9 Traps of this World: 1 John 2:15-16
"Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see and the pride of our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world" (I John 2:15-16).
It’s just like the enemy to distract us from our duties and then take advantage of the situation to wreck havoc. This happens to me all the time. Just when I am comfortable in a situation along comes Satan to mix things up. It could be relationships, ministry events, or my marriage. His plan is to distract and attack. If he can’t distract you with something big and noticeable, he will use something small. It doesn’t matter to Satan how he distracts you, as long as you are distracted.
Quote: "Too many people forget that Satan desires to sift us like wheat so he can steal, slaughter, kill, and destroy us, and everything that is good. Worldliness opens the door to all forms of evil in our personal life, relationships, and ministries."
Too many people think that worldliness is something limited to external behavior. Others think worldliness is hanging out with the wrong kinds of people.
Worldliness is a wrong attitude of the heart that indicates a lack of a totally consuming love for the Lord, God.
It is important to remember that the Lord hates sin. God’s wrath is directed toward all forms of the sins of worldliness. Those who fail to commit themselves to the Lord Jesus will not only miss God’s blessings, but experience God’s displeasure. There are many ways that worldliness dilutes, pollutes, and distorts the thinking of billions of Christians.
The following are nine characteristics that indicate if a person is falling into the trap of worldliness (carnality). I’ve heard the argument that Christians can’t fall into the trap of carnality. What do you think? They said, “A carnal Christian is an oxy moron.” Review these traps of carnality and determine whether you are trapped by any of them, or all. Let us focus on loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, so we can avoid any speck of the love of this world and have to suffer the consequences. Be open to letting the Spirit of God help you evaluate, expose, and eradicate any traces of worldliness in your life.
1. Preoccupations with earthly concerns. Americans are busy people. We like to stay active but are tempted to get preoccupied with things that distract us from Christ and His kingdom priorities. These things preoccupy our minds so there is little room left over for what is best. We fill ourselves up with the world and then are too full for spiritual matters. We ought to fill ourselves up with God and then we will be too full to partake of this world. Paul wrote, "Set your thoughts on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).
Illustration: Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leader, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith (Erwin Lutzer, Pastor to Pastor, p. 76).
2. Pride. Prideful people are setting themselves up for a major disappointment.
The definition of pride is, “an overbearing opinion about oneself, one’s worth, or one’s indispensableness.” Paul wrote to the prideful Corinthians, "If anyone thinks he stand, let him take heed lest he falls.” Peter warns, "God humbles the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (1 Pet. 5:5-6). Solomon, in his wisdom and under the guidance of God, wrote, “Pride comes before destruction” (Pov. 16:18). Don’t let pride destroy your relationships and ministries. Ask God to eradicate the pride out of your life. Pray that the Lord Jesus Christ would humble you in all aspects.
3. Pleasures. Too often human desires incline our hearts toward things that will please our old sinful nature instead of God. Paul wrote, "The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace" (Rom. 8:6-8). In Philippians Paul taked about keeping our eyes on the prize and never looking back. I think what he was saying is this: Think of a track runner. If they turn there head even just a tiny bit, to check where their opponents are, the wind hitting their face will slow them down. They ought to keep their eyes on the prize, always reaching ahead. I must say that in our lives it is the same. When we focus on things other than our prize, it will slow us down in getting to the prize that counts. We must not look back and focus on things that will please our sinful nature. It is good for us to glance in the rearview mirror though, to see how God has delivered us in the past from our sinful lusts.
Example: A recent Barna.org poll revealed that 28% of the Pastors in the USA admitted to some type of sexual sin. Nearly one-third of Americans are obese because of the problems of over-eating. These are delicate subjects, but need to be overcome if we are not to suffer from self-destructive pleasure seeking practices.
4. Possessions. Do not let your cravings to accumulate things, overcome your commitment to lay up for yourself treasures in heaven. Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also" (Matt 6:24). God doesn’t want you to be broke, but he will allow you to be if you are not focused on the advancement of His purposes. Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). God will bless you with as much as He knows you can be responsible with.
Illustration: The course of rebellion against God may be very gradual, but it increases in rapidity as you progress in it. Christians ought to watch against the beginning of worldly conformity.
Example: When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not matter to him to what bait he uses, as long as he catches his fish. Beware of the beginning of evil, for many, who bade fair to go right, have turned aside and perished amongst the dark mountains in the wide field of sin. (C.H. Spurgeon)
5. Popularity. Some people are so fixated on how they appear to other people that they gravitate only to those leaders who are popular at the time. As a result these individuals are mercurial in who they follow and who they are influenced by. Paul wrote, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10). Are you trying to please men or Christ? You can only have one master or you will love one and hate the other.
6. Power Obsession. Some people are obsessed with being in control. They are not happy until they sense that they have dominance in every situation or with every discussion. Paul learned how to be content in every situation. He said, "As pressed down but not crushed. As perplexed but not in despair. As persecuted but not abandoned. As put down but not defeated. Always bearing in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (2 Cor. 4:4-7).
Example: When I take my dog to the dog park, there are always the dogs that have to be the dominant one. When a new dog enters the park, the dominant one’s run over and stands over the newcomer to show they are in charge. Most of the time they are also the same dogs lonely, running around trying to play with any dog they can, but no dog enjoys there power obsessive presence.
Illustration: Are you the power obsessive person who is threatened by someone new in your sphere of activity?
7. Position Orientation. We live in a very competitive society. From the time we are young, there is an emphasis put on being the best, getting to the top of the class, or seeking to be elected to the office of class president. When we become adults it is often difficult for us to be stuck in a job where we have not enjoyed a promotion to a higher position for many years.
Example: It is important to remember what God told Jeremiah, "Do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold I will bring evil upon all flesh." The love of the world is often seen by those who are envious of those who have higher positions of power, influence, or prestige.
Example: Paul wrote to the jealous minded Corinthians on this problem once, "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul and another, I follow Apollos, are you not mere men? What, after all is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe- as the Lord has assigned to each his task" (1 Cor. 3:1-5).
Example: Immature people are often divisive people who argue over who gets to take the positions of power, prominence, and prestige. Godly people do not mind being placed in positions of service because they know that the Lord is the one who knows the best position, task, and responsibility that is most suitable for each one.
Application: Stop resisting His will or you will fall into the worldly trap of the Corinthians and devour one another with envy, jealousy and bitterness.
8. People Pleasing. We all enjoy being around people who appreciate us. Worldly people live in a constant state of anxiety because they are afraid important people might not like what they are doing.
Example: Paul wrote, "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me" (1 Cor. 4:3-4).
Application: Realize that people are fickle, but God’s love for us is constant. Do you work as unto the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord we will receive the reward of our inheritance. It is the Lord Jesus Christ whom we serve and not men (Col. 3:23-24).
9. PRIVILEGES SEEN AS SELF-CENTERED RIGHTS. When we first got our drivers license we all learned that driving was a privilege and not a right. As a matter of fact, you’ve learned this even more if you’ve had it suspended before. We have to remember that every good thing we have is a gift from God. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as Job learned. Let us also say like Job, “Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Application: Let us not curse the Lord for taking away things, possessions, or privileges that we have assumed are our rights. Yield all of your rights and privileges to the Lord. David wrote, "He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with what is good" (Psa. 107:9).
Conclusion: Some years ago, musicians noted that most people in a certain parts of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. Someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the chimes, and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch.
So we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to which we listen, almost without knowing it.
Application: God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the tunes of the world (Paul Fritz).
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
