Just the word “submission” likely makes some of you reading this bristle. “I don’t want to hear about that,” may be a thought that is running through your mind. Don’t resist or reject what the Bible commands. 1 Peter 2:13 clearly commands “submit yourself to every ordinance of man, for the Lord’s sake.”
 
The word "submission" simply means "being under," or being willing to cooperate with another. It's a military term. Joel 2:7, in describing the people of God, says, "They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, and they do not break ranks." How do they maintain such order? Through submission to authority.
 
Our submission gets God’s attention. Luke 7:1-10 describes an instance where a Roman centurion’s understanding of submission and authority made Jesus marvel. The centurion asked Jesus to heal his dying servant. As Jesus approached, the centurion said, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." He then explains, "For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes." The Bible says Jesus marveled at this man's faith, saying, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."
 
This Gentile demonstrated remarkable faith because he understood God's structure of authority. He knew that Jesus' word carried power. Jesus was surprised, amazed, astonished by this man's faith, and this man’s faith was developed, in part, because he understood submission to authority.
 
Adrian Rogers once stated it this way: "We will never be over that which God has placed under us until we first are under that which God has placed over us." God has given us His Word, but He has also established institutions in our world for our good, for His glory, and to maintain order in society.
 
1 Peter 2:17 provides four ways to show submission in our lives. It reads, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
 
"Honor all people" reflects humanity’s equality of worth before God, and it applies to everyone. This command isn't limited to Christians. In society, every single person on Earth is made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 states, "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" Every single person bears God's image and is precious to Him. We are not to honor just some people; we are to honor all people.
 
It means recognizing the inherent value of every individual in God's eyes. This means they are more valuable than animals. Sometimes, in our society, we see the life of an animal valued more than the life of a child, a baby, or someone nearing the end of life. This is contrary to God's Word. Even if society trends this way, as Christians, we must affirm that humans, not animals, are made in God's image. Because of this, every person is worthy of honor.
 
Sometimes we hear, "The rich are valuable; the poor are not." James 2:1-9 directly addresses how believers are not to show favoritism and illustrates this with the example of showing preferential treatment to a rich person while disregarding a poor person. He calls this favoritism sin. Rich and poor alike are equally valuable to God. We are to honor all people. It doesn't matter about their background, status, or anything else.
 
"Love the brotherhood" refers to the church. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." How we treat one another matters. There should be an aura of respect, certainly, but also an aura of love—a familial love within the family of God. We are part of the same family, destined to spend eternity together, so we should embrace one another and show love to one another.
 
"Fear God” means reverence and respect for God. Proverbs 1:7 states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." We can't truly know anything until we recognize God's rightful authority in our lives. We show reverence and respect for God by respecting His Word and acknowledging His supreme place in our lives. Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." We should affirm that Jesus is the only way to heaven because that is what Jesus Himself declared. To reverence God is to acknowledge that He is in charge. You might ask God, "Why?" And God replies, "Because I said so." And our response should be, "Yes, sir." That is recognizing God's authority in your life.
 
“Honor the king” includes respect for government leaders. In a democracy where we can vote for our leaders, we should. However, no matter who is in office, we should honor them. We should also pray for our leaders, as instructed in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." Our submission includes honoring the king.
 
When discussing submission, we must also state that there are exceptions. For instance, Acts 5:29 says, "We must obey God rather than man!" We sometimes cling to that phrase to justify all sorts of rebellion in our hearts. However, in this verse, Peter had been told not to preach in the name of Jesus, and he rightly refused to comply.
 
When something is immoral or sinful, we must obey God. I counseled a wife whose unbelieving husband asked her to do something immoral and sinful. She asked me what she should do. I told her, "Absolutely not. You tell him, 'I obey God, not man,'" because his request was sinful. She rightly refused to comply.
 
We see this in Exodus 1 when Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill any Hebrew baby boys. The midwives refused. When Pharaoh confronted them about the increasing number of Hebrew boys, the midwives lied and said the Hebrew women were so strong they gave birth before they could arrive! A blatant lie, but they did it because they feared God. And God honored them for protecting those Hebrew babies. They refused to comply.
 
