Thief: Taking What Is Not Ours and the God Who Sees

A thief is one who takes what does not belong to them – by stealth, deception or force. Scripture traces theft back to Satan himself, warns every believer against it in every form, and points instead to honest work, generous giving and readiness for the Lord's return.

Satan: The Original Thief

Satan is a thief who comes to “Steal, kill and destroy” (Jn 10:10). A thief doesn't do things in the ‘approved’ manner nor are they honest, so are ashamed when caught (Jer 2:26; Jn 10:1).

Judas, one of the disciples, was also a thief – being the treasurer of the group he regularly helped himself to the money! This weakness in his character regarding finance was how Satan was able to manipulate him to betray Jesus (Mt 26:14-16; Jn 12:6). A tolerated habit of taking what is not ours, however small, gives the enemy a foothold that can grow into far greater unfaithfulness.

Satan will take advantage of any foothold or weakness in our character and integrity. He studied Judas' love of money and worked on it until it opened the door to betrayal; he does the same with us, probing for the flaw we have learned to excuse (Eph 4:26-27; 1 Pet 5:8). That is why Paul urges us not to give the devil a foothold, and why weaknesses of character must be confessed and corrected quickly – before the thief finds a way in.

“Do Not Steal”

One of the Ten Commandments says, “Do not steal” so you are not to be accused of being a thief (Ex 20:15; 1 Pet 4:15). Instead Paul says the better way is to work, doing something useful…so you have something to share with those in need (Eph 4:28). Habitual thieves will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:10).

Theft does not just apply to things. Time and reputation can also be taken from others, as can a child's innocence. As Christians we are not to rob our employers by not consistently working to the best of our ability or cheating on the time worked; the Bible says we are to do our work with all our heart, as working for the Lord (Col 3:22-23).

Do I give an honest day's work for my boss?

True Riches and the Returning “Thief”

Speaking about our priorities, the Bible says don't store up riches on earth where thieves can steal, instead store up riches in heaven that can't be taken from you (Mt 6:19-20). What we treasure reveals where our heart truly lies.

Jesus said His return (rapture) will be like a thief in the night – it will catch people unprepared (Mt 24:36,42-44). Now is the time to get ready, not leaving it till the last minute like the thief on the cross who turned to Christ as he himself was dying (Lk 23:40-43).

God sees all that is done, even what is hidden from human eyes, and He will reward each one according to what their deeds deserve (Mt 16:27; Rom 2:6; Heb 4:13). We are accountable to Him for how we treat what belongs to others, how we spend the time entrusted to us, and whether our hearts treasure what He treasures.

A day of reckoning is coming

Robbing God

Through the prophet Malachi, God asked His people a startling question: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings” (Mal 3:8). Robbing God may sound impossible – how can anyone take from the One who owns everything? (Ps 24:1) – yet Scripture says it happens whenever we withhold from Him what is already His.

The tithe – a tenth of our income – belongs to the Lord (Lev 27:30). When Israel kept it back, God called it robbery and said they were under a curse for it (Mal 3:8-9); but He also promised that when they brought the whole tithe, He would open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing until it overflowed (Mal 3:10). God does not need our money but our giving reveals whether we honour Him as Lord of our finances, for “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt 6:21).

Do I give God my first and my best, or my leftovers?

Israel also robbed God in another way: by offering Him the blind, the lame and the sick instead of their best (Mal 1:8,13-14). Giving God our leftovers – our spare time, spare energy, spare money, while we give our best to work, sport and entertainment – is another form of taking from Him the honour He deserves. The prophet Haggai rebuked the people for panelled houses while God's house lay in ruins: “Consider your ways!” (Hag 1:4-7). God's judgement on Ananias and Sapphira shows that pretending to give more than we actually give is lying to the Holy Spirit, not to men (Acts 5:1-4).

Everything we have is entrusted to us as stewards, not owners (Mt 25:14-30; 1 Cor 4:2). The servant who buried his master's money did not steal it – he simply did nothing with it – yet his master still called him wicked and lazy. Failing to use what God has entrusted to us for His purposes is its own kind of robbery. Robbing God is not limited to money. He also desires dedicated time of interaction with us, and when we neglect our devotions – withholding the daily time of prayer, worship and the Word that belongs to Him – we rob Him of the fellowship He paid so dearly to enjoy with us. The way back is always the same: honest acknowledgement, generous, cheerful giving, and honouring God first with our substance and our schedule (Prov 3:9; Lk 12:21; 2 Cor 9:6-7).

Reflection and Application

Examine your life for any form of taking what is not yours – possessions, time, credit or reputation – and make it right, working with all your heart as working for the Lord and guarding your heart's desires so Satan gains no foothold (1 Tim 6:10).
Check whether you have been robbing God in tithes, offerings, the quality of what you give, or the devotional time of interaction you owe Him, and honour Him with the first and the best.
Store up riches in heaven and stay ready, for the Lord's return will come like a thief in the night.