Bad Company
The Company You Keep
“Be not deceived: evil communications (aka - Bad Company) corrupt good manners.’” – 1 Corinthians 15:33
It’s often been said, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” The Apostle Paul delivers a similar truth in 1 Corinthians 15:33 when he writes, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” These words are more than just common sense - they are a spiritual warning.
Paul wrote this to the Corinthian church in the context of a serious doctrinal issue. Some believers had begun to doubt the resurrection of the dead, influenced by pagan philosophies and false teachers. Paul’s concern wasn’t just theological - it was relational. The people they spent time with were shaping their beliefs, and their faith was beginning to erode.
This is why Paul starts with the words, “Do not be deceived.” It’s easy to think we’re strong enough to resist being influenced. But Scripture tells us otherwise. Like a sponge, we absorb the values, attitudes, and behaviors of those we allow into our closest circles. It doesn’t happen overnight - but over time, we either become sharper in our walk with Christ or slowly dulled by the world.
Psalm 1:1-2 shows us a picture of someone who is blessed because he “walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Instead, his delight is in the law of the Lord . Notice the progression - walking, standing, sitting - each step shows growing comfort with sin.
That’s how bad company works. It begins with small compromises and ends with spiritual complacency.
Solomon, once the wisest man on earth, fell because of ungodly relationships (1 Kings 11:4). His many foreign wives turned his heart away from the Lord. On the other hand, Daniel thrived in a godless culture because he surrounded himself with godly friends - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - who stood with him in obedience to God (Daniel 1:8-17).
So, what about you?
Are your closest relationships pulling you toward Jesus- or away from Him? Are you walking with the wise or lingering with the foolish? Proverbs 13:20 says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” This is not about isolating ourselves from unbelievers - Christians are called to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:16). But it is about guarding our inner circle. Who speaks into your life? Who shapes your thinking?
God desires for us to walk with those who stir our faith, challenge our sin, and point us back to Jesus. So, don’t be deceived. The company we keep can either sharpen us like iron - or pull us into compromise.
Prayer:
Father, give me discernment in my relationships. Help me walk with those who honor You and shine Your light to those who don’t yet know You. Keep me from deception and surround me with people who will help me grow in faith. Amen.
Credit: Ron Kelley
Recent
Archive
2025
March
May
2024
February
2023
March
April
May
No Comments