The devil, no doubt, is a good Bible student.  His success depends on him getting us to, in some way, violate the will of God. To accomplish this, he has to know the will of God, something that can only be found in the Word of God.

A part of this Word includes letters from our Lord that were sent to seven churches located in Asia Minor.  The seventh letter was sent to the church in Laodicea.  Here is the accusation that Jesus made against them.

Revelation 3:14–16 (ESV)
¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.  ¹⁵ “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

When referring to this local church as “lukewarm,” Jesus was drawing from the fact that the water in Laodicea was surprisingly bad for such a rich city.  Colossae, located about 9 miles southeast of Laodicea, was known for its pure and cold water.  Hierapolis, which was only six miles north of Laodicea, was famous for its healing hot springs, but Laodicea did not have a good water distribution system; thus, by the time the water reached them from either Colossae or Hierapolis, it was lukewarm.

The saints at Laodicea were neither cold nor hot.  That means they were not completely uninterested in spiritual things.  They believed in God and accepted Jesus as their Savior.  Someone who is spiritually cold is a person who cares nothing about God and is even hostile toward Him and His people.  It would also include those who live immoral lives that are contrary to the will of God.  They may not be hostile, but their focus in life is centered around their own will, doing what makes them happy rather than giving God any real consideration.

Those who are spiritually hot are people who know, love, and practice the truth, and people like Paul who are willing to sacrifice everything for Christ (Philippians 3:7-14).  Paul once said, “For as to me to live is Christ…” (Philippians 1:21), and the life that he lived proved that his words were true.  Jesus was the hub of his life for he was on fire for the Lord.  That is what it means to be hot.

The lukewarm are right in the middle of the cold and hot, and that is exactly where the devil wants one to be.  He does not mind if you are cold, but if you are lukewarm, that is even better.  Why? It is because there is almost always a touch of hypocrisy in lukewarmness, and hypocrisy not only ruins the soul of the hypocrite, but it also turns others away from Christ.  This is why Jesus would rather one be cold than lukewarm.

Let us be determined not to do the devil’s will.  Like Paul before us, let us be on fire for the Lord.  Paul tells us that Jesus is coming back to get people who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).  To be zealous is to be excited and enthusiastic about the Lord.  The word means “to boil or to be hot.”  That is what Jesus wished the saints at Laodicea were, and it is exactly what He wants us to be.

Whose will are you doing?  If you are lukewarm spiritually, you know the answer to the question.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.