Financial wealth exerts a strange power over people. It has the ability to influence others to do crazy things because of it. Although money is simply paper and coins, many make the mistake of attaching great significance to it. This power we feel tugging at us isn’t the money itself, but a spirit behind it that we must beware of.
The world is unaware that the spirit of mammon tries to attach itself to money; mammon is an evil spirit sent by the enemy. This spirit has one overarching goal: to get us to trust money more than God. Mammon constantly suggests to us that maybe God’s promises aren’t true, and says it can do things for us that God can’t. Jesus had plenty to say on the subject and, during His ministry, He warned against being enslaved to it. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in)” (Matthew 6:24, AMPC).
There’s nothing wrong with having money, as long as money doesn’t have us. We can’t trust it, because it can let us down. Loving it more than anything else is a sign that we’ve developed a wrong relationship with it; we only hurt ourselves when we desperately cling to money. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). The rich young ruler with whom Jesus had a conversation was ruled by mammon; this spirit is still prevalent today.
Stockpiling wealth and valuing it above everything else is a mistake born of spiritual short-sightedness. “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). Money is fickle, and putting our full trust in it sets us up for disappointment. Greed causes us to abandon common sense and do foolish things.
We can take authority over the destructive spirit of mammon when we’re aware of its presence and how it operates. Mammon is insidious; it uses deception to make us think we need money more than God. God is well aware that we need money, and He won’t let us down in this area. We sidestep the traps mammon sets for us when we arrange our priorities in the right order. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
God wants access to every area of our lives, including our financial lives. We do ourselves no good when we compartmentalize God and refuse to trust Him in this area. He wants to protect us against the harm mammon does and bless us financially; putting our faith in Him over everything else moves us into a position to allow Him to do so. “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).
Our security comes from God, not money. Letting evil influences take over isn’t in our best interest. Money may be able to buy us temporary things, but material wealth stands in the way if we clutch it too closely to our hearts. We don’t have to let our material possessions hold us back from the abundant life God wants for us.