Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. [1 Peter 2.11]
What are worldly desires that wage war against your very own souls?
First, let's consider what a temporary resident or a foreigner is. A temporary resident or foreigner is a person without the encumbrances of material things in a particular location because their ties are elsewhere. In fact, all of today's One Year Chronological Bible reading from 1 Peter will make very little sense to anyone except a person with the mindset of a temporary resident or foreigner - especially the part about worldly desires that wage war against your very own souls... and more especially the part about suffering.
Worldly desires that wage war against your very own souls are the worldly desires to which idols offer their services or solutions to prevent suffering thus distracting the temporary resident or foreigner from focusing on what really matters - eternity - the Kingdom of God - their real home.
Regarding suffering, no other book in the entire Bible uses the word "suffer" or "suffering" more than the short book of 1 Peter. In fact, 1 Peter uses the word "suffer" or "suffering" 17 times and is only one of three books that even has double digit occurrences of "suffer" or "suffering" (in the New Living Translation - the book of Job has 11 instances and the Psalms contains 14).
Suffering is not the opposite of worldly desires, but instead is the condition that worldly desires attempt to avoid - albeit in worldly (not Godly) fashion. Idols offer life solutions (to everyone who can afford them) that God said he would freely provide to His obedient followers:
Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. [Psalm 37.3-4]
Desires are not the problem, but worldly desires are. Worldly desires are desires for the good things of life independent of trusting in God. So, again, suffering is not the opposite of worldly desires, but the accurate conclusion of what might be without intervention - the intervention of idols, or the intervention of God. The obedient child of God is willing to suffer should it be necessary, but in any case, unwilling to embrace worldly solutions just to avoid suffering independent of God.
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. [1 Peter 4.1-2]
Without the mindset of a temporary resident or foreigner whose home is with God, a person is hopelessly victimized by the relentless provocation of their own worldly desires for worldly solutions offered by idols apart from God.
Peter issues his 1 Peter 2.11 warning as a stern warning regarding the fate of our very own souls. Why? Because trusting anything or anyone else other than God (or in addition to God) is idolatry. Idolaters have no part of God's Kingdom. And yet, idols incessantly appeal to our desire to avoid suffering in relentless advertising campaigns often laced with immoral innuendos. Let's look at 1 Peter 4.1-2 again, this time including verse 3:
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. [1 Peter 4.1-3]
Worldly desires are not simple indiscretions overlooked by God. Worldly desires are desires for every earthly thing God promised (wealth, protection, health and conveniences), but without God. Worldly desires are an all-out affront to God and the first three of His Ten Commandments because worldly desires lead us right into the lair of idolatry.
Unless God's people arm themselves with the same attitude of Jesus, willing to suffer rather than risk offending God (in our case, by trusting idols), they will helplessly fall victim to idolatry. Think how little marketing influence debt, insurance, medicine and technology can wield over a person with the attitude of Jesus - a temporary resident or foreigner on earth! But sadly, that is not the case...
Father, the depth of what is discussed in 1 Peter is critical for genuine believers. May Your people see what Your Word has been saying all along. May Your people take up the attitude of Jesus - giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Him in undivided, unwavering faith in You, God, alone. So be it.
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