1st John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 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. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes represent two of the only three categories of sin and temptations with which we can be tempted. The third one which is the pride of life affects millions, but by far, the more problematic for most people are the first two mentioned. In the passage for today, the apostle John warns us not to fall in love with the world and its methods, standards, and practices, for if we set our sights on that which is in the world, it will only be a matter of time before we are totally assimilated with it. The Bible plainly states that no man can serve two masters, for he will end up choosing one over the other, and therefore if we love the world and what it has to offer, then the love of God cannot dwell within our hearts.
Our hearts naturally crave that which is not good for us, for whenever we are given a choice between right and wrong, good or evil, we almost always tend to choose that which will harm us, and bring dishonor to God. This tendency is lodged in our carnal nature and it affects both young and old, as can also be observed in little children. For example, If orange juice and soda were placed before a little child, most will choose soda, and if fruit and candy were placed before a group of kids, most of them will go for the candy over the fruit. The same is true with most of us as adults, for we naturally crave that which is not good, and the things which are specifically forbidden by God seem to have special appeal to us. Those Twinkies that call out to us from the grocery shelves, and those chocolates and other delicacies which make our mouths water are not good for us, and we know it, yet they seem to be irresistible to most.
Thus in addressing the problem of the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, it is imperative for us to go to the root of the problem, in order that we may gain the victory over these issues we are afflicted with from time to time. When our hearts are renewed by the grace and power of God, He then restores to us the power to choose, without being coerced by evil spirits, evil impulses, or the clamors of the flesh. These clamors can be pretty severe at times, yet they cannot bypass the freedom of choice as they used to previously. But when a person is living apart from Christ, they do retain their freedom to choose, but as far as the carnal lusts go, they do remain in slavery to the clamors of the flesh, which as a general rule gets its way in things which are forbidden.
This is the reason why some men seem to be shackled in chains of lust, and pornography has gripped the minds of many with iron bands, in so much that it has now become an addictive epidemic that many find no way out of. And even when Christ takes possession of our hearts, these clamors still remain lodged in our members for some time, yet they absolutely cannot pass the threshold of our decision- making process, for God gives us the power to resist the fierce pangs of lust that were once so irresistible. That's why the following passage was penned by the apostle Paul who suffered greatly from the same evil propensities all Christians suffer from, yet was empowered by The Holy Ghost to keep them at bay, until they were finally uprooted. Let's read:
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Thus it is critically important for us to understand that without the grace and power of God working within us on a continual basis, victory over the various lusts will remain an illusive dream, for without Christ victory is impossible. That's why we are cautioned against being good without God, meaning that we should not attempt to deal with these issues on our own, without prayer and communion with God each day, for no mortal man has the innate ability to fight against what he really craves. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which calls on us to do battle against the lusts of the flesh and eyes in the right way, for God is more than able to keep the weakest of us from retrogressing back into spiritual bondage. Let's read:
2nd Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!