Once freedom is obtained, it is common to believe that all things thereafter will be ideal. This, too, is a trap of the enemy. There are levels to salvation that most are unaware of, which is why Scripture warns so clearly about serving two masters. “No one can serve two masters… you cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). Though this warning is often framed in the language of jealousy, what it truly addresses is the falsehood hidden within the idea of balance.

Balance, conceptually, can only be applied to natural or worldly matters. There is no balance when it comes to the spiritual realm. Once this truth is accepted, the danger of allowing room for missteps becomes clearer. Missteps may be unavoidable because of free will, but this does not mean they are part of the Great One’s design. Free will allows us to choose our direction, but it also makes us vulnerable to distraction—especially when we fix our eyes too long on the things of this world.

There are, undeniably, bad actors that seek to pull us away from the place we are meant to be. This is difficult to address because evil rarely presents itself as evil. It often arrives as a good feeling, a moral compromise, or a reasonable exception. “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Ignorance of sin is not what condemns us; rather, it becomes a gateway that slowly alters our perception of what is objectively good or evil. Over time, the distinction blurs, and we begin to wander into darker paths while convincing ourselves we are still walking rightly.

Balance, on the surface, sounds virtuous. But it does not apply to truth. We do need balance in the natural world—to care for our bodies, to rest, to steward our physical lives wisely. Yet morality does not operate this way. To walk in goodness requires the continual pursuit of good. There is no allotted space for evil. To sin is to stray from the path. And while grace makes it possible to reach the destination despite our wandering, it does not mean wandering was ever intended. “The way is narrow” (Matthew 7:14), not because God is restrictive, but because truth does not divide itself.

When we seek balance in this sense, we are often seeking justification—to remain who we were while expecting different outcomes. Universally, this is impossible. We cannot become something new while remaining the same. If the present version of ourselves were capable of producing the future we desire, we would already be living in it. This is why balance, when used to excuse misdirection, becomes one of the enemy’s most effective tools. It fragments us. We begin oscillating between identities until we lose sight of who we truly are. This is often the moment when salvation becomes necessary—not as rescue from the world, but as restoration of self.

When salvation first arrives, it is often accompanied by joy, clarity, even euphoria. Like the prodigal son, we are welcomed back with celebration (Luke 15). But soon after, the wilderness appears. Scripture shows this pattern repeatedly. After deliverance comes wandering. Not because God abandons us, but because choice remains. The wilderness is where faith is refined. If we remain faithful, order begins to reveal itself—not through passivity, but through obedience. “Trust in the Lord… and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

This is not a call to inaction. It is an invitation to discern calling before movement. When we pursue what we are called to, rather than what merely feels good, things begin to align. This is the deeper level of salvation—where the pull of the enemy weakens, though it never fully disappears.

To those who are on the journey now: remain steadfast. Do not deceive yourselves into believing that allowing darkness is part of the way. Lot’s wife looked back and became frozen in place (Genesis 19:26). Turning toward former lives often leaves us stuck—emotionally, spiritually, even physically. This is the danger of replacing discipline with balance.

If you are still seeking the first step of salvation, continue to listen to what is stirring within you. Be patient. Darkness resists departure, and leaving it can be painful. But this pain becomes a form of discernment. Distractions pull; the path invites. If something removes your sense of choice entirely, it is not of God. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

As we approach the new year, take time to examine the paths before you. Not all that feels good is good. Not all that is difficult is evil. Choose wisely. Choose fully. Choose today.