“For all that is in this 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.” – 1 John 2:16
As we mentioned yesterday, Satan does such a great job of turning our looks into lust. What looks, you ask? Looks that appeal to our deepest desires. Sometimes those are physical appeals, sometimes they are emotional appeals, and sometimes they appeal to our pride.
These are not new tricks. Satan tempted Eve with these lustful desires, appealing to her physically, emotionally, and to her pride. He did the same thing to Jesus. And he does them to every living and breathing person on earth, today.
If we want to be able to reject the lustful desires Satan tempts us with, we must try to better understand them. John tells us of these three types of desires in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in this 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 first way Satan tries to appeal to us is through physical lust. For Eve, it was a desire to make her physically stronger. For Jesus, it was a desire to eat when He was fasting. Satan wants to appeal to our physical needs.
This is when he tempts us sexually as well, which is why a lot of men (and even women) struggle with lust, adultery, and pornography. It starts with one look that Satan turns to lust. All of a sudden, you desire someone in a way that does not honor God.
It could be a drug, wanting to feel a certain type of way. You want to feel relaxed or pain-free, so you do illegal drugs because of the way it makes you feel physically.
The Bible talks about treating our body as a temple, and that we should make decisions about our body as though it belongs to God. When Satan wants to appeal to your physical desires, be careful. These lustful desires are not God’s desire for you.
Be aware of when Satan tries to appeal to your physical desires. This is not something to play around with. Instead, remember your body is a temple. It belongs to God. Treat it that way, and you will avoid making mistakes you would one day regret.