Every temptation fits into one of three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Les Feldick teaches from 1 John 2:16 that these three categories cover every temptation common to mankind. He shows the pattern first in Eve and then in the Lord Jesus' wilderness temptations, and he says no matter what the temptation is, it will go into one of these three categories.
1 John 2:16 — This verse explicitly names the three categories of temptation that Les Feldick says every person faces.
According to 1 John 2:16, everything in the world falls into three categories: "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." The verse also says these things are not of the Father but are of the world. Matthew 4:1-2 records that Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and after fasting forty days and forty nights, He hungered. Matthew 4:8 then describes the devil taking Jesus up into an exceeding high mountain and showing Him all the kingdoms of the world, which corresponds to the third category of temptation.
Les Feldick teaches that every temptation that confronts a human being, whether in the Garden of Eden or today, will fit into one of the same three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He says the Lord Jesus faced those same three categories, which is why He knows exactly what we are up against. Les points out that Eve's temptation began with the fruit being good for food and appealing to the eye, but underneath it all was the desire "you can be like God," which is a temptation to power and pride. For Jesus, the three temptations were hunger, the spectacle of casting Himself from the temple, and Satan's offer of all the kingdoms of the world. Les repeatedly states that no matter what the temptation is, it will go into one of those three categories.
Les Feldick, teaching from 1 John 2:16, says the three categories are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He says every temptation a human being faces will fit into one of these three categories. The first concerns physical appetites, the second concerns things that look alluring to the eye, and the third concerns power, pride, and control over others.
Les shows that Eve's temptation began with the fruit looking good for food, which appealed to the eye. The underlying aim of the temptation was "you can be like God," which Les describes as a temptation to power and pride. He says this same pattern tripped Eve, and the same categories will trip us every time.
Les maps Jesus' wilderness temptations onto the same three categories: the first was hunger, which is the lust of the flesh; the second was the appeal to the eye, such as casting Himself from the temple before a crowd; and the third was Satan's offer of power over all kingdoms, which appeals to the pride of life. Les says this is why Jesus can know what we face, because every temptation fits those three categories.
Les says that even when someone feels completely trapped in a temptation, there is an escape. God will reveal that escape at the appropriate time. The believer is never left without a way out, but that way must be looked for.
Power Over Kingdoms
Les explains that Satan's offer to Jesus of control over all the kingdoms of the world is an appeal to the pride of life—the craving for power over other people.
Three Categories from 1 John 2:16
Les names the three categories from 1 John 2:16 and says any fleshly desire can overwhelm us, the eye can be deceived by what glitters, and pride is one of the biggest things that befall the human race.
Connecting Eve and Jesus
Les connects Eve's first look at the fruit to the lust of the eye, then maps Jesus' temptations: hunger = lust of flesh, temple spectacle = lust of eye, and kingdoms offer = pride of life.
Every Temptation Fits
Les states plainly that every temptation can be placed into one of the three categories, and that Jesus was tempted in every category even if not in every individual temptation.
Pride and Power
Les shows that the root of Eve's temptation was "you can be like God," which is a lust for power, and connects it to the same pride that drives politicians and every human temptation.
Jesus Faced the Same
Les reads Matthew 4:1-2 and says Jesus faced those same three categories of temptation, which is why He knows what we are up against.
God Provides an Escape
Les assures that there is always a way of escape from temptation and that God reveals it at the right time.
Temptation Common to All
Les introduces 1 John 2:16 as the verse that shows every person faces the same set of temptation circumstances, beginning with Eve and continuing with Jesus.
1 John 2:16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
This verse names the three categories of temptation that Les Feldick says every person faces.
Matthew 4:1-2: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
This passage shows the beginning of Jesus' wilderness temptations, when He was hungry after fasting.
Matthew 4:8: Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
This verse describes the third temptation, where Satan offered Jesus power over all the kingdoms of the world.
In Les Feldick's teaching, the lust of the flesh refers to physical appetites and fleshly desires that overwhelm a person, such as hunger or any bodily craving. It is the first category listed in 1 John 2:16.
The lust of the eyes is the temptation to want something simply because it looks attractive. Les uses Eve's fruit and the appeal of Jesus casting Himself from the temple as examples of this category.
The pride of life is the desire for power, importance, or control over other people. Les says it is one of the biggest things that befall the human race and is probably the one thing that keeps more people from salvation than anything else.
Watch the Teaching: The Three Temptations Everyone Faces — Eve to Jesus Explained