Peter, in verse 1, encouraged all believers to lay aside everything that might hinder us from maturing in our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Here, in verse 11, he focuses on the key to accomplishing this task, submission, and why this is so difficult for us.

Peter begins with the word “beloved.” This word is rarely found outside the Bible in Greek manuscripts. It means that he truly cared for his people.

With this in mind, he then makes this statement: “I beg you…” He is pleading with his people to listen, and to take to heart what he was about to say.

‘I beg you as sojourners, and pilgrims, abstain from fleshy lust, which war against the soul.’

But what does Peter mean by this? He explains this to us centering around the word abstain.

1. Who should abstain? Peter uses the words ‘sojourners’ and ‘pilgrims.’
   a. Sojourners is someone living in a foreign country where they do not have the rights of citizens.
   b. Pilrim is a traveler passing through a country on his way to his destination.
   c. Peter is referring to all believers.
2. What we should abstain from? The word flesh denotes all of the activites that we once a part of who we were before we surrendered to Jesus. Gal. 5:19-21; Hebrews 12:1
3. Why is it so difficult to abstain? The word war means a well planned out and executed attack. Dr Adrian Roger said, “There is a conspiracy born in hell that wars agaist your soul, the soul of your family, the soul of the church and the soul of our world.”

We can only have victory by surrendering or submitting to our Lord on a daily basis. Have you surrendered today?