First Epistle of John 2:16 says:
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
John reduces the world’s temptations to three great categories:
- Lust of the flesh — living for pleasure.
- Lust of the eyes — living for possessions.
- Pride of life — living for self-exaltation.
These appeared in Eden.
Eve saw that the tree was:
- Good for food (lust of the flesh)
- Pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes)
- Desired to make one wise (pride of life)
They also appeared in Christ’s temptation.
- Turn stones to bread (lust of the flesh)
- All the kingdoms of the world shown to Him (lust of the eyes)
- Throw Yourself from the temple and prove Yourself (pride of life)
The first Adam fell. The last Adam overcame.
Love Conquers the Lust of the Flesh
The lust of the flesh says:
“Please yourself.”
Love says:
“Give yourself.”
This is sensualism that lives for comfort, pleasure, and self-gratification.
But godly love is self-giving.
Christ did not come to be served but to serve.
Love redirects the heart from consuming to giving.
The person filled with God’s love begins asking:
“How can I bless others?”
instead of
“How can I please myself?”
Love therefore conquers sensualism.
Hope Conquers the Lust of the Eyes
The lust of the eyes says:
“Get more.”
Hope says:
“God has something better coming.”
This is materialism that thrives when people think this world is all there is.
Hope looks beyond the present.
Moses chose affliction with God’s people because he looked to the reward.
Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker is God.
Hope frees us from slavery to possessions because our expectations are anchored in God’s promises.
A hopeful Christian can hold earthly things loosely because he expects something greater.
Hope conquers materialism.
Faith Conquers the Pride of Life
The pride of life says:
“I can do it.”
Faith says:
“I trust God.”
This is humanism that places man at the center.
Faith places God at the center.
The pride of life seeks recognition, status, and self-sufficiency.
Faith humbly depends upon God.
This is why faith is so offensive to the natural heart. It requires us to abandon confidence in ourselves and place confidence in God.
Faith dethrones self.
Faith conquers humanism.
The Kingdom Advances Through Faith, Love, and Hope
The Christian life is not merely avoiding sin.
It is replacing the world’s principles with God’s principles.
- Love conquers sensualism.
- Hope conquers materialism.
- Faith conquers humanism.
The kingdom of darkness advances through lust.
The Kingdom of God advances through faith, love, and hope.
As God’s love fills hearts, hope anchors expectations, and faith trusts His promises, the three great enemies of the world are pushed back and Christ’s Kingdom advances in human lives and throughout society.
