This post was last updated on July 19, 2026

Day 92 (Year 2)

The Path of Apostacy

(Judas the betrayer considered the woman’s money for anointing Jesus a waste.) “This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12:6 NKJV)

“During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him.” (John 13:2 NASB)

Those who claim to be God’s people can also belong to Satan (Revelation 2:9). From the case of Judas the betrayer, we can observe essential details about how a believer falls away. The first scripture tells us that among the twelve, Judas was in charge of the group finances. Yet he was misappropriating the ministry funds. John describes him as a thief—the very opposite of Jesus (John 10:10). This reveals three problems with Judas. 

First, he lacked integrity in misusing the money entrusted to Jesus’ ministry and was unfaithful to His commission. Second, he might have been dissatisfied with Jesus’ frugality and chose to embezzle funds to satisfy his desires. Third, he habitually went wrong in secret and avoided exposing his secret sin. Such people are calculating and scheming, presenting themselves as good while hiding their sins and plots. These were the reasons that led him to become someone the devil can use and then discard.

The path of apostasy in faith often begins with a moral failure. As Jesus said, the one who is faithful in little things is also faithful in large ones (Luke 16:10). The Old Testament encourages believers to be upright, honest, and righteous. So, we must work diligently to learn and develop these virtues, and only then can we trust Jesus rightly and sustainably. Such virtues need to be cultivated from a young age, but learning and changing in the early stages of one’s faith is not too late.

The second scripture mentions that the devil put the intention of betraying Jesus into Judas’ heart. The devil is not only an accuser but also a betrayer. Judas’ greed and secret scheming left him unable to resist evil suggestions, because what the devil proposed was consistent with what he had habitually practiced. Thus, believers must not indulge in any sin. After a certain time, sinners who want to resist the devil will eventually find that they cannot resist but only act according to its will. The case of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus serves as a warning to all Christians. No matter how long people have followed Jesus, what title they hold, or even what miracles they have performed, they can still turn to unbelief and be used by the devil. Besides, his case reminds us that we too may be betrayed by others.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you consider yourself an upright, honest, and righteous person? If anything falls short, how will you rely on God to improve?

2) Do you indulge in small sins, or find yourself being used by the devil, intentionally or unintentionally? If so, how will you rely on the Lord to resolve this?