So, there are times when we must disobey institutional authorities, specifically when we are asked to do something sinful or immoral. But we must not use this principle as a cloak for our own rebelliousness.
 
1 Peter 2:15 says, "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people." "Put to silence" means to muzzle. When people criticize or slander you, your actions as a Christian will silence them.
 
If you demonstrate proper respect for the institutions God has established—whether it's your home, your workplace, the government, or the church—people will notice. They'll observe the order and respect, particularly in contrast to the prevailing rebellion and anarchy. They'll see that Christians are exemplary employees. Recruiters should be eager to hire Christians, recognizing their strong work ethic and commitment to authority. As Christians, we should be the best citizens, employees, employers, husbands, wives, and children, pointing others to Jesus.
 
“Lord, help me to understand the importance of submission in my life. Teach me to reflect my obedience to You through my attitude towards authority. May my actions be a testament to my faith and demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
​

God has established structures of authority in all areas of life. Government is one of His established structures.
 
1 Peter 2:13–14 says, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,  or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.”
 
Peter wrote for Christians to submit to the king while Nero was on the throne. He was a madman who persecuted the church relentlessly, yet we're told to submit to the king as supreme. Peter referenced governors who oversaw smaller districts. For example, when Jesus was crucified, He stood before Pilate, the governor, not Caesar. He also stood before Herod the tetrarch. There were smaller governing bodies, and God's Word tells us to submit to them. These are human institutions which govern society.
 
Romans also describes how Christians are to submit to government. Romans 13:1 says, "Let every soul be subject"—that's the word for submission--"to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
 
1 Peter 2:14 says that one aspect of government is to punish evildoers. It says, “those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers.” James Madison wisely said that if men were angels, no government would be necessary. Society must have these human institutions because of the sinfulness of our own souls.
 
A similar statement can be found in Romans 13:3-4 which says, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” This passage is saying that those in authority are not there for those who do good, but to correct those who do wrong.
 
I believe the passage should be applied to modern law enforcement. God says they are His ministers, and that the only ones who should be afraid of them are those who are breaking the law.
 
The workplace is one of God’s established structures. 1 Peter 2:18-19 say, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.” We do not have the same social structure of servants and masters today, but the principle applies to the work environment. A parallel verse in Ephesians goes into greater detail.
 
Ephesians 6:5–9 (NKJV)
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
 
Employers have a responsibility before God, but employees also have a responsibility before God. This isn't contingent on your employer being kind; it applies even to harsh employers. We are called to be submissive at work.
 
The home is one of God’s established structures. The theme of submission in the home appears repeatedly in the Bible. 1 Peter 3:1 reads, “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands…” 1 Corinthians 11:3 says, "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband." This doesn't mean every woman in general is to be submissive to every man. This refers to headship in the home. Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church."
 
In general, marriages should have a yieldedness to one another, especially in response to one another’s strengths. When I take couples through premarital counseling, I get them to memorize Ephesians 5:21, which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." However, when there is a disagreement and a decision must be made, someone has to lead, and someone has to allow the other to lead. God’s design is that men should lead their families, if a husband and wife are present.
 
In the home, God’s design is that children are to obey their parents.
 
Ephesians 6:1–3 (NKJV)
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:
3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
 
God promises that your life will go smoother and better when you learn to live within God's structures of authority in the home. It will be easier in the workplace; you won't constantly rebel against authority. It will be easier as you live in society, submitting to government. God says if you learn this in the home, it will go well with you, and you will enjoy a long life. It's a command with a promise.
 
The church is one of God’s established structures. First Timothy 3 describes the qualifications for bishops, pastors, and overseers. One qualification, found in verse four, is that a pastor must be "one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)." This speaks to the principle of headship. It clearly states that leadership begins in the home. There's an established order within the family, and this order is reflected in the church as well.
 
