Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus, saw His miracles, heard His teaching, and was trusted with a position among the twelve. Yet despite all of this, he was not saved. John 13:2 says that during supper, “the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot… to betray him.” That thought didn’t come out of nowhere. Judas had already opened his heart to sin. Satan only fanned the flame that was already smoldering in Judas’ heart. This didn’t excuse him, it condemned him. The same can happen to anyone who pretends to follow Jesus outwardly but has never been changed inwardly.
Being close to truth doesn’t mean you belong to the truth. Judas was around Jesus daily, yet Jesus said plainly in John 6:70, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” Judas was never born again, never truly believed, and in the end, betrayed the Lord he claimed to serve. In Mark 14:21, Jesus said of Judas, “It had been good for that man if he had never been born.” That is the outcome of a life that refuses repentance and salvation, a terrifying judgment.
Judas is a warning. He looked like a disciple, acted like a disciple, but he was a deceiver. No one around him suspected anything, but Jesus knew. The devil can use anyone who is unsaved, especially those who pretend to be followers of Christ. That’s why Scripture warns us to examine ourselves, whether we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Knowing Bible verses or being part of a church doesn’t prove you’re saved. A true believer will repent, believe the gospel, and follow Christ in truth, not in show.
Satan’s tactics are subtle. He doesn’t need to drag someone into open rebellion, he only needs them to delay repentance, to pretend, to play the part without ever surrendering their heart. Judas played with sin, justified it, and eventually acted on it. He did not fall by accident. He made a choice. And if we’re not careful, we can make the same one.
Don’t wait. Don’t fake it. If you know you’re not saved, or if you’re unsure, turn to Jesus Christ now. Repent, believe, and be saved. Because it truly is a dangerous thing to be like Judas, so close to Jesus, and yet still lost.
