How Judas Iscariot became Judas the betrayer • Deshen Daily

And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him (John 13:2 KJV)

Judas, born Judas Iscariot, became Judas the betrayer. Scripture is silent whether God created Judas to betray Jesus. However, it tells us Judas betrayed Jesus by the choices he made. How did this happen?

Judas’ actions were a mysterious blend of natural and spiritual factors. The natural aspect relates to the everyday choices Judas made. He was the treasurer of Jesus’s ministry and began stealing money from the ministry account, quite similar to stories we hear in Christianity today (John 12:6). He then thought he could make a little more money by helping the Jewish leaders arrest Jesus in a place without the crowd. In fact, he did not know the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus. When he learned Jesus was sentenced to death, he committed suicide (Matthew 27:3-5).

Besides the natural aspect of the story lies a mysterious operation of Satan. In Luke 22:3 and John 13:27, scripture says Satan entered Judas. John 13:2 says Satan put into Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. Therefore, it took Satan for Judas to betray Jesus. However, Satan had been preparing Judas by tempting him to steal money from Jesus’s ministry account, making him ready to accept the offer to betray Jesus for more money.

Judas became the betrayer by opening himself up to Satanic influence. What happened to Judas can happen to anyone of us. In fact, it is happening every day in Christianity. Judas did not have some special feature, uncommon to the rest of human beings, that made him the betrayer. The same devil who tempted Eve tempted Judas and is also at our door every day. Do not open up your life for Satan to use( Ephesians 4:27).

How did Judas become the betrayer? Is Satan still tempting us to betray Jesus today in different ways in our daily lives or ministry?

Satan influenced Judas using his desires, lust, and greed for money; He has not changed his strategy. Our desire for pleasure, money, power, or fame is his best-kept secret. Beware of Satan.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you close any door Satan is using to influence you.