This is further conveyed in Hebrews 13:7 and 17, which reads, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct… Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” These verses are describing pastoral authority in the church.
 
One man described the local church like a football team. The players receive instructions from the coach, but on the field, the quarterback has some flexibility to adjust to what he sees from the defense. The quarterback is given the freedom to make decisions in the moment. The quarterback huddles the team and calls the play, directing the receivers and tight ends. Imagine a tight end refusing to follow the play, deciding to do his own thing. He wouldn't be on the team for long, because the coach gave the quarterback the authority to call the plays. This doesn't mean the quarterback is inherently more valuable than anyone else. The tight end may be more gifted than the quarterback. However, in the game, the quarterback is the one who has been given the authority from the coach to lead.
 
In the same way, God has established these institutions. We shouldn't reject or rebel against them. We need to recognize that God has ordained them. You might ask, "Why?" And God's answer is simply, "Because I said so." Christians should be known for the submissiveness of their hearts, just as Christ was submissive to the Father. This is the essence of God's established structures of authority.
 
“Lord, I pray right now that You would help us recognize the places of authority that we have in our world, and that we would honor all people. May we honor those leaders who are in our government positions, honor law enforcement, honor the church pastors and leaders, and honor those in authority in our homes. Father, I pray that we would be examples to others, recognizing that You are in charge of it all."

1 Peter 2:13a (NKJV) - Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake…
 
The middle letter of sin is “I”, and our own rebellion and stubbornness is the problem keeping us from biblical submission. Right after prophetically describing how Jesus would be punished for our sins (Isaiah 53:3-5), verse 6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." In other words, we've all done our own thing and what we want to do. We've wandered and strayed, and our waywardness is why we need Jesus.
 
The Bible continually refers to people as sheep (Psalm 23:1-4 and John 21:15-16), and it’s not a compliment. Sheep wander. If they stayed in line, you wouldn't need a shepherd. A shepherd's always bringing the sheep back together and back to safety. If they stayed where they needed to be, they wouldn’t need a shepherd. Jesus is our Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-4).  
 
This sinful stubbornness, pride and rebellion has been around since before humanity existed. Isaiah 14:12-15 records an encounter between God and Lucifer, a created angelic being who would become Satan:
 
Isaiah 14:12–15 (NKJV)
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
 
God had entrusted Lucifer (who would later be called Satan) with a certain authority and domain. Instead of being content with that status in heaven, Satan overstepped his bounds. He made five bold declarations, essentially saying, “I will rise to the highest heights, I will be just like God, and I will elevate my throne.” But God responded by saying, “No, you will actually fall to the earth.”
 
Jesus describes what He saw during this moment when He says in Luke 10:18, “…I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Jesus then tells His disciples that He is giving them authority over Satan and the forces of darkness in the next verse: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
 
Submission to God is related to victory over the devil. James 4:7 says, “Submit therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee.” Christians love to talk about the authority that we have over Satan. “Greater is He that's in us than he that's in the world” (see 1 John 4:4). It is true that Satan has no power nor dominion over the life of the child of God. We, as Christians, do not have to fear the devil. We have power and authority over Satan in the name of Jesus and through the power of His blood. We have the angels of heaven who are fighting our battles. We don't have to be afraid of the devil, that's for sure. However, we cannot separate “resist the devil and he will flee” from “submit therefore to God” We must first submit ourselves to God, then we're in a position to resist the devil and he will flee. Submission paves the way to victory.
 
Even in a society that made it difficult to be a Christian, Peter said to "submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (or, because we are Christians). Often, we think we're submitting when we're just in agreement. We say, "I usually submit, but this time I can't go along with what my boss is telling me" or "I can't follow this new speed limit." What we're really saying is that all those other times, we've just been agreeing. But now, when we have a real chance to submit to authority, we're rejecting it. That's the stubbornness of our pride and sinfulness.
 
There's another example of this with King Saul. God anointed Saul as king through Samuel the prophet. However, even as king, Saul was expected to follow God's commands as delivered by Samuel.
 
