The Pull Of This World: Why The Believer Must Fight To Stay Devoted To God
The world never stops pulling. But God has already won.
Welcome To The War
The moment you’re saved, a war commences.
Not against a nation. Against a system, a world order in full rebellion against God.
John does not offer a truce. 1 John 2:15 warns, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
The choice is binary. The line is absolute.
What Scripture Means By “The World”
Contrary to popular belief, the “world” does not refer to geography.
John uses the word kosmos to describe the entire degenerate system of values, beliefs, and aspirations behind the formation of a human society at war against God. John MacArthur defines it as “its treasures, its pleasures, its theories, its viewpoints… whatever element of its anti-God, anti-Christ ideology” that shapes how people live.
The world is a rival kingdom.
According to 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.”
It’s not just a territory that Satan reigns over. It is a system of values that the enemy exerts daily pressure on.
Three Points Of Entry
John doesn’t hedge when he claims in 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world.”
The desires of the flesh. The instinct for ease rather than suffering. Pleasure over obedience. Comfort over commitment. Satisfaction of the flesh. God says deny yourself and follow Me. These two voices are irreconcilable.
The desires of the eyes. Lust in its most basic definition. The world works hard to keep your eyes stimulated and your contentment hostage to what you don’t yet possess. Eve looked at the fruit and fell. David spied Bathsheba from the rooftop. The eyes are a doorway, and the world knows exactly how to manipulate them.
The pride of life. The subtlest lure of all. The pursuit of status, recognition, and acclaim. It drives men to build platforms and perform good deeds primarily so others can see it. R.C. Sproul identified pride as the root sin, the original sin, the sin that turned an angel into Satan. It certainly will not leave the believer untouched.
Two Loves Can’t Coexist
This is where scripture takes on a diagnostic role.
It is not grading your progress. It is questioning your standing.
James 4:4: “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.”
Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters.”
Two witnesses. Same verdict.
According to John MacArthur, “Loving the world is impossible for true believers because the world is an anti-God system, and you can’t love God and love the world.”
The issue is not perfect behavior. Believers still fall. The issue is the settled direction of the heart; where does your love ultimately run?
The Pressure To Conform
The world doesn't only tempt. It occupies.
Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
The Greek word for this action is syschēmatizō, which means to be pressed into a mold. J.B. Phillips paraphrases it, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones identified the dynamics precisely: worldly conformity happens when believers forget who they are: called out of darkness, belonging to a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
Worldliness is not primarily a behavior problem. It is a memory problem.
Read that again. Worldliness is not a behavior problem. It is a memory problem.
The answer to this threat, according to Paul Washer, lies in remembering God’s mercies towards us, the source of our sanctification. It starts with knowledge before anything else. Scripture is clear, transformation happens by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice as Paul commands in Romans 12:1.
The World Is Passing Away
Don't miss this.
1 John 2:17 claims: “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
Present tense. This is already happening.
Everything the world offers: wealth, status, pleasure, power, is perishing even as humans continue their pursuit. To give your heart to the world is to love something already dead.
Sproul consistently warned that the Christian lives with an eternal perspective that reorders all temporal priorities. The resistance, the sacrifice, the cost of non-conformity; these are not losses. They are investments in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
The Antidote
Trying to control behavior with rules and regulations is totally ineffective.
However, the believer does have responsibilities.
Saturate your mind with Scripture. A mind devoted to the Word sees the world as it is: temporary, deceptive, and passing. 1 Corinthians 7:31 warns, “The present form of this world is passing away.” A mind without Scripture is defenseless against a system it no longer sees clearly.
Let your heart be lifted. As Paul writes in Colossians 3:2, “Set your hearts on what is above, not on what is on earth.” Those who always think about the glory of Christ will not find themselves easily enticed by the world.
Remember the true cost of salvation. As Paul states in Galatians 1:4, “Who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age,” one who truly understands what Christ endured to rescue us from this present evil age does not run back to it willingly.
Where Is Your Heart Anchored?
The world will never stop pulling. That is not a shortcoming of the Christian life.
This is its battleground.
The question is not whether you will feel the tug. You will.
The question is where your heart is anchored.
1 John 2:17 gives a clear perspective: “Whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
This is God’s guarantee. It’s not the world’s offer.
And it will outlast anything the world is pawning.
To His Glory,
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Thank you Thad, what a timely message.
Yesterday I was blessed to spend time, separately, with three dear sisters, two who are longtime Believers. I love all three, and was encouraged by the support and encouragement we shared; however the quality of the conversation, and the things we discussed were markedly different.
My sweet friend who still isn't saved is focused on the world and everything in it. (Yes, I've shared the gospel with her repeatedly!) She is optimistic about the next 20 years and what she expects her future will look like...full of many earthly blessings and rewards for a lifetime of diligent work and charity. The other two women are grateful for the care and direction of the Lord in their lives, but they see the future from a biblical perspective, as do I, and what is coming for all earth-dwellers. We know this world is passing away right before our eyes.
How gracious the Lord has been, and continues to be, helping His children believe and rightly understand His word. When scripture tells us what is coming, and we believe what it says, it is much easier to disconnect from this world, and long for a departure from our temporal, passing lives.
All glory to the Lord! We are indeed in a battle, and it seems to be growing more intense by the day. The veil between the natural and the supernatural is thinning, even the secular world can sense something 'big' is on the horizon.
May many more brothers and sisters come to saving faith every day as we await the call of our King Jesus.
Thad...this is exceptional. I just love it and will share. It is so hard for people to let go of the world, but we give up nothing for everything!! I am so blessed to live a quiet life with minimal worldly involvement...it is filled with joy. Almost everyone has been hijacked by their iPhones but cannot see it. I can because I still use a flip-phone...and my husband has never even had a cell phone. It is so refreshing to find someone who really gets it the way I do. How blessed we are!! "All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant."