Deacon Jude Tam Tran

NOT TODAY - DO IT TOMORROW

“Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16)
“You do not know what tomorrow will bring.” (James 4:14)
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15)

Deep in the dim, smoky basement of his domain, Satan paced back and forth in his pajamas. The room was extravagantly furnished—marble bar tops, glowing liquor bottles, a billiard table, polished ping-pong paddles, and a conference hall large enough to seat a hundred. But none of it brought him joy tonight. His brow was furrowed. His cigar burned unevenly and the cognac in his hand became warm. Every few seconds, he muttered to himself.

“How can I increase the number of people who follow me?” he whispered. “What am I missing? Why is this getting harder?”

He paused, stared at the wall as if something might appear on it, then finally snapped out of his trance and grabbed the phone.

“Get everyone here,” he barked at his secretary. “Emergency meeting. Full attendance. No excuses.”

A few days later, the room filled. Demons, advisors, strategists, tempters from every corner of the world gathered, murmuring nervously. When Satan entered, the room fell silent.

He stood at the front, tapping his fingers on the table.

“All right,” he began, “we have a problem. Too many people slip through our hands. Too many repent. Too many turn around at the last second.” His voice sharpened. “I want new ideas. Fresh strategies. Something that works. How do we increase our influence?”

For a long moment, no one spoke. The weight of his expectations hung over the room like thick smoke. Finally, one hand rose hesitantly.

“Yes?” Satan said.

A demon cleared his throat. “What if we shower them with more of what they already chase—money, power, sex, entertainment? Humans fall for those easily.”

Satan waved his hand dismissively. “We’ve done that for centuries. It works only on a small percentage—maybe one percent. Most people eventually see the emptiness. Some even crawl back to God because they realize they can’t fill their souls with pleasure. Next idea.”

Another demon, more confident than the last, spoke up. “Then… why don’t we tell them heaven and hell aren’t real? If they stop believing in consequences, they’ll live however they want.”

Satan sighed. “We tried that already. But suffering has a way of reminding people that hell is real. Joy has a way of reminding them heaven is real. Even the ones who claim neither exists tend to panic in crisis. It only works for a small group, and not long enough. Next.”

The room grew tense. Claws tapped nervously. Wings twitched. No one wanted to disappoint him.

Then someone in the back offered, “What about telling them God is so merciful that they can do absolutely nothing wrong? No sin counts. No repentance needed.”

Satan rubbed his temples. “We attempted that too. But churches have confession, prayer, accountability, and Scripture. People eventually feel guilty or convicted. When they return to God in humility, we lose them instantly.” He exhaled sharply. “I need something subtle. Something slow. Something that doesn’t feel evil.”

Silence.

For a long time, Satan said nothing. He simply stared at the table, eyes narrowed, smoke swirling around him.

Then—slowly—a smile crept across his face. He straightened his back.

“I’ve got it.”

The demons leaned forward.

“We will not tell them to reject God. We will not tell them to sin publicly. We will not push them toward depravity. That’s too obvious.” His voice lowered, silky and dark. “Instead, we will whisper something harmless. Something reasonable. Something they already want to believe.”

He paused for dramatic effect.

“We will tell them… not today.”

Confusion filled the room.

Satan explained, “We will tell them they don’t have to pray today—they can pray tomorrow. They don’t have to forgive today—they can do it later. They don’t have to go to church this week—next week is fine. They don’t have to fix their marriage, apologize to their children, help the poor, repent of sin, or read Scripture today. Because there is always ‘tomorrow.’”

A ripple of understanding passed through the room.

He continued, “We will make them feel spiritual intentions, but no spiritual action. We will convince them that delay is not disobedience. That postponing obedience is harmless. And they will believe it.”

Satan spread his arms dramatically. “And then—when tomorrow never comes—we have them.”

A wave of malicious applause broke out.

Because the demons understood: this plan didn’t require rebellion… only delay.

Procrastination is one of the enemy’s most effective tools because it never feels like sin. It disguises itself as caution, busyness, or good intentions. People rarely say, “I’ll never change,” but they often say, “I’ll change later.” And later becomes months… then years… then a lifetime.

It manipulates the human desire for comfort: “I’ll obey when things slow down. When I feel motivated. When I’m ready.”

It offers the illusion of control: “I’ll give my life to God eventually.”

It numbs urgency: “There’s still time.”

Satan doesn’t need you to reject God. He only needs you to delay returning to Him.

The Bible warns exactly about this mindset. St. Paul writes, “Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16). That means the spiritual opportunities in front of us are time-sensitive. They expire.

James reminds us, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring.” (James 4:14).
Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Faith delayed is faith decayed.

Procrastination feels harmless, but it is one of hell’s most polished weapons. It does not shout. It whispers. And its whisper is always the same: “Do it tomorrow.” But God’s invitation is always now. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15)

Satan knows he cannot always destroy us through catastrophic sin. But if he can keep us busy, distracted, or simply waiting, he still wins.

Tomorrow is the enemy’s word. Today is God’s.