In 1 Samuel 15, God instructed Samuel to tell Saul to attack a group offensive to God and destroy everything, including animals. But Saul disobeyed, deciding to keep some animals, claiming he intended to sacrifice them to God. This disobedience led God to reject Saul as king.
 
Samuel confronted Saul, saying, "What is this bleating of sheep that I hear?" Saul's partial obedience was unacceptable. Samuel stated, "To obey is better than sacrifice." In 1 Samuel 15:23, Samuel tells Saul, "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being king."
 
We would never touch witchcraft as Christians, and we shouldn’t because it’s satanic. Samuel says that Saul’s rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and his stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. He does not say that Saul rejected Samuel’s directive, but rather God’s. He says, “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord…” The principle here is that God has established human institutions, and we are to submit to them. Samuel was the prophet, and God spoke to Saul through Samuel. Therefore, Saul did not disobey Samuel – he disobeyed God.
 
This same kind of stubbornness and rebellion prevails in today’s society. Teachers are striving to manage their classrooms while children and parents refuse to submit to them. The kids and parents are telling the teachers how to lead or manage their classes. When a teacher tries to correct an unruly child and sends him or her to the principal’s office, soon parents are demanding their child not be treated that way. Generally speaking, these types of parents have no respect for the authority. They are rebellious parents raising rebellious children.
 
Another example can be seen when coaches are working with kids and parents in youth sports. A congregant of mine witnessed a coach teaching 8-year-old ballplayers. He said to one of them,
 
“You understand that even if you perform well, if the team loses, we’ve all lost, right?”
 
“Yes, coach, I understand.”
 
The coach continued, "You understand this isn't an individual sport; it's a team sport."
 
"Yes, coach, I do."
 
"You understand that sometimes I'll need to pull you out and put someone else in?"
 
"Yes, coach."
 
"And you know it's important to support the team and not act like a brat if you're on the bench, right?"
 
"Yes, coach."
 
The coach finished by saying, “Now, I need you to explain all that to your grandma, who’s right over there.”
 
This kind of rebelliousness towards all forms of human authority starts with parents (or maybe grandparents, too), and goes down to the children. God’s Word teaches that believers are to have a spirit of submissiveness toward parents, teachers, coaches, employers, pastors and government. Sinful stubbornness is the problem with society, but God’s children should be different as we "submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13). Submission paves the way to victory.
 
“Dear God, You ordered our world to have structures of authority. I may not always agree with them, but I pray that I will show Jesus to others by how I submit to those who are over me – at home, at work, at school, or in society. I trust You that You know best. Thank You for conforming me into the likeness of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

​1 Peter 2:13a (NKJV) - Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake…
 
There was a Christian businessman in North Carolina who told me something I will never forget. He was in retirement at the time and had managed all kinds of people in his life. He had been a great church leader as well for decades. He said, "Followers are simply leaders who have chosen to let someone else lead." We might think, “Some are followers, and some are leaders,” but he would disagree. He explained, "We're all leaders, but followers are simply leaders who have chosen to let someone else lead."
 
We see this exemplified in the life of Christ as a 12-year-old at the temple. Jesus was talking to the religious leaders - asking and answering questions. They were amazed because here was a 12-year-old boy. Afterwards, Luke 2:51 says, “Then He [Jesus] went down with them [Joseph and Mary] and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.” Though He astounded the religious leaders, Jesus lived in subjection to His parents. No one would ever say that Jesus was of any lower class of individual than Mary and Joseph, but yet it says that Jesus Christ was subject to his parents. Why? Well, He served here as an example to His followers. He would be telling us as children to be subject to our own parents and that there is order in the home.
 
Jesus was up in heaven and he condescended as an example to us. Philippians 2:5–8 says, “5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” He did not have to come down, but He condescended. He came down to rescue humanity on the cross, and it says that He became obedient even unto death, the death of the cross.
 
