Disarming Satan by Destroying Mammon

Robert Wurtz II

 

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You have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (Matthew 5:38-41)

 

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

 

The first commandments any potential disciple of Christ must face are found in Matthew 5:38-41. We must decide early on if we will patiently endure abuse to be like Jesus. If you cannot agree with this text, you cannot be a disciple of Christ. Why? As He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17)

In a single night, Jesus was betrayed for money, punched in the face, and forced to walk carrying a cross (Matthew 26:15, 67). As it was with Him, so it must be with us. A servant is not greater than his master (John 15:20). God is love, and love reacts differently (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Therefore, when we face this enemy, we must react like Jesus. 

 

Destroying Satan’s Works

 

A cursory reading of God’s strategy to destroy the works of Satan was to first disarm him by commanding the people to repent of their love of possessions. This one directive would have been a masterstroke against Satan if the people had obeyed. God knew some would not obey, including Judas, whose judgment was so severe that Jesus said, “It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:24, Mark 14:21). The same could be said of the rich young ruler if he never repented and the rich man who ignored Lazarus (Luke 16:20-25). 

 

God knew Satan would use Mammon (possessions personified) to try to destroy His people and kingdom. He used it to control Judas and invade Jesus’ inner circle, and attempted to use it to gain access to the Church through Ananias and Sapphira, and Simon the Sorcerer. 

 

Mammon must be destroyed if Satan is to be destroyed. People are going to serve Mammon until they fully repent and throw down this idol and altar, and we must be spiritually ready for it. He will test our faith with people who serve Mammon. Those who serve it are enemies of the cross who despise God (Luke 16:13). 

 

Peril of Robbers

 

I have often said that no one fully appreciates the wisdom of God’s commandments until they are on the receiving end of a transgression. The thief does not experience theft the same way the victim does. The adulterer does not experience adultery the same way as the victim. The liar does not experience his lies the same way the victim does. All of the commandments are guidelines for love. Whenever a commandment is transgressed, and you or I are on the receiving end of it, we invariably feel hated. Why? Because we were treated hatefully. We certainly do not feel loved. This is a heavy burden that is hard to put into words, and it confirms the profound wisdom of God’s word. 

 

Nobody has to be rich to love money. All they have to do is put money and possessions above relationships, and you have the Satanic evil that Jesus died to destroy. Relationships require love, and love must be based upon the commandments of God. This love is shed abroad in the hearts of those who have received the Spirit (Romans 5:5), and that love, if genuine, will always agree with God’s word. Paul wrote that love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10). Yet even Paul suffered the perils of robbers and of his own countrymen (2 Corinthians 11:26).

 

The Enemy of Love

 

At the root of all kinds of evil is the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). The love of money is the enemy of the love of God. It is an idolatry that motivates people to commit unfathomable evil and has already sent many to hell. Whether it was Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15); Simon, who tried to buy and sell the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18-20); the owners of the demon-possessed slave girl (Acts 16:16-19); the silversmiths in Ephesus, whose idol-making business was collapsing (Acts 19:24-27); or the rich man who we know went to hell (Luke 16:22-23), both the Old and New Testaments are filled with stories of people who ignored God’s warnings, served Mammon (possessions) as their god, and paid the ultimate price.

 

The Court Thief

 

Every day, people use legal cases to hurt others. Roman civil law allowed a creditor to seize a poor person’s garment to immediately satisfy a debt (pallium or lacerna). Although you wouldn’t expect professing Christians to sue a fellow believer, sadly and sinfully, it happens (1 Corinthians 6:6-8). Even if judges try to be fair, dishonest people can lie under oath or forge papers and, through the courts, take a man’s coat right off his back (see Matthew Henry). Solomon warned us, don’t be surprised when this happens (Ecclesiastes 5:8). In such a situation, instead of suing for revenge or fighting in court to the very end to get what’s rightfully yours, Jesus said, “let him have thy cloak also” (Matthew 5:40).

 

Under the Old Covenant, the LORD commanded the Israelites that if you lend money to a neighbor and take their cloak (coat) as a pledge, you must give it back to them by sunset, because that cloak may be their only covering and warmth through the night (Exodus 22:26-27) Holding onto it longer would leave them exposed, so the law protects the impoverished and vulnerable by demanding that creditors show mercy rather than squeeze the life out of their debtors. Like most laws, these were established to restrain the hateful, unscrupulousness, and wickedness of men (1 Timothy 1:8-10). Roman law had no such provisions, which is why Jesus gave the commandment in Matthew 5.   

 

A Christian With No Scruples?

 

Unscrupulousness is the trait of having no scruples—that is, not caring about what is fair, right, or wrong and it is among Satan’s most useful. The word scruple comes from the Latin scrupulus, which literally means “a small, sharp stone” (like a pebble in your shoe that causes pain and makes you hesitate to step down). Lexically, a “scruple” is that tiny prick of conscience that makes a person hesitate before doing something questionable. A scrupulous person has “qualms” or “twinges of conscience” when they are uncertain about an action. Hence the phrase, “I had no qualms about it.” 

 

 

It takes an unscrupulous person to sacrifice honesty and fairness, exploit others, and invent or disregard rules and laws to serve Mammon. The conscience is seared, and they have no regard for God’s word. This is why the enemy uses them so effectively. The time would fail to read all of the verses from the Old Testament where people are warned about fraud or making laws to steal property and such. (See Exodus 20:15, 17; Exodus 22:21-27; Exodus 23:6-9; Leviticus 19:11; Leviticus 19:13; Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 24:14-15; Deuteronomy 24:17; Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Deuteronomy 27:19; Job 22:9; Job 24:2-4, 9; Psalm 94:6; Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 22:22-23; Proverbs 22:28; Proverbs 23:10-11; Isaiah 1:17, 23; Isaiah 3:14-15; Isaiah 10:1-2; Jeremiah 5:27-28; Jeremiah 7:6; Jeremiah 22:3; Ezekiel 22:7, 12; Hosea 12:7; Amos 2:6-7; Amos 5:11-12; Amos 8:4-6; Micah 2:1-2; Micah 6:10-11; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5)

 

Repentance or Reprobation?  

 

 

One of the most sobering truths about studying Mammon (the love of money) is how few people ever turn away from it. It’s easy to be tempted with the thought, “You cannot control or change these people, so do not bother trying.” What we can do is declare what the word of God teaches and leave them to their devices. Like Alexander the coppersmith, God will reward them according to their works (2 Timothy 4:14).

 

Jesus disarms Satan again when people refuse to be discouraged by servants of Mammon. It is no accident that Jesus couples the command to suffer yourself to be defrauded alongside getting punched in the face (Matthew 5:39-40, 1 Corinthians 6:7). Everybody knows when they’ve been punched in the face, and everybody knows when they’ve been defrauded. But when Jesus was struck, He didn’t threaten the people or curse them; He committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously (1 Peter 2:23). 

 

Joy in God’s Provision

 

When we look at Jesus’ words to let them have your cloak also, we must bear in mind God’s character in light of this command. David said, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). In another place, Paul wrote, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:7-8).

 

When you’re walking in God’s will and doing His work, you can take joyfully the spoiling of your goods (Hebrews 10:34), because you have an enduring reward in Heaven and God will meet your needs despite what people do (Philippians 4:19). The thief who legally took your proverbial—or literal—coat and cloak did not just steal from you; they stole from God. Once the child of God understands this truth, it will alleviate much of the burn of being blistered by such fraudulence. We begin to see these things as partakers of Christ’s sufferings rather than victims of people’s greed. 

 

See Also:

https://thegirdedmind.org/2026/01/17/prosperity-that-pleases-god/