THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL. Symeon and the Pillar Saints. By Norman Ewing April 29th, 2026 “… Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 No monk embraced separation from the world with such fashion and fervor as Symeon the Stylite. Living in Syria four centuries after the death of Christ, Symeon epitomized the lonely life of monasticism in its most extreme form. The words of Jesus in the Beatitudes deeply moved his youthful heart, and both his desire to separate from the world and his interest in sharing the pain of Christ found their place as he embraced the life of a monk. At the heart of his life was fasting, prayer, and suffering. He would fast for up to 40 days in an effort to emulate the sufferings of Christ. Then, to separate himself further from the world, Symeon began living atop a pillar! For the rest of his life, he lived on pillars, moving onto progressively taller ones. Even hundreds of years after his death, Symeon’s cult-like following of Stylites or “pillar saints” continued to separate from the world in this way. While Christians today might find the idea of living atop a pillar absurd, we still grapple with the same issues as Symeon did all those years ago. For example, how does a Christian stay true in a world filled with sin? While intellectually many of us realize that even while living in the world we are not to be of the world, we often still let the world overwhelm us. Because our lives are so busy, we unconsciously shift our focus from Heaven to the busyness of life in our effort just to survive the day. During His time on Earth, Christ recognized the pull of the world. In John 16:33 He tells us that although we will face trials, we can rejoice, because He has overcome the world. We don’t have to let the busyness of life get to us. If Jesus has overcome the world, then we can also overcome our sin-filled world through Him. First, we need to focus our minds on Christ and have Him fill us with His peace. In Isaiah 26:3, God promises that He will keep us in perfect peace, if we stay our minds on Him. Through daily prayer and Bible study we can keep our minds filled with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. And as our relationship grows, God shows us what we need to do to simplify our life and discard that which is not important. Second, we need to share with others what God has done for us. Our purpose in life is not to squat atop a pillar for years on end; nor is it merely existence. Our purpose in life is to glorify God, and touch others for Christ. Share your testimony with your neighbor; and visit the “orphans and widows in their trouble” as we’re told to do in James 1:27. By focusing on others, we are far less likely to complain about our lives or be swallowed up by the cares of this world. Third, we need to remind ourselves that we are only strangers here, and that Heaven is our real home. With Abraham, we look for a city “whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). If we keep the reality of Heaven in our minds, this world cannot overcome us. Thinking about Heaven many times a day will keep us from the materialism of life, from being of the world. The Christian world vision is not about living in a barren desert, in a mountain ravine, or atop a pillar in Syria. Rather, the Christian life is about keeping our mind stayed on Christ, touching others for Him, and recognizing that this life is limited, but Heaven is eternal.