Come out of her, my people.

(Rev 18:4-5 NIV) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; {5} for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

Coming out of Babylon, what does this mean?

Following the 11th September tragedy in 2001, I wrote some comments in which I said that I thought that God is saying to us, His people, to "Come out of Babylon" (Rev 18:4). In this introductory article I want to examine what this means in practise. How do we come out of Babylon?

Introduction.

The idea of coming out of Babylon is similar to Paul's comment in 2 Cor 6:16-18, which refer to separation and purity:

(2 Cor 6:16-18 NIV) What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." {17} "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." {18} "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Paul is quoting Isaiah 52:11, separation and purity is again in view.

(Isa 52:11 NIV) Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

James has a similar idea, which again emphasises purity or keeping oneself free from contamination from the world:

(James 1:27 NIV) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

However, Revelation is the most explicit "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins". We come out of Babylon, so that we do not sin in the same way as Babylon does. And her sins are piled up to heaven (Rev 18:5). One of her main sins was her excessive luxury (Rev 18:3), see also Rev 18:7, 9. This is clearly seen in her trade in luxuries in Rev 18:11-13.

(Rev 18:11-13 NIV) "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-- {12} cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; {13} cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

I think that what God is saying to us here can be summed up by the parable of the sower, "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful".

(Mark 4:18-19 NIV) Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; {19} but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Similarly Lukes version says "they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature."

(Luke 8:14 NIV) The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

If we are captivated and seduced by the world's riches and pleasures, we will never mature. I have deliberately left out "life's worries", because they do not so much pertain to Babylon. Life's worried pertain more to the poor. Although if we worry that we are not as rich as our neighbour then we are in a pretty poor state spiritually. We are guilty of envy.

'Contentment' is the key to coming out of Babylon.

We can gauge our spiritual state by whether we are content with what we have. Paul learned the secret of contentment, whether living in plenty or in want.

(Phil 4:11-12 NIV) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. {12} I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I would suggest that if we have learned the secret of being content with what we have, then we are not in Babylon. Those in Babylon want ever more riches and luxury, they are not content they are driven by their desire for more.

(1 Tim 6:8-9 NIV) But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. {9} People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

(Heb 13:5-6 NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." {6} So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

[I am not saying that people should not try to improve their lot in life by hard work, the temptation comes when we have improved our lot in life and then we want ever more for ourselves. God commands the rich in this life to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Tim 6:17-18. If God blesses a rich Christian and he puts his wealth to help the poor and needy as well as gospel outreach, is his heart in Babylon? I suggest not. After all, God looks at our heart as well as our deeds. What is your heart, to aquire wealth for you and your family, well looking after your family is good, but if your family is looked after, then what about those who have never heard the gospel? That is God's potential family.]

What is Babylon?

Rev 17:18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

Firstly, we must understand what Babylon means before we can come out of her. Babylon in Revelation is not a place, otherwise it would be an easy matter to come out of Babylon. In Revelation her rule is worldwide, her reign is over peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (17:15), she rules over the king's of the earth (17:18).

She is to be contrasted with that other city in Revelation the New Jerusalem, compare Rev 17:1 with Rev 21:9-10, the first is called the great prostitute, the other is the bride the wife of the Lamb. She is an earthly counterfeit of that heavenly city, she is covered in precious jewels, pearls and gold as is also the new Jerusalem. She is the earthly copy of God’s heavenly society, which is His church, she is the world that is human society organised independently and in defiance of God. As the great prostitute, Babylon seduces and tempts men away from God. Let us examine in more detail the characteristics of the Babylon the prostitute.

