The Lodestar

Demas was Paul’s trusted travel companion when he wrote the letters to the Colossians and Philemon around A.D. 62 from the prison in Rome (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24). But within two or three years, Demas had deserted Paul, as noted in Paul's second letter to Timothy, written between A.D. 64 and 65.

Historians suggest that Paul was acquitted in his trial before Caesar following the perilous journey to Rome (Acts 27—28) and imprisonment. Freed from prison, Paul might have travelled again on a fourth missionary journey, and upon his return, he was imprisoned again, leading to his martyrdom, most possibly in A.D. 68. This leads us to conclude that Demas left Paul during his second imprisonment.

Demas was disillusioned, knowing that Paul was on death row. There is no other explanation. He could have left earlier if he had not been strong in faith, but he stuck with Paul even during his first imprisonment. Whatever the reason, Paul summarises Demas’ reason for leaving as “love for the world.”

Love for the world is a force that resists spiritual progress or our walk with God because “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). To make any headway, we need to make the tailwind of the passion for God stronger than the headwind of the world. John the Apostle reminds us that our love for the world and the Father God is mutually exclusive; they cannot exist together. “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” (1 John 2:15).

Believers fall victim to the world as they prefer what it offers to what God has given them. The love that God has shown us through his son is unparalleled compared with any love the world could offer. Things in this world do not match what we will have in eternity. Being the children of God now is far greater than any position we hold in this world.

Let Demas’s story awaken us. The pull of the world is subtle yet strong, but God’s love is more profound and lasting. Take time today to examine where your heart leans—toward temporary comfort or eternal purpose. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your passion for Christ so that your love for him outweighs every worldly desire. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and let faith steer you safely through the storms that cause many to drift away.

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