A path to spiritual victory
Hating the Worldly Life
===
The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life.
John 12:25 (NET)
===
Yesterday I looked at the previous verse talking about wheat dying to bear fruit.
Rather than adding this verse to yesterday’s, I wanted to discuss it on its own.
Jesus gets more direct with His teaching here, raising the bar on what it means to love God.
In essence, it’s a complete rejection of our flesh and the world.
Spiritually speaking, the present ruler of the world is the devil. Only in a temporary position of kingship, but still powerful and spiraling the world down to destruction.
We are the lights in the world pointing people back to Christ.
Working to save as many as we can from the clutches of the Enemy.
The war on the world is real.
It’s more than just a war raged outside of us, or around us. We fight daily battles within.
Paul talks about this several times throughout his letters. Where he beats his own body, making it his slave, so that he would not be disqualified from the ministry of the Gospel.
Or when he fights against his flesh, trying to do the things he wants to do and avoid the things he doesn’t want to do (not always successfully I might add).
It’s precisely this fight that Jesus prepares us for.
We cannot be on friendly terms with this enemy.
The way to win is to hate the world and love God.
Or, at least love God so much that everything else looks like hatred because it just cannot compare.
Either way, it’s a path to spiritual victory.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2026 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.