“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 Jn 2:16). What the world calls love is not compatible with the love of God. The world’s system of love does not come from the Father. The world has conceived a structure of values and goals from which God is excluded. In describing everything in the world, John specified its contents under three well-known phrases that effectively highlight the world’s false outlook. The core values of worldly life can be classified under one or other of three:
Lust of the flesh: The passion of the flesh has its seat and source in our lower animal nature. Satan tried this temptation first on Christ when he asked the Lord to satisfy His physical desires by turning stones into bread. The lust of the flesh makes a god out of physical pleasures, chiefly food and sex.
Lust of eyes: This is the avenue through which outward things of the world, riches, fame, and beauty, inflame us. Satan tried this temptation on Christ when he showed Him the kingdoms of the world in a moment. He wanted Jesus to sell His soul for the things He saw. The lust of the eyes makes us servants of what we see — in the movies, magazines, and social media. Some will sacrifice everything in life to acquire the things they see.
Pride of life: This is an arrogant assumption of the selfish pursuit of oneself-importance. Pride is Satan’s fundamental sin. That is what made him fall, and that is how he seeks to make many of us fail. Satan tempted the Lord with the pride of life by urging Him to show off His power. The evil one set our Lord on the Temple’s pinnacle and urged Him to cast Himself down on the grounds of His Father’s care. This was spiritual pride and presumption. Our Lord did not fall for that temptation.
Satan used these three temptations to get Adam and Eve to turn away from God and all the blessings of Eden. The devil continues to use these same age-old tricks to turn many from their eternal pursuits to worldly life. May the Lord help us to overcome the attractions of the world.
