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“Lesson 11 - How Satan Wrecked Demas”
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Lesson 11 - How Satan Wrecked Demas
Introduction:
In 2 Timothy, we have the last recorded writing by Paul. Writing from a cold, damp, and dark Roman prison cell, it is believed he was executed a few months later in early 68 AD. The section in Chapter 4 is especially touching. Even though he knew the clock was ticking, Paul still found himself at work in the kingdom. But, now because of the severe limitations of imprisonment, he was completely dependent on his assistants to carry on the work. In 4.9-12 we read of about some of those who were so valuable in spreading the gospel. Only Luke remained with him. Crescens, Titus, and Tychicus had been sent into various places to continue the evangelistic work.
But, another of Paul’s companions is mentioned. Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica, 2 Timothy 4.9-10a. We don’t know much about Demas. He is first mentioned in Colossians 4.14. At that time, Paul held him in high regard and viewed him as a trusted companion. Demas would have been very close to Paul. Their relationship went back several years. The Colossian epistle was most likely written during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome and Demas sat right beside the beloved Apostle. It is likely that during the same time, Paul wrote the letter to Philemon. Demas would have been there and was mentioned by Paul in verse 24. Here, Demas is called Paul’s fellow worker. He would have had an important role to play in prayer and ministry in the first century church.
He must have had many good qualities. It is quite obvious that Demas had proven himself to Paul and had become an integral part of his ministry. But darkness lurks. Even though Paul had been imprisoned before, this time was very different. Before, Paul had been on house arrest. While those circumstances were not the best, he had limited freedom and would have been able to conduct his work effectively. It is likely that Paul’s associates would have had to endure similar persecution. But the second incarceration was not this way. It is commonly believed that the Romans placed Paul in the Mamertine prison and that by now he had received notice of his upcoming execution. The conditions would have been awful. Paul knew the end was approaching. It could be that darkness worked through this heightened threat of persecution (the threat of certain death) to get inside the mind of Demas. Every human has the natural inclination for self preservation and it seems that darkness used this to influence Demas to walk away from his mission.
Darkness Influenced Demas to Desert Paul
Why does 2 Timothy 4.10 begin with the word for? It's as if Paul is saying, “Would you please come soon because Demas is gone.” Could it be that Demas was of strategic use in ministry that his place needed to be taken by Timothy? The implication here is that Timothy was coming not only for the sake of the heart of Paul but for the sake of the work of Paul which had been done by Demas.
He was a man in whom Paul had invested much. He surely knew much. And when he deserted Paul, there was a void. And just the fact that it says, For Demas having loved this present world has deserted me, indicates that Timothy was going to step in to something Demas had been doing which gives you an idea that Demas was a pretty strategic person and at least on the outside was carrying on a ministry.
The phrase has deserted me is worthy of our attention. In the original language, this would have been communicated with strong emotion. The phrase starts with a basic word that means “to leave.” But then that word is compounded by adding two prepositions at the beginning of the word which makes it doubly intense. Today we might say it this way, “Demas left me in the lurch." But there is more. It is the idea not just of leaving but deserting in the midst of a dire situation, leaving at a most inappropriate time.
Perhaps it had all gotten to Demas. The difficulty and the suffering were just too much. Maybe he could see the handwriting on the wall. Paul was going to lose his life and he wasn't about to lose his. He wasn't that committed. Maybe he was caught up with Paul because of the noble cause, because of his emotion, his feeling, but never really counted the cost. He may well be one of those seeds that fall on rocky soil and pops up for a little while but when tribulation comes, dies. He may be a little bit like the weedy ground where there is a sprouting initially and then the love of the world or the cares of the present age choke out the life before any fruit can come, Matthew 13.3-8.
Demas loved the present world more than the one to come.
Darkness caused Demas to have short sighted vision. He placed more value in this world than the one to come. He placed a greater emphasis on the aims, ideals, opinions, values, motives, morals, impulses of the present passing age. These were the things that he loved.
It would be easy to compare Demas with Judas. He fell in love with the world. While he loved the Lord, he never fully eliminated his allegiance to the world. On the outside he ministered. But, Judas did too. On the inside there was little commitment. So Demas, like Judas, deserted Paul. Jesus had a deserter, Paul had a deserter. Having loved the present age, Paul wrote saying he left and went to Thessalonica.
Why Thessalonica? We don't know. We can surmise that it probably was his home. He is listed in Philemon verse 24 with Aristarchus who was a Thessalonian, Acts 20.4. But the point here is not so much where he went as why he went. And that is because he loved the world more than he loved the things of God. 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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever, 1 John 2.15-17.
Conclusion
We must always be aware of the hardening aspects of sin. It’s a slow progression. It rarely happens overnight. At the beginning of this process, it may be very hard to imagine the end result. Never, never say you are not vulnerable. Hebrews 3.13 serves as a stern warning concerning a deadly process that leads to dulled spiritual perception. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. In the original language, hardening described the procession that makes a spiritual heart “dry or hard.” There may have been a time in the life of Demas where he could have never imagined that one day he would desert Paul in the time of his greatest need. That’s darkness. It got to Demas, and it can get to us.
It must be said that we do not know what happened to Demas after he left Paul. Did he have a change of heart? Did he repent? We’ll never know. We hope he did. But what if he did not? What about those who love this present world and depart, willing inviting disaster into their life? How many bring devastation to their personal life because of the passing pleasures of sin? “ If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul, Matthew 16.24-26.
Questions for Discussion
1. What are some of the positive attributes Demas must have had?
2. Can you identify with the feeling of desertion that Paul must have felt when Demas left? How have you been affected in situations like this?
3. Read Matthew 13.3-8. What type of soil best identifies Demas’ heart? Why?
4. How would Demas be comparable to Judas?
5. In what ways does darkness work to influence us to love this world rather than the world to come?
6. How can we apply Hebrews 3.7-13 to fit in this lesson?
7. Do you think it is possible that Demas could have had a change of heart at some point later in life?
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