This past Sunday, Pastor Jason Parrish continued our Life in the Abbey series with a message titled The Un-Holy Trinity, drawn from 1 John 2:15–17. In this message, Pastor Jason explored the three great temptations that pull us into worldliness and the spiritual disciplines God provides to help us overcome them.
The Unholy Trinity of Worldliness
John identifies three patterns of temptation that lure the heart away from God:
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.” — 1 John 2:16
Pastor Jason called these three the “Unholy Trinity”—a counterfeit of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While God’s triune nature gives life, freedom, and holiness, the unholy trinity brings corruption, captivity, and destruction.
Warren Wiersbe defines worldliness this way:
“Anything in a Christian’s life that causes him to lose his enjoyment of the Father’s love or his desire to do the Father’s will is worldly and must be avoided.”
1. The Lust of the Flesh — Craving Pleasure Without Purpose
The lust of the flesh is the craving for pleasure detached from God’s design and purpose. Paul understood this battle well, writing in Romans 7:14–25 about his struggle between desire and obedience. Pastor Jason summarized it this way:
“The lust of the flesh is the craving to experience pleasure detached from purpose and an appetite not governed by the Spirit.”
Our flesh seeks satisfaction in things that can never truly satisfy, creating a cycle of emptiness and brokenness.
2. The Lust of the Eyes — Craving to Have
If the lust of the flesh is about feeling, the lust of the eyes is about possessing. Daniel Akin defines it as:
“The tendency to be captivated by the outward show of things without enquiring into their real value.”
It is coveting disguised as curiosity—when what we see becomes what we think we must have. The eyes, as Joseph Exell wrote, are “the portal of innumerable delights.” They can either focus our worship or fuel our idolatry.
3. The Pride in One’s Possessions — Craving to Be
This temptation speaks to identity. Clement of Alexandria explained that Jesus’ command to the rich young ruler was not about rejecting wealth, but rejecting attachment to it. Pastor Jason called this the sin of avarice—greed that reshapes how we see everything we own.
Rebecca DeYoung notes:
“When we are greedy, we operate with a deeply self-centered perspective on our possessions: we think of them as our own, for us to use as we see fit.”
David Jackman adds:
“The person controlled by his cravings for self-indulgence is not free; he is, in fact, the devil’s prisoner.”
The Counterfeit and the True Trinity
The unholy trinity—flesh, eyes, and pride—seeks to corrupt, disrupt, and condemn. The true Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—brings life, freedom, and transformation. The enemy’s temptations haven’t changed since the Garden of Eden. Eve saw that the fruit was “good for food” (lust of the flesh), “delightful to look at” (lust of the eyes), and “desirable for gaining wisdom” (pride of life). Jesus faced the same in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–13) and overcame each one through Scripture, obedience, and the Spirit.
Four Disciplines That Overcome the Unholy Trinity
1. The Discipline of God’s Word
“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.” — Deuteronomy 6:6
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16
A life rooted in Scripture resists deception. Pastor Jason said:
“When the study of God’s Word is removed from our lives, we leave ourselves open to the work of the unholy trinity to deform us.”
2. The Discipline of Prayer
“Pray constantly.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer is not performance—it is engagement with God. John Nolland wrote:
“Prayer is not to be used to build a reputation for piety, but solely for engagement with God.”
E.M. Bounds adds:
“Prayer projects faith on God, and God on the world. Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer move God.”
True prayer is faith in motion—trusting God’s power rather than rehearsing religion.
3. The Discipline of the Tithe
“These things should have been done without neglecting the others.” — Matthew 23:23
Tithing isn’t about money—it’s about obedience and dependence. Pastor Jason said:
“All the gospel requires is repentance and faith. What the gospel produces is joyful obedience.”
Our giving breaks greed’s grip and aligns our hearts with God’s priorities.
4. The Discipline of the Sabbath
“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:27
The Sabbath reminds us that Jesus is Lord—and we are not. As Pastor Jason put it, “Modern Christians tend to believe in nine commandments and one really strong suggestion.” The Sabbath is a divine rhythm for restoration and dependence on God.
The Call to Overcome
We overcome the unholy trinity when Christ becomes Lord of every area of life—our desires, possessions, habits, and time. Pastor Jason concluded:
“The Gospel produces in us joyful obedience.”
Through the Word, prayer, generosity, and rest, we resist the forces that deform us and are reformed into Christ’s likeness.
“The world and its lust are passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” — 1 John 2:17
✨ Reflection Question: Which part of the unholy trinity—flesh, eyes, or pride—most challenges you today?
🙏 Prayer Prompt: Lord, reveal the areas where I’ve allowed the world to shape me. Teach me to resist through Your Word, to trust through prayer, to give with joy, and to rest in Your presence. Amen.
