“Men of great honour and worldly glory stand but in slippery places.”

Thomas Brooks

The term “worldly” appears in several verses throughout Scripture. However, in the English Standard Version (ESV), it is specifically used only in Jude 1:19. The Greek word “psychikos” appears six times in the New Testament and refers to a person’s soul in an unspiritual or natural state.

According to the Lexham Theological Wordbook, the Greek word “psychikos” is rare and refers to human life in its natural, unspiritual state—a life governed by the soul (psyche) rather than by the Holy Spirit. It is often contrasted with “pneumatikos” (spiritual), which describes a life led by the Holy Spirit. In the ESV, this Greek word is translated as “natural” or “unspiritual.”

The world without Christ is natural and unspiritual, lacking the depth and purpose that comes from God’s grace. This truth became especially clear to me when I attended an event that reminded me just how empty and uninspiring life can be apart from Him.

I often hear the critique that being a Christian is boring and restrictive—that it lacks excitement and meaningful activity. Many people struggle to understand why anyone would sit through a 40-minute sermon, seeing it as unengaging. To them, prayer seems pointless, and the idea of attending a 90-minute Bible study holds no appeal because it doesn’t align with their interests or desires.

I actually agree with them—without the Holy Spirit, it would feel boring. The idea of spending Sunday listening to a sermon might seem pointless and wouldn’t add anything to what they consider a “good week.” However, if we’re talking about a life governed by the Holy Spirit rather than just human desires and emotions, that’s where we would disagree.

I asked myself, “What does the world truly offer the soul?” as I observed the event I attended. It wasn’t a Christian gathering, and as I took in the environment, I became aware of my own heart. I realized that I had no desire for anything the event had to offer. Instead, I felt a deep sadness over the unspiritual state of those around me. The smiles I saw, the laughter I heard, the songs that were sung, and the things that were celebrated—all of it felt like a hollow experience, a giant void without life.

As I observed the event, I felt an overwhelming sense of boredom—not because of the event’s quality, but because of the noticeable absence of God. Many of the things spoken were blasphemous, and the energy in the room had nothing to do with Christ. It reminded me of the words in Ecclesiastes: “All is vanity.”

The only thing the world offers is temporary satisfaction for the flesh—pleasures that don’t last and a life void of the Spirit. Yet, many immature Christians struggle with this, going back and forth between the ways of the world and their faith. The apostle Paul faced this same issue with the church in Corinth, where believers were entangled in worldly behaviors and spiritual immaturity.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:1–3,

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

Paul still referred to them as brothers, acknowledging that they were believers. However, he could not address them as spiritual but rather as those still living in the flesh—infants in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1). This shows that a Christian can struggle with the flesh to the point of lacking spiritual maturity.

When someone wrestles with avoiding the pleasures of the world, it’s a sign that they have much growing to do. It also reveals double-mindedness, leading to instability (James 1:8). However, I’ve come to realize that there’s a difference between being worldly and struggling against the flesh. Let me explain.

Being worldly means having a strong desire for the things of the world and indulging in them without any concern for how it reflects one’s faith. A worldly person has no issue with going to clubs, speaking like unbelievers, or engaging in behaviors that contradict a life devoted to God. They show no real interest in spiritual growth or in cultivating a relationship with Him.

They may try to hide their sin, but when confronted, they show no true repentance. Instead of experiencing godly sorrow, which leads to genuine repentance and restoration, they only feel worldly sorrow—a regret that lacks real transformation (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Repentance and restoration involve the local church, yet these individuals may attend church regularly without experiencing true conviction from the Holy Spirit. They might even live morally upright lives, but deep down, they feel more at home in the world than among the people of God.

Someone who struggles with sin is different—they are led to repentance. They turn away from sin and return to the living God. While they may go through seasons of struggle, they never find true satisfaction in sin because they know it goes against God’s will for them.

Unlike the worldly, they do not live in sin openly or take pride in it. Instead, they fight against it, and when they fall, they seek God’s forgiveness and confess their struggles to the community of faith (James 5:16). Their desire is not to remain in sin but to overcome it through Christ.

The worldly find pleasure in the world’s empty distractions and temporary indulgences, but the godly see them for what they truly are—shallow and unfulfilling. For those who belong to God, the world’s fruit is bitter when tasted, its water leaves us thirsty, and its bread never satisfies. This is the reality of what the worldly cling to—they have nothing that compares to what the godly have experienced in knowing and walking with God.

The worldly can only experience one reality—the fleeting pleasures of this world. In contrast, the godly live with the tension of both worlds, knowing the difference between earthly emptiness and true spiritual fulfillment—a contrast the worldly can never grasp unless they come to faith. Those without Christ only know a world that is hollow, unsatisfying, and merely a shadow of something greater. As I observed the event, I saw this unfolding before my eyes—people walking aimlessly and hopelessly, believing that life is only about enjoying the temporary.

Even as godly believers, there are moments when we forget just how fleeting the world truly is. However, as I’ve grown—both in my faith and in life itself—I’ve come to recognize the patterns of the world’s routines and temptations as predictable and empty. The struggles I once had, like pornography, no longer have a hold on me as they did when I first came to faith. I no longer feel the urge to return to the world, as I once did early in my walk with Christ. Now, with greater clarity, I see the world for what it really is—a life void of true joy and fulfillment. It offers nothing to the godly, except opportunities to share the gospel and to love those who desperately need it.

The world should bore the godly, and rightly so. If we are spiritual and led by the Holy Spirit, then the world should leave us with nothing but bitterness and emptiness. Yet, even as we recognize its emptiness, we must not forget the people still trapped in it. They are dead in their sins, unable to see that their lives are void of life. The stench of the world’s pleasures doesn’t disgust them because they don’t recognize their own condition. The things that entice them are traps and cages, yet they remain blind to their captivity.

The tension we feel as believers serves as a reminder that we do not belong to this world or its fleeting pleasures. Yet, while we live in this world, we are called to live differently—finding joy in the pleasures of another world, the kingdom of God. 

The fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives should be tangible evidence of His saving grace. When we demonstrate how empty and unfulfilling the world truly is, perhaps those still trapped in its deception will begin to question it. Lord willing, that moment becomes an opportunity to share the gospel, pointing them to Christ—the Living Fountain, the Bread of Life, and the source of Life Everlasting.