Mission Venture Ministries

“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 John 2:16) 

This well-known passage identifies three fountainheads of ungodly power that will, if unchecked and unguarded, ensnare a believer into a sinful lifestyle. 

Sinful lust is an overpowering desire for that which God has forbidden. First John 2:15–16 mentions three types of lust that lead us into greater sin. 

First are desires, or lusts, of “the flesh,” referring to what the body desires. This generally means anything craved excessively or inappropriately, from food to sexual impurity. In this context, it’s not about normal or necessary physical desires. 

Sensual power, lust of the flesh, is a body-oriented and emotion-driven reaction to fleshly appetites that can never please God (Romans 8:8) and is in constant warfare with the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:17). The Bible tells us to “flee” these “youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22) that are a “corruption” (2 Peter 1:4), because we are a “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) by God. 

Although this impacts men more than women, this kind of “lust” will “conceive” sin instead of merely reacting to it, therefore, when tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15). 

Second are desires of “the eyes,” again a general term. In this case, it not only refers to those things we literally see, but those we imagine or put our “mental” eyes on. 

Visual power or lust of the eyes, is an intellect-oriented and imagination-driven stimulation of wishful thinking that will take control of behavior, since the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22-23), if not carefully pared down (Job 31:1; 2 Peter 2:14). 

Third is the “pride of life,” meaning sinful desires which bring attention to self. This also refers to our habit of bragging about ourselves. Jesus called boastful pride a sin (Mark 7:22), and as He endured similar temptations from the Devil (Matthew 4:1–11) He did not fail. 

Pride of life is a self-oriented and ego-driven desire for dominance that has no ethic or limiting factor other than the praise of men, and not from God (John 12:43). Such pride, dominated by the “natural mind” (1 Corinthians 2:14) and a “deceitful” heart (Jeremiah 17:9), spirals into a self-love that twists and distorts human behavior into a litany of ungodliness that loves pleasure rather than God (2 Timothy 3:1-5). 

Giving in to these “worldly” powers may grant us pleasures for “a season” (Hebrews 11:25), but will surely make us an “enemy of God” (James 4:4). 

These desires and pride are not given to us by God; they are temptations from the godless world. This is why a person marked by love for the world (1 John 2:15) does not have the love of God in him. 

Christians must not allow themselves to become affected by the attitudes and behavior of the unbelievers around them. The ordinary people of the world belong to the age of darkness and make their decisions according to what they want for themselves, whether concerning possessions, activities, achievements, or status. Christians belong to the new age of light, the eternal kingdom where God’s values rule and His will is done. They must make their decision according to the standards of God and not the standards of the present ungodly world (15-17). 

May our Lord Jesus grant that we stay armed against such “wiles” (Ephesians 6:11), covered and protected with the “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17). 

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