7 Bible Verses That Warn Us About Wealth

Wealth is not evil. Nowhere does Scripture say that money itself is sinful. Yet the Bible consistently warns us that wealth is spiritually dangerous.  

Riches can deceive us, divide our loyalties, inflate our pride, and slowly pull our hearts away from God. In other words, money is a powerful tool but a perilous master. 

Below are seven passages that caution us about wealth, along with what they mean for how we live today. 

1. Matthew 6:24 - You Cannot Serve Two Masters 

Jesus is blunt: “You cannot serve both God and money.” His point isn’t that we can’t have money; it’s that we can’t be mastered by it. Our hearts will ultimately align with one or the other. If our decisions, anxieties, and ambitions orbit around money, we may think we are serving God while actually serving wealth. 

2. 1 Timothy 6:9–10  - The Love of Money Is Dangerous 

Paul writes that those who “want to get rich” can fall into temptation and destruction, and that “the love of money” is a root of all kinds of evil. The warning is about desire, not dollars. When accumulation becomes our driving passion, it can lead us to compromise our integrity, damage relationships, and drift from the faith. 

3. Luke 12:15 - Life Is Not Measured by Possessions 

Jesus cautions, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Wealth can subtly redefine success. Instead of measuring life by faithfulness, love, and obedience, we begin measuring it by balance sheets, square footage, and status symbols. 

4. Proverbs 11:28 - Trusting in Riches Leads to Ruin 

This proverb states that “those who trust in their riches will fall.” Money can create a false sense of security, convincing us that we are untouchable. But markets crash, jobs disappear, and health fails. God alone is our true refuge. 

5. James 5:1–6 - Wealth Can Corrupt the Heart 

James delivers a sobering rebuke to the rich who hoard, cheat, and exploit others. His warning reminds us that wealth often tempts us toward injustice, self-indulgence, and indifference to the poor. How we acquire and use money matters deeply to God. 

6. Mark 10:23–25 - It’s Hard for the Rich to Enter the Kingdom 

After a wealthy man walks away from Jesus, Christ says it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Wealth can make us feel self-sufficient, reducing our sense of need for God. The danger is not in having money, but in what money can do to our dependence on Him. 

7. Ecclesiastes 5:10 - Money Never Satisfies 

Solomon observes, “Whoever loves money never has enough.” Wealth promises contentment but delivers restlessness. The more we have, the more we often want. True satisfaction is found not in accumulation, but in gratitude and trust in God. 

So, What Should We Do? 

These verses don’t call us to poverty—they call us to perspective. We should work diligently, steward wisely, give generously, and hold our resources with open hands. Wealth is a gift to be managed, not a god to be worshiped. 

When we remember that everything we have ultimately belongs to God, money loses its grip on our hearts. And that is where true freedom lies.