The Traps of the World

The Bible gives us many instructions on how we must live in the world. God has always warned us to be careful when we live in this world. He told us that we will face difficulties and will be hated by the world for they do not understand us but we need not worry because He has overcome it.

But it doesn't mean the devil will sit still. He will use his tricks, put traps, and try to bait you and in I John 1:15-17, we see three traps that the world puts today. As I was reading this chapter, I thought of sharing this in detail.

For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from the Father but from the world.

From this we see three traps:

- the lust of the flesh - preoccupied with gratifying desires of the flesh

- the lust of the eyes - craving and accumulating things, bowing to the god of materialism

- the pride of life - obsession with one's status or importance.

The lust of the flesh where we try and satisfy the needs of the world and give it more importance over God's will tends to violate the laws of God. For example, when you are hungry, you eat and there is nothing wrong with that but when the lust for food kicks in so does gluttony which is a sin. When our natural sexual desires become lustful, it leads to adultery. The world makes you think that is normal and that you just need to enjoy and satisfy your desires but when we prioritize that over God's will, it then becomes a trap you can't get out of and the devil makes sure of it.

The lust of the eyes where we want everything that we see. How does the song go ' I like it, I want it'. We live in a world where so much is weighed on how we perceive someone. We see the houses, cars, lifestyle, clothes and we run after at it thinking this is what we need to fit in and to be happy. All these physical things then become important for us to have. When we scroll through Instagram, we often see ourselves feeling envious that we don't have all these things. Satan uses these visual aids to attract us. All these physical things may provide us with temporary happiness but it lasts till we want the next big thing. It never ends that is why it is effective. Having God in your life is the biggest wealth you can ever have and it will be all that you need

Pride goes before a fall, it's an expression we have all heard. Jesus always talked about humility and it is a quality that we must have. There are people who take pride in their status, wealth, caste, work, and the list goes on. For example, people place a lot of importance on wealth but money comes and goes. We should learn how to humble ourselves and remember that whatever we have is because of God. When we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up.

The examples of Eve in the garden of Eden and Jesus who was tempted in the wilderness by the devil used these traps. One was successful and the other wasn't. The word of God and His counsel helped Jesus to steer himself away from the traps of the devil.

Vs 17 says,

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

This is the truth that no matter how much we chase after the pleasures of this world, it will all fade away. It may fill the void temporarily but it will never be enough. When God comes in your life, He will be more than enough.

My prayer for you all is to have the guidance and counsel to understand the traps of this world and truly feel fulfilled in Christ.