1. All the kings of the earth committed adultery with her (Rev 17:2).
2. The inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries 17:2
3. She hold's out a gold cup but it is full of with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 17:4
4. She had great wealth Rev 17:4 and splendour 18:14
5. She persecutes the saints 17:6, 18:24
6. She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 18:2
7. She indulged in excessive luxury 18:3 all the goods the merchants deal in are luxuries 18:12
8. She gave herself glory 18:7, she boasts 18:7
9. She is a source of temptation 18:21 (millstone cf. Luke 17:2)
10. She is associated with culture eg. music 18:22
11. She derived her wealth from trade 18:23
12. Those who trade with her became rich 18:15, 19
13. She had great power 18:10
14. She leads all the nations astray 18:23.
15. She corrupted the world by her adulteries 19:2
16. She will come to ruin 18:8
17. The world will mourn her destruction18:9
18. Those in heaven, the saints and apostles and prophets will rejoice at her destruction 18:20

Historically she has been identified with the Rome of the Roman Empire or the Roman Catholic church at the height of its wealth and power. Both enjoyed great power, great wealth and luxury, both covered a large geographical area and both persecuted Christians. There is some truth to both of these views, but these are just historic manifestations of Babylon. Her first appearance in scripture was in Babel (Gen 11:1-9).

In Revelation she is contrasted to the church or God's people, the Bride, she persecutes God's people, she has great wealth and power and tempts people away from God, she corrupts the world. She is the enemy of God's people, who is she?

I would suggest that she is the first of the three great enemies of God's people: the world, the flesh, and the devil. She is the world, who is controlled by Satan (1 John 5:19). Unlike the flesh, our internal enemy, the world is external and attacks us from the outside. It attacks our bodies by persecution and entices our senses through the appeal of its allure.

She holds a gold cup, which should be full of good things, but in fact it is full of abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. A friend of mine suggested to me once that the television is her gold cup, there is some truth to his comment, because the television is the propaganda instrument for those selling their wares. It entices us with all the luxury of the West; better cars and homes, and more and more paraphernalia to fill those homes. Things to make us more attractive etc etc. The deception is that "things" and possessions do not give us fulfillment. Our character is more important than our possessions, God looks on the inside to a man's heart while man looks at the outside appearance (1 Sam 16:7 ). The Pharisees looked righteous from the outside but inside they were full of of hypocrisy and wickedness (Mat 23:28), in v25 Jesus says they were full of greed and self-indulgence, this summarises the spirit of Babylon. Do we strive for man's approval or for God's? Speaking to women, do you make yourselves beautiful for men but not for God? You make yourself beautiful for your husband so that he gives you money to waste at the local shopping mall (better read Prov 31:10). Needless to say this is not how a Christian wife behaves.

On the day of judgement we will be judged by God on what we have done and not on our possessions. We cannot take our possessions with us but our deeds follow us (Rev 14:13 ). We can send our possessions ahead of us by giving to the poor (Mat 19:21, Luke 12:33). Jesus warns us not to store up things for ourselves on earth, to enjoy upon retirement, but are not rich towards God (Luke 12:21). This man had planned for his retirement, so that he could "take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." Sounds like many of us today with our pension plans, but then God snatches our life away and we do not live to enjoy it. Our children get our money to spend it on their own agendas. Not much money goes to the gospel, but the gospel is God's agenda. God's agenda is to fill heaven with people from every "tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev 5:9). It is up to the rich Christians in the West to finance the Great Commission so that the poor are saved.

Television is also the great anaesthetic filling our minds with meaningless rubbish, enabling us to live without seeking God. The people who run the media are largely atheistic and are in it for profit and to sell things and to spread the philosophy of the world. If we fill our minds with that, we will end up conforming to the pattern of the world, rather than being transformed. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight (Luke 16:15).

Babylon represents the worlds power, the worlds riches, the world’s trade, the world’s religions and the world’s commerce and culture. In a more subtle way she represents the pride in our looks, our body, our possessions, our money rather than our character. She seduces us away from God by tempting us to look to possessions and those things around us to give us self-esteem rather than God's approval.

(John 4:34 NIV) "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

The Church and the Saints:

The word 'church' is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia:G1577, which means called out ones. The word 'saints' is a translation of the word hagios:G40 which means holy, blameless or consecrated i.e. holy ones.

The reason we should come out of her is so that we do not share in her sins and therefore in her judgement. But also because we have a better, permanent city (Heb 11:10, 16, 13:14 ).

How does the world tempt us and seduce us from God?

