The pull of the world can be strong.

I think of Demas, one of the Apostle Paul’s missionary teammates in the 1st century. Paul writes these regretful words to Timothy: “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2 Tim. 4:10).

For Demas, the pull of the world got the better of him and he deserted his faith because he loved the world more than he loved God.

Do you ever feel the pull of the world? Do you ever seem to show more love, attention, and reverence for the things of the world over God?

What can we do about this?

After repenting, I’d suggest we begin boasting.

Let me explain.

In Galatians 6:14, Paul writes this:

“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

There’s a powerful truth packed in this sentence.

The sentence can be broken up into two statements (which I’ll paraphrase):

I will boast in nothing except the cross of Christ.
The world has been crucified (i.e., killed, made powerless) to me, and I to the world.

The second statement is what we want—and it’s what Demas needed. The ESV Study Bible says about this statement that, to Paul, “the entire world system in all its glory…is dead or destroyed in its power to attract him; it has no influence or power over Paul, no appeal to him.”

As sufficient as Roman crucifixion was to make something dead and powerless (i.e., a human life), so the world has effectively lost its “attractive” power over Paul.

But how does this statement relate to the first statement?

Two words: “by which.”

Listen to what Paul writes: I will boast in nothing except the cross of Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Paul is clearly indicating in his testimony that through the cross of Christ, the power to break the “power of the world” was made effective for him.

Jesus’ death on the cross defeated the dominion and power of sin—the dominion and power that are currently ruling in this world, that ruled you and I.

By faith, Paul sees this victory!—and he sees that he is a partaker of this victory by nature of his union with the Victor: King Jesus.

Therefore, he will boast in nothing but the cross of Christ. For it’s through the cross that the world has lost its power over him. So, he will boast. And boast again!

So, what can we do if we find ourselves walking the same path as Demas?—finding ourselves attracted to the world, and beginning to walk away from the things of God?

Repent (i.e., turn away from that path!), and then boast.

Boast in the only thing that truly has power to break the power of the world: the cross of Christ.