Spiritual Treason

Whether its Brutus or Benedict Arnold, the history books are full of infamous traitors. One name that belongs alongside those mentioned is a Greek named Ephialtes. Not much is known of this mysterious character except what the ancient historian Herodotus tells us about his evil act of betrayal. It happened in 480 BC during the battle of Thermopylae when the Persian army, numbering upwards of one million soldiers, clashed with the stalwart Spartans, led by Leonidas, who numbered just 300. The Spartans bravely held off the Persians for two days until a local shepherd, Ephialtes, showed the Persians a narrow mountain path that gave access behind the Spartan lines. On the third day, the Persians used this path to encircle the Greeks and destroy the army.

Ephialtes is an example of what the Bible calls apostacy, which refers to a departure from the truth or “a falling away.” An apostate is someone who willingly defects from the truth and denies what they previously believed. They are spiritual traitors who betray the faith. There are several examples in the Bible of people who chose to do a 180⁰ turn from God. In the OT, Balaam the prophet was hired by Israel’s enemies, the Moabites, to curse God’s people (Num. 21). In the NT, Paul mentions a man named Demas who at one time accompanied him in ministry (Col. 4:14). However, in Paul’s final letter, Paul told Timothy, “Demas has forsaken me, heaving loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10). Of course, no one is more of an apostate than Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ for a mere thirty pieces of silver (Mark 14:10-11).

The Bible says that as we drew nearer to the return of Christ apostasy will be on the rise (Matt. 24:10-11; 1 Tim. 4:1). Apostates will deny Christ doctrinally (1 John 4:3), morally (Jude 18) and socially (1 John 2:19). Keep in mind that an apostate is not the same as a backslider. An apostate is one who has willingly departed from the faith. A backslider will eventually return to the Lord because he cannot live happily in sin as a true born-again believer.

How can we prevent apostacy from creeping into our own hearts? First, we should do a heart check. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Cor. 13:5). Most apostates were never really saved to begin with. They may have grown up in the church thinking they were a Christian or had only a shallow, emotional commitment. Second, we must be aware when we notice our hearts drifting from the Lord (Heb. 2:1). If we are cold towards worship, prayer and Bible study then its time to repent. If you notice that you aren’t as close to the Lord as you once were – guess who moved? Third, we must beef up on our doctrine and Bible depth. Those who are committed to the Word are like stable, well-watered trees that have their roots dug down deep (Ps. 1:3). They shall not be moved. As the old saying goes, “A Bible that’s falling apart, usually belongs to a life that isn’t.”

-DM