5 Warning Signs from God that Mean “a Judas” Will Betray You Soon

John 6:64

Here are 5 signs God may be warning you about a Judas sent to betray you.

1. If Someone Is Unwilling to Talk About Frustrations and Just Holds Them In, This Is a Sign They May Betray You in the Future

It appears Judas did not agree with some of the things Jesus did, like how Jesus viewed and used money (John 12:4-6). When Judas would express his displeasure, Jesus was not shy in rebuking him (John 12:7-8). Whenever the disciples are listed in the Bible, Judas is always put last (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-19). We don’t know how they were ordered before Judas’ betrayal, but perhaps Jesus always listed Judas last, and maybe this bothered Judas.

The point is, Judas seemed frustrated with Jesus, which led to his ultimate betrayal. Peter didn’t like some of the things Jesus did, but when Jesus rebuked Peter, he eventually repented. Judas never did. Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV), “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Judas let his frustrations boil over into betrayal rather than deal with them in a healthy way.

Likewise, if there is someone in your life who seems to get frustrated with you but this person is unwilling to work through these issues in a mature way, watch out! It’s very possible their displeasure will turn into betrayal because they are unwilling to face the issues head on.

2. If Someone Is Very Disappointed in You, This Often Leads to Them Betraying You

Judas probably felt justified in betraying Jesus. He probably thought of everything he had given up to follow Jesus, but none of it seemed worth it. The walls were starting to cave in. Jesus was a marked man (John 11:8, 16, 53). None of Judas’ expectations were coming true. No riches, no fame, no leadership position. Jesus and his followers were losing popularity with crowds and gaining persecution.

Likewise, if someone thought you were the answer to all their problems, but then they realize you are not, this unmet expectation can make them feel betrayed by you. This can then tempt them to feel justified in their betrayal of you.

While it can be flattering when someone thinks the world of you, watch out! You can never live up to unrealistic expectations. If someone is asking too much of you, they will often betray you once you let them down.

3. If This Person Is Eager to Please Important Worldly People, This Often Leads to Them Betraying You

Before Judas betrayed Jesus, John 11:57 states, “Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where [Jesus] was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.”

It appears that Judas was happy to follow Jesus when it made him popular and well liked. But now that the crowds were turning on Jesus, Judas grew discontent. So it seems he tried to leverage his relationship with Jesus to gain a new reason to be popular in the world’s eyes. He betrayed Jesus in hopes of gaining favor with the religious elites.

Likewise, if someone loves popularity and worldly status, this is often the motive behind their coming betrayal. When you make them more popular and well liked, they will be by your side. But when betraying you will increase their status, they will step behind you and stab you in the back.

4. If This Person Is Just Down Right Spiteful, They Will Look for a Way to Betray You in a Way that Hurts You the Most

Some people find pleasure in hurting others. They won’t just betray you for selfish reasons. They will betray for sadistic reasons.

Many people claim that Judas betrayed Jesus for the money. We will never fully know the true motives in Judas’ heart during those moments of betrayal. But what is interesting is that during that time period, 30 pieces of silver (the price Judas took for betraying Jesus, Matthew 26:14-16) was not a vast sum of money. In the Old Testament, 30 pieces of silver was the price someone had to pay when they accidentally killed another man’s slave (Exodus 21:32).

So to me, it seems more likely that Judas did not betray Jesus out of greed but out of bitterness. Perhaps Judas grinned and let out a devious chuckle when the Pharisees suggested this price, the price of a common slave.

Additionally, Judas’ kiss to mark Jesus to the soldiers (Matthew 26:48-50) doesn’t seem to be about practicality. It seems to be a cold, calculated slap in the face of Jesus. He could have just pointed at Jesus or walked over to him and said, “This one is Jesus.” But he chose to betray Jesus with a sadistic kiss. It appears Judas didn’t just want to betray Jesus, he also wanted to embarrass him. He didn’t just dislike Jesus. He seems disgusted with Jesus. It feels like Judas was enjoying this process of betrayal.

Likewise, watch out for people who love to hate others. Even if they don’t hate you yet, eventually they will.

5. If You Just Have a Bad Feeling in Your Spirit About This Person, It Is Entirely Possible God Is Warning You

In most cases, God will warn us about a dangerous person through helping us use wisdom. He wants us to evaluate the evidence we see in someone’s life and make good decisions about them through biblical discernment.

However, God knows all things, even who will betray you. John 6:64 says, “For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.”

If you feel a check in your spirit, a bad feeling, or a sense that you should not trust someone, don’t ignore that. It could be the Holy Spirit warning you.