Post-Encounter • Week 1

HOW TO OVERCOME THE WORLD

Aim
• How do I overcome the world and its temptations
• Where does God’s responsibility end and where does mine start

Absorb (include or incorporate as part of oneself; take in;

suck up)

1. WHAT IS THE WORLD?

A. World
The world represents everything that displeases God, opposes His teaching, and
is under Satan’s dominion. 1 John 5:19
The Apostle John points out three aspects that mark the love of this world:
1. the desires of the flesh,
2. the desires of the eyes and
3. the pride of life.

“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. For all that is in the world – the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of
the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the
will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

B. Desires of the flesh

These are the desires that are in us by nature and impel us to do wrong.
They incite us, even from childhood, to yield to what the flesh desires.
They can be described as follows…
• satisfaction,
• passion or enjoyment that is felt by doing wrong things
• if it feels good, do it!

Galatians 5:17 says: “ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do
the things that you wish.”

• This shows the conflict found in every Christian.

• The flesh wants one thing while the spirit wants another.
• That is why it is important to nourish our spiritual man.
 Post-Encounter • Week 1
Galatians 5:19-21 gives us a long list of the sins of the flesh. These include
sexual sins, sins involving pagan religions such as witchcraft or idolatry and other
sins relating to temperament and character.

The fruit of the Spirit is everything that is opposite to the flesh.

• In relation to God: love, joy, and peace.
• In relation to others: patience, kindness and goodness.
• In relation to ourselves: faith, kindness and self-control.

Example: Dr. Billy Graham gives us this illustration: “Every Saturday afternoon a
fisherman would walk down into the village. He would always take his two dogs
with him. One was white and the other black. He had taught them to fight at his
command. Every week, people would gather in the town square to place bets
and watch the dogs fight. One Saturday the black dog would win, another
Saturday the white dog would win, but the fisherman would always win! His
friends began to ask him how he did it. He said, “I let one dog go hungry while I
feed the other one. The one I feed always wins because he feels stronger.” If we
want to conquer the desires of the flesh, we have to pay special attention to our
spirit. We must feed it and care for it in such a way that in the face of
temptation, the spirit prevails.

C. Visual Desire

The ‘desires of the eyes’ can be described as

• perversions,
• bad intentions, and
• selfish delights that include not only the sight, but also the mind and
imagination.

2 Peter 2:14: “Having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from
sin…”

Matthew 5:27-29: “ You have heard that is was said to those of old,
‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a
woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart”

D. Vanity of life
Believes that the reason for life is found in…
• the worldly appearance
• Worth of things, and not in how God actually values them.

Another way to describe vanity is the things we run after with no eternal value…
Like…
• Money - Gold (belongings)
• Sex - Girls (physical desires)
• Power - Glory (position)
 Post-Encounter • Week 1

2. HOW THE WORLD AFFECTS ME

1. It will suck you in to its empty way of life, not going anywhere…
2. Enjoyment (sin) is the marketing department… pain, sorrow &
destruction is the result when you give in…
3. It makes me ineffective & unproductive as a child of God
4. It affects my thinking & as a result my doing…

John 17:15 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world,
but that You should keep them from the evil one.”

3. HOW TO FACE THE WORLD NOW THAT I AM A CHRISTIAN

• Not participating in what the world has to offer

Ephesians 5:11: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather expose them.”

• Be radical in your stand as a Christian

Job 22:28: “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so
light will shine on your ways.”

• Decide beforehand what things you are not going to yield to.

• Avoid spending too much time with unbelievers

• Look for friends that share the same purpose, values and goals

• Strengthen your relationship with God

Adjust (arrange or put in the correct order or position; make

suitable; harmonise)

1. Repent of thoughts contrary to the Word of God when it comes to the way
you are friendly with the world
2. Commit to overcoming the world by renewing your mind daily through the
Word of God
 Post-Encounter • Week 1

Advance (move forward; make progress)

Plan not to compromise the following:
• daily time of devotion to renew your mind
• weekly cell attendance
• Sunday Service attendance

Arm
Galatians 5:17
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these
are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

Accountable
• Monday Read it
• Tuesday Write it
• Wednesday Memorise it
• Thursday Pray it
• Friday Personalise it
• Saturday Share it

Add on
Student’s own notes
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________