cultivate Eternal Perspective
Live with heaven in view. The world loses its attraction when eternity becomes real. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
3. Practise Separation and Holiness
Separation is not isolation but distinction. The believer must live differently, guided by Scripture, not by trends. Holiness is God’s fence against worldliness.
4. Maintain Fellowship with Believers
Surround yourself with people who love God. Godly company strengthens conviction; worldly company weakens it.
5. Pursue the Presence of God
Worldliness fades in the light of divine glory. The more you dwell in His presence, the less attractive sin becomes. Moses’ face shone because he spent time on the mountain; the more time you spend with God, the less you resemble the world.
G. THE REWARD OF SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD
1. Closer Walk with God
Abraham walked in covenant because he separated from his homeland. Those who detach from the world enjoy deeper fellowship with the Almighty.
2. Preservation of Destiny
Daniel refused the king’s food and became a prophet of nations. Separation protects destiny from contamination.
3. Eternal Reward
Jesus promised that those who forsake worldly gains for His sake will receive eternal life (Mark 10:29-30). What you lose for God is never truly lost.
CONCLUSION
Worldliness is expensive. It costs a man his purity, his peace, his power, and ultimately his place with God. It promises pleasure but delivers emptiness. It offers acceptance but leads to alienation from God. The friendship of the world is a form of spiritual adultery; being betrothed to Christ yet flirting with the world.
Beloved, the call today is to choose whom you will love. The world and all its glory will fade, but the one who does the will of God will abide forever. You cannot hold the hand of God and the world at the same time. Choose life, choose holiness, choose eternity.
May the Lord help us to set our hearts on things above, to live daily with eternity in view, and to remain unspotted by the world until we see Him face to face. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious Father,
We thank You for Your Word that has come forth with power and clarity. Thank You for reminding us that friendship with the world is enmity with You. Lord, we repent for every place where we have loved the world more than we have loved You. Forgive us for the times we have compromised our convictions, chased after temporary pleasures, or sought the approval of men more than the approval of Heaven.
Father, cleanse our hearts and restore our first love for You. Help us to crucify the flesh, resist worldly allurements, and live daily with eternity in view. Teach us to renew our minds through Your Word and to find satisfaction only in Your presence.
Lord, deliver us from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Help us to walk in holiness, humility, and heavenly focus. May we be lights in this dark world: unspotted, unshaken, and uncompromising in our faith.
Keep us steadfast until the day of Your appearing. Let Your grace preserve us from falling, and let our lives bring glory to Your holy name.
We declare that we belong to Jesus alone; not to the world, not to sin, not to self.
Thank You, Lord, for making us vessels of Your righteousness.
We receive the grace to remain faithful until the end.
In Jesus’ mighty name we pray.
Amen.