Jesus taught this to His disciples. Matthew 20:25–28 says, “25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’”
 
Jesus sought to teach a leadership model to His disciples that could be called “servant leadership.” He exemplified this servant leader when He took a towel and basin, knelt before His disciples and washed their feet.  John 13:3–5, 14-16 says, “3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. … 14 ‘If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.’”
 
Think about the fact that when we get to heaven and see Jesus, we are going to fall on our face and worship Him. However, here, we see Jesus kneeling before His disciples washing their feet as an act of humble servant leadership. Jesus is our model of not just servant leadership, but he's also our model for humility and submissiveness.
 
Remember the garden of Gethsemane? Jesus knows the stripes, the crown of thorns, and the cross are before Him. Jesus is praying to the Father in Matthew 26:39, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” He knew what was ahead, and if there's any other way to rescue humanity, He says, “let this cup pass for Me.” Then He ends that with a prayer of consecration, “yet not My will, but Your will be done.” Jesus shows submission to the Father’s will.
 
First Corinthians 11:3 describes order in the Trinitarian Godhead: “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” Imagine God the Father saying, “This is My plan. This is My purpose.” Jesus then listens and submits to the plan of the Father. All of these examples in the life of Jesus show that He lived a life of submission, and He is our model. Do we call ourselves Christians? The word “Christian” simply means “like Christ”.
 
Peter commends the followers of Christ in 1 Peter 2:13 to “submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake.” He did not say, “because the ordinances are worthy of submission.” He did not say, “submit to some ordinances of man.” He said Christians are to submit to every ordinance of man because of Jesus.
 
Americans often coil against the idea of submitting to any kind of authority. In a democracy, the citizens certainly can speak into unjust laws and take an active approach in government. However, submission should be the posture of every Christian in society once those laws are in place. Americans are often too quick to say, “Well, I’ll submit when I like the government that’s in place. I'll be submissive when the ones I voted for are in charge. But I won’t follow them if I didn’t vote for them. I won’t honor them.” This reasoning is to our shame. God's people are to exemplify the same submission that Jesus Christ exemplified when He came to this earth and humbled Himself. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind [attitude] be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
 
“Dear God, thank You for showing me the life of humility and submission to authority in the life of my Lord, Jesus Christ. I pray that as I continue to learn from You, I will follow in Your footsteps. I will submit to those who are in positions of authority over me. Thank You for sovereignly placing me in America. I pray that righteousness would reign in our great country. I pray that my respect and honor for the laws of my country would be an example to others and draw people to You. I love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1 Peter 2:11 continues with the command to “…abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” The word “war”, in the Greek language, implies an ongoing engagement, not a single battle. The fleshly lusts will maintain an ongoing war inside of your mind, emotions and will that no one can see. It is invisible, but significant.
 
We come to church and smile at one another. Someone asks, "How's it going?" We say, “Great!” or “Fine!” or “Better than I deserve!” - but no one really knows the invisible war that's going on in our lives where we are battling the flesh that is in us and the world that is around us. This battle is described in 1 John 2:15-17.
 
1 John 2:15–17 (NKJV)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
 
Christians experience this invisible war because we know there are certain lifestyles and behaviors we are to avoid, but we also have appetites which God gave us to satisfy.  Peter is specifically saying to abstain from sexual immorality, but God gave us the appetite for sexual intimacy. This appetite is designed by God to be satisfied in the confines of a marriage between a husband and a wife (see Genesis 2:24 and Hebrews 13:4).
 
Sadly, people today often choose to satisfy that appetite in ways that God did not intend - fornication (sex before marriage), adultery (sex with anyone other than your marriage partner), homosexuality, addiction to pornography, etc. The inner war moves beyond that person to include guilt from past addictions, difficulty with forgiving oneself over past relationships, divorce, and broken homes. Peter speaks of the inner war as the result of indulging the flesh, but we know the end result impacts others as well.
 