For the Christian there are two aspects of attack from the world, the first is persecution. This is unmistakable and tends to come from Muslim countries (Arabic, Sudan, Indonesia) or communist countries (China), Hindu countries (India). That is from countries in which a great ideology rules the thoughts of people. Persecution attacks the body, it is hardly appealing to the flesh. All this comes from Babylon who is 'drunk with the blood of the saints', Rev 17:6. 'In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints', Rev 18:24.

The other great ideology, which dominates in the West, is materialism and it is derived from atheism. Without God we replace Him with money, possessions, power, pleasure, culture, violence and whatever else will give us fulfillment. We cannot live in a vacuum, if we reject God we fill our lives with other things. In this instance it appeals to the flesh, it entices us to put the pursuit of the worlds things before God, this is of course idolatry. This is also a characteristic of Babylon who lived in excessive luxury, Rev 18:3, 7.

For the Christian our fulfillment should come through worship, fellowship, and obedience to God and doing his will through the ministry he gives to us.

Babylon tempts and seduces us away from God, therefore we must watch and pray that we do not fall into temptation, guard our hearts, keep ourselves from being polluted, flee from immorality while pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. We are commanded to keep our lives free of the love of money (Heb 13:5), God does not do this we do, we must guard our own hearts. We must therefore guard what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears i.e.TV, books, magazines, radio etc.

She uses people:

(1 Cor 15:33 NIV) Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

If my friends corrupt my character, I had better find new friends who encourage good character.

Some key scriptures:

(Mark 4:15-20 NIV) Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. {16} Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. {17} But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. {18} Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; {19} but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. {20} Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

The parable of the Sower above (also Mat 13:18-23, Luke 8:11-15) also shows that the world acts in two ways:

1. Persecution. (Mark 4:17)
2. Worries of life, deceitfulness of wealth, desire for other things.(Mark 4:19)

The result is that we become unfruitful. The question then is how do we become fruitful?

1. hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop Mark 4:20
2. those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15
3. hears the word and understands it. Mat 13.23 (ie. understands with the heart)

Summary: hearing the word, understanding the word, retaining the word and persevering in applying the word.

James

(James 1:27 NIV) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We will always have the world with us and according to James we are positively to do good works and negatively to keep (guard, watch) ourselves from being polluted by the world.

The traditional approach was the monastery, i.e. to separate ourselves physically from the world. However we need to interact with the world, to be salt and light, to love our neighbour, while keeping ourselves from being polluted by it i.e. holy before God.

Use the means of grace:

The traditional means of grace will help to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. The word, prayer, fellowship and the Lord's supper.

(Acts 2:42 NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

One of the results of using the means of grace in the early church is that they sold their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need (Acts 2:45).

Be transformed, not conformed

(Rom 12:2 NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We are transformed as we hear, understand and obey the word of God.

Do not love the world.

(1 John 2:15-17 NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. {17} The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

There are three things mentioned here that are in the world and which entice us from God:

1. Lust (desires) of the flesh
2. Lust of the eyes
3. Pride (boasting) of life e.g. pride in our possessions or rank or education

We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness:

(Col 1:13 NIV) For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

Let us examine wealth, money, possessions, sex, power, and worry.

Wealth:

(1 Tim 6:17-19 NIV) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. {18} Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. {19} In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

(1 Tim 6:9-12 NIV) People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. {10} For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. {11} But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. {12} Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Virtues to cultivate: generosity

Question: how does the world seduce me away from God in this area of my life and what do I need to do about it?

Money:

(Heb 13:5 NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

(Luke 3:14 NIV) Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."

(1 Tim 6:7-8 NIV) For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. {8} But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

(Luke 16:13-15 NIV) "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." {14} The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. {15} He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

Virtues to cultivate: contentment.

Question: how does the world seduce me away from God in this area of my life and what do I need to do about it?

Possessions:

(Mat 6:19-21 NIV) "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. {20} But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

(Luke 12:15 NIV) Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

(Luke 12:33 NIV) Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

(Phil 4:11-12 NIV) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. {12} I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Be content with what we have, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions Luke 12:15. Babylon's problem was that she lived in excessive luxury.

