Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
— 1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)
Observation
Peter doesn’t start this verse with a command—he starts with affection. “Dear friends,” he says, like a pastor pulling someone close. And then comes the plea: abstain from sinful desires—literally, epithymiai, over-desires that don’t just tempt us but fight against us.
That’s the surprising part. These aren’t just temptations to ignore—they’re enemies within, waging war on our very souls. They might come dressed as good things: the desire to succeed, to be safe, to be admired. But when those desires grow too large—when they start to define us—they become dangerous. They take up too much room in the heart.
Peter calls us to recognize this inner battle. And the first step in any fight is knowing you’re in one.
Application
This hits close. Some of the strongest spiritual battles in my life have come not from outside threats—but from inside cravings. Things I thought I had under control: the need to be seen, the hunger for comfort, the quiet anger of unmet expectations.
Peter isn’t saying, “Try harder.” He’s saying, “Wake up to the war.” To follow Jesus is to take these over-desires seriously—not with shame, but with clarity. I don’t have to be ruled by them. I belong to a different kingdom. And that means I can live with a different kind of freedom—the kind that begins when I say, You’re not my master anymore.
Prayer
Lord, I confess the desires that have grown too strong in me. You see the ones I feed and the ones I hide. I don’t want to live divided. Help me name the cravings that wage war on my soul—and help me walk away. Give me a heart that desires You more than anything else. Amen.
