“But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.”
2 Timothy 2:16

The word profane can be translated as godless or worldly. Worldliness is the enemy of godliness.

We know that the Christian has three basic enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. It has often been pointed out that the flesh strives against the Spirit (Gal. 5:17), while the devil stands in direct opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the world system opposes the righteousness of God.

James reminds us, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). The aged apostle John adds: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬

It is important for us to understand that worldliness is not so much about our activities—what we do and where we do it—as it is about our attitudes. It is possible for a Christian to stay away from questionable amusements and doubtful places and still love the world. Worldliness is primarily a matter of the heart that affects both our affections and our ambitions. It affects our hearts in relation to our response to the love of God, and it affects our actions in relation to our obedience to the will of God.

We must remember that the Lord Jesus “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:4).

It is also helpful, in the pursuit of godliness, to remember that this world is presently—but only temporarily—under the rule of the wicked one (Eph. 2:2; 6:12; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). As believers in Christ, “the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14), and we are “to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

Worldliness creeps into our lives gradually: first through friendship with the world (James 4:4), then by becoming spotted by it (James 1:27), and finally by becoming conformed to it (Rom. 12:1–2).

Anchor For Today:
Worldliness is the enemy of godliness. The remedy is to remember that we have been born from above, heaven is our home, and we have a glorious Object upon whom to set our affections.