Question: how does the world seduce me away from God in this area of my life and what do I need to do about it?

Sex:

(1 Cor 6:18-20 NIV) Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. {19} Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; {20} you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

(1 Th 4:3-7 NIV) It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; {4} that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, {5} not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; {6} and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. {7} For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

Key phrase: flee from sexual immorality.

Question: how does the world seduce me away from God in this area of my life and what do I need to do about it?

Power:

(Mat 20:25-28 NIV) Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. {26} Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, {27} and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- {28} just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

(James 4:13-16 NIV) Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." {14} Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. {15} Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." {16} As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

(James 1:9-10 NIV) The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. {10} But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.

The antidote to power, servanthood

Question: how does the world seduce me away from God in this area of my life and what do I need to do about it?

Worry:

(Mat 6:25-34 NIV) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? {26} Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? {27} Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? {28} "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. {29} Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. {30} If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? {31} So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' {32} For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. {33} But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. {34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

Question: how does the world seduce me away from God in this area of my life and what do I need to do about it?

Persecution:

(Mat 5:10-12 NIV) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. {11} "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. {12} Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(1 Pet 4:3-5 NIV) For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. {4} They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. {5} But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

(2 Tim 3:12 NIV) In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Consider the rewards of persecution. Do not be surprised by it.

Question: how different is my life from those around me? Am I persecuted because of my godly life?

Practical stuff:

1. Worship God.
2. Read, understand, apply, and continue to apply the word.
3. Use the means of grace: the word, prayer, fellowship, fasting, communion
4. Be content with what we have
5. Keep our lives free from the love of money
6. Be givers not horders.
7. Limit the time we spend on unprofitable TV, magazines, books, and films.
8. Devote ourselves to doing good.
9. Be transformed not conformed to the world.
10. Read up on persecuted Christians.
11. Support a third world child.
12. Visit a third world country.
13. How am I being seduced by the world in the areas of wealth, money, possessions, sex, power, and worry?
14. Examine my heart and life to see if I am being seduced into buying more and better luxuries
15. Examine my life goals towards - my family, my property, my money, my sex life
16. Repent now before it is too late, come out of Babylon so that we do not share in her judgement

Books: linked to

Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn

The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving (Lifechange Books) by Randy Alcorn

Love Not the World by Watchman Nee

Related article:

The Woman called Babylon by Malcolm Smith

Appendix: key scriptures:

The world will hate and persecute the saints:

(John 15:18-21 NIV) "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. {19} If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. {20} Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. {21} They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.

1 John 3:13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

(Phil 1:29 NIV) For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,

(1 Pet 4:1 NIV) Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

Being hated and persecuted by the world is a normal part of the Christian experience as the bible, church history and current events (Sudan, Indonesia, and China) indicate. The lack of persecution in the West is as much a testimony to the lukewarmness of the church as it is to the democratic nature of the political system.

We are not of the world, but should stay in the world.

(John 17:14-18 NIV) I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. {15} My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. {16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. {17} Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. {18} As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

We are to be in the world but not of it. Jesus has sent us into the world to fulfil the great commission, and to be salt and light.

We are not to love the world and its things.

(1 John 2:15-17 NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. {17} The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

(Luke 12:15 NIV) Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

(Mat 6:31-33 NIV) So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' {32} For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. {33} But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

As God's children we will overcome the world.

(1 John 5:3-5 NIV) This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, {4} for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. {5} Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Everyone born of God overcomes the world.

We overcome the world by faith.

He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world.

Satan controls the world.

(1 John 5:19 NIV) We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. See also Luke 4:6.

We are in God's kingdom, the world is in Satan's kingdom.

Miscellaneous scriptures:

(1 Cor 2:12 NIV) We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

(1 Cor 3:19 NIV) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";

(1 Cor 7:31 NIV) those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

(Eph 2:1-3 NIV) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, {2} in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. {3} All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

(James 4:4 NIV) You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

(2 Pet 1:4-8 NIV) Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. {5} For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; {6} and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; {7} and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. {8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 John 4:4 NIV) You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

(1 John 4:5 NIV) They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.