E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
World (The).
The world, the flesh, and the devil. “The world,” i.e. the things of this world, in contradistinction to religious matters; “the flesh,” i.e. love of pleasure and sensual enjoyments; “the devil,” i.e. all temptations to evil of every kind, as theft, murder, lying, blasphemy, and so on.
