“Mammon” is not the only rival…
What’s Really Competing for Your Trust?
Let’s be real—most of us aren’t walking around thinking, “I’m probably going to serve a false god today.” 😅 But if you’ve followed Jesus for any length of time, you know how easy it is for your heart to drift. One minute you’re singing “Jesus, take the wheel,” and the next you’re grabbing it back because, well… it just feels safer that way.
And this happens especially in the area of money.
Jesus didn’t just say “you can’t serve both God and money.” He used the word Mammon—which came from the Aramaic word mamona, meaning wealth, riches, or possessions.
But here’s where it gets interesting: by Jesus’ time, mammon wasn’t just a neutral word for cash—it had started to take on a moral tone. Some rabbis used it in a negative light, almost like a stand-in for greed or misplaced trust. People weren’t just using mammon—they were starting to rely on it.
And Jesus takes it even further.
“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and Mammon.” (Matt 6:24)
That’s strong language. Not “you shouldn’t,” but you can’t—as if Mammon is offering a kind of counter-discipleship. A rival way to live. A rival voice to follow. A rival lord.
He’s not saying money is evil—He’s saying it becomes dangerous when it acts like a master.
When it starts shaping your choices.
When it becomes the thing you serve, instead of something you steward.
Jesus personifies Mammon, and I don’t mean He turned it into a cartoon villain—I mean He framed it like a spiritual allegiance. Like something that competes with God for the deepest kind of loyalty. And if we’re not paying attention, we’ll follow it without realizing we’ve switched sides.
There are other forces that try to steal our allegiance. And the three big ones I keep circling back to are:
Mammon (money, or more specifically, the worship of money)
The Flesh (our old self that always wants to be in charge)
The World (the cultural system that says “look out for #1”)
Each one shows up in our financial lives in different ways. But they’re all trying to do the same thing: pull us away from trusting God.
Mammon: The Lie of Financial Safety
Jesus didn’t say “you can’t serve God and money.” He said Mammon—because He was pointing to something deeper than your bank account.
Mammon is that sneaky voice that tells you:
“If you just had a little more, you’d be fine.”
“Don’t be too generous—you might need that later.”
“Financial security is peace.”
It promises safety, but it makes you clingy. You start measuring every decision by what’s “financially wise” instead of what’s spiritually obedient. And trust me, I’ve done this too. I’ve felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to give—and caught myself mentally calculating whether it would throw off my savings goals. (Spoiler: it almost always does.)
Mammon isn’t money. It’s the mindset that money is what saves you. And it will fight to be your master.
The Flesh: The Lie of Self-Rule
Okay, let’s talk about the flesh. The Bible uses this word a lot, and it doesn’t just mean physical stuff—it means that part of us that wants to stay in charge.
The flesh says:
“I deserve this.”
“I’ll give, but only when I feel comfortable.”
“I’ll obey God… later.”
The flesh isn’t always loud. Sometimes it sounds like really reasonable advice. But the truth is, it never wants to surrender. It wants you to stay the boss. Even when you’re doing spiritual things, the flesh will whisper, “As long as I still get to call the shots, go ahead.”
In financial discipleship, the flesh loves hoarding. It loves rationalizing. It loves treating “blessings” like rewards and “boundaries” like punishment.
But life in the Spirit? It looks more like open hands. Generosity. Listening for God's whisper, even if it doesn't make sense on paper.
The World: The Lie of Cultural Belonging
This one’s trickier—because it’s everywhere. We’re breathing it in all the time.
When Scripture talks about “the world,” it doesn’t mean people or the planet—it means the system. The values that normalize pride, greed, hustle, image, self-promotion, and self-protection. The world is the current that constantly tries to pull us downstream.
And when it comes to money, the world says:
“You’re only valuable if you’re successful.”
“You need to keep up.”
“Build your brand. Maximize your earning potential. Look impressive.”
And sometimes, in Christian circles, we just baptize it. We call it “kingdom influence” or “faith-based entrepreneurship” or “wise stewardship.” But if we’re honest? A lot of it is still about looking good, building our own little empire, and calling it God's.
It’s not that any of those things are bad on their own. It’s just that they start to compete with the quiet, slow, obedient work of walking with Jesus.
So What
Do
We
Do
With
All This?
First, we just acknowledge it.
We name the rivals.
We get honest about the fact that our financial life is spiritual.
All of it.
Every budget is a spiritual battle.
Every purchase is a vote of trust.
Every giving decision is a little act of worship or self-preservation.
Mammon, the Flesh, and the World are not obvious villains. They are seductive masters. And they often make promises that sound a lot like God's—but leave us anxious, empty, and always wanting more.
The Way Out? Jesus.
He doesn’t shame us. He doesn’t manipulate us. He just keeps saying:
“Come to Me. Trust Me. Let Me lead.”
And you guys… it is such a better way.
You don’t have to cling to money like it’s your savior.
You don’t have to stay stuck in the cycles your flesh wants to protect.
You don’t have to impress the world to matter.
Jesus offers us real freedom. Real peace. Real provision. Not always flashy or comfortable—but faithful. And I promise, it’s worth it.
A few questions to take into your week:
Where have I been asking money to do what only God can do?
Where has my flesh been calling the shots in my financial decisions?
Where has the world shaped how I define “success” or “blessing”?
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you. He’s really good at untangling these things—not with condemnation, but with clarity and kindness.
You don’t need to be afraid of these rival masters. But you do need to see them clearly, so you can choose a better one.
Because at the end of the day—Jesus really is better. ✨
