1 Peter 2:11 Just Passing Through - Devotional Scripture

 

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.  1 Peter 2:11

Peter is writing to suffering believers who live in a pagan environment.  Peter begs them, he pleads with them to hear the cry of his heart: “Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against your soul.” Fleshly lust refers to any strong desire that is inconsistent with the will of God. It would include over-indulgence in food or drink, the desire to collect material possessions and the craving for any worldly pleasures. All these things hinder communion with God and prevent spiritual growth.

In times of difficulty we can be tempted to say, “Why shouldn’t I give into my flesh.  Everybody else is doing it.” But Peter warns the, “Be careful, you are vulnerable.  Even though things are tough don’t give in to your fleshly desires.”  To be a Christian means to fight against the lusts of the flesh, and the battle continues as long as we live in this flesh. The best way to fight against these lusts is by remembering who we are in Christ.

We need to remember our citizenship is in heaven. This life is nothing more than a morning fog that is here for a little while and then it’s gone. We are just tent camping here. We are just passing through on our way to our final destination. Because we are just passing through, we can’t allow ourselves to become attached to things of this world.  Soon, we will break camp and move onward so we can’t dig our roots deep into this world but instead we need to be rooted in Christ.   We have to keep in the forefront of our mind that this home is just temporary.  Our permanent home is waiting for us in heaven.  Therefore, we set our mind on things above and not earthly things (Col 3:2) and with that mindset we are able to abstain from fleshly lusts.