Our Enemy the World

As we approach Judgment Day, we must battle our three greatest enemies, the devil, flesh, and the world. The devil tempts us directly and our flesh is constantly seeking pleasures and delights. However, few of us understand what is meant by the world. It has many meanings [1] but not all have the same connotations. How is the world our enemy?

Our Lord tells us, “18 If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. 19 If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember my word that I said to you: The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake: because they know not him who sent me. 22 If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. 24. If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin: but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25. But that the word may be fulfilled which is written in their law: they hated me without cause” (John 15:18-25).

In his biblical commentary Cornelius À Lapide explains John 18-25: “Worldly people He calls the world. By them He means 1st, The Jews. 2d, Gentiles addicted to the spirit of the world, and therefore enemies of the doctrine and spirit of Christ.”

In Holy Scripture, St. John expands the meaning of world: “15 Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof: but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever” (I John 2:15-17).

Cornelius À Lapide explains St. John as having a threefold sense. [2] It means the wicked and ungodly men in the world, the created world, and worldly life.

The Baltimore Catechism has a beautiful summary that contrasts the Standards of Christ with the Standards of this World. It gives us a clear perspective of the deep meaning of St. John.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, that is, those who love the humble condition of the poor VS Be a successful man, that is, one who makes a lot of money.

Blessed are the meek VS Get things your own way.

Blessed are they who mourn VS We have a right to enjoy life.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice, that is, not after the things of this world, but the grace of God and all that goes with it VS Love the things of this world.

Blessed are the merciful VS Get even with those who hurt you.

Blessed are the clean of heart, that is, those whose hearts are clean of desire for pleasure and desire only God VS Seek pleasures of all kinds.

Blessed are the peacemakers VS Am I my brother’s keeper?

Blessed are they who suffer persecution VS Avoid all suffering, and if it comes, complain about it.

 

 

Footnotes:

[1] The word “world” is found in the Holy Scriptures 299 times. The word has several meanings: a.) planets such as earth, b.) The universe, c.) Creation in general, d.) The body of men on earth, e.) The ways of men, f.) A quantity of something as in “a world of difference,” g.) Another place as in “Columbus discovered the new world.”

These meanings can be divided into subcategories: a.) The state after death as in “the next world,” b.) Generations of men as in “the ancient world,” c.) Classes of men or the interests of men as in the “tennis world,” d.) Society as a whole, e.) One’s personal life as in “my world,” or “living in your own world.”

[2]: But I answer, the word world is used in a threefold sense. 1. For men of the world, see John i. 10, xvi. 18; and S. Augustine on Ps. lv., “the wicked and ungodly in the world,” in which sense S. John uses it in his Gospel. 2. It means this created world, in which, as being inanimate, there is not, properly speaking, any concupiscence. But these are provocatives of concupiscence. For everything we see affects our senses and lures us on to love it. 3. It signifies a worldly life, consisting in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. It is the whole body of sin consisting of these several parts or members. As S. Antony of Padua said, “The earth is avarice, water is luxury, the air is inconstancy, fire is pride.” These three kinds of concupiscence are embraced in the general term concupiscence. As is added, “It is not of the Father but of the world.”

The world can be taken in all these senses, and S. John first takes up one and then another.

But the second of these meanings is most to the point. And S. John wishes to withdraw the minds of the faithful from all objects of desire which the world contains (for they are the roots of every evil), and to fix them on God.