This can be applied to other areas as well. God gave us the appetite to eat and drink, but we should abstain from overindulgence or an unhealthy diet. God gave us the appetite to achieve, but we should abstain from becoming a workaholic. God gave us the appetite for rest, but we should abstain from laziness. Peter says, “For your own good, abstain. If you don’t, you will experience an ongoing war in your very soul.”
 
Wayne Grudem writes, “Such a command implies that inward desires are not uncontrollable but can be consciously nurtured or restrained—a needed rebuke to our modern society which takes feelings as a morally neutral ‘given’ and disparages any who would say that some feelings and desires are wrong.”[1]
 
God's Word says some feelings and desires are wrong and don’t need to be acted upon. Our world argues, "No way, if I feel it, it must be right. If I want to do it, then I should be allowed to do it." God's Word says abstain from “fleshly lusts”, and God never tells us to do something that He does not also give us the power to accomplish. God says abstain so He has given you the power to say “no” to that temptation.
 
Galatians 5:16-25 contrasts the Spirit-filled life and the flesh-filled life.
 
Galatians 5:16–25 (NKJV)
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
 
The Christian who wants to live in victory over the sins of the flesh should remember Galatians 5:16, which reads, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” The “not” is emphatic in the Greek, meaning, “You will not ever fulfill the lust of the flesh.” It is a powerful promise from God’s Word. Do the things you ought to do, and you will not do the things you ought not to do. Spend your time focusing on the Spirit-filled life. Fill your life with what would please God. We sing a wonderful song entitled, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” which includes these lines:
 
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
 
Those fleshly temptations will begin to lose their appeal when you are in love with Jesus, filling your life with that which God has provided for you to enjoy. Jesus wants to meet our needs. He wants to satisfy those appetites, but in a way that is healthy and life-giving. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” It doesn’t mean that you won’t be tempted to sin. You will still have to say “no” to temptations. However, instead of always saying “no” to the wrong things, we should focus primarily on saying “yes” to the right things! Our minds should be consumed with the positive rather than the negative.
 
The battle of the flesh and the spirit can be imagined as a fight between two dogs. The dog that will win is the one that is fed, because they are stronger. As a Christian, if you feed the flesh, the lower nature, the base instincts that dominate this world, you will do battle in your soul. You feed your spirit as you read the Bible, pray, live in community with the people of God in a local church, serve God and others with your gifts, share your faith with others, and enjoy those things that God commends in His Word. If God says “yes” to it, enjoy it! If God says “no” to it, abstain from it.
 
Another way to gain victory over the “fleshly lusts” is to see the end result of giving in. Lust leads to sin, and sin leads to death. 
 
James 1:13–15 (NKJV)
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
 
When I was a Youth Pastor, I encouraged the teenagers to “look for the hook” – that is, look past the bait. Every enticement of the world has a “hook”. Jesus said the devil comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10), and he will try to accomplish this by enticing you to sin. You may think, “Pastor, that’s a lesson for the teenagers,” but it still applies to all of us.
 
David was not a teenager when he fell into sin with Bathsheba. Noah was not a teenager when he got drunk and naked after being delivered from the world-wide flood. Abraham was married when he went into Egypt and lied about his wife Sarah to the Pharaoh. The truth is, enticements to sin come to adults just as they do to teenagers.
 
When advertisements come to sinful behaviors and lifestyles, they never show you the end result of that addiction. Look at alcohol advertisements. They show you young, thin, happy adults having a good time. They never show you the addiction, the wasted money, the broken homes, or the regret from decisions made under the influence of alcohol. Advertisers show you the worm, which is the bait to lure you. They never show you the hook. Look for the hook.
 
I'm not a fisherman, I've only fished a couple of times, but I remember one in particular where we had a competition to see who could catch the most fish in an hour. We'd also give an award to the person who caught the biggest fish and another award to the person who caught the smallest fish.
 
Well, I didn't know how to fish very well. So someone graciously helped me by providing me with a reel, attaching the hook, and putting a little worm on the line.  I put it in the water and sat there for 45 minutes. While others were catching fish left and right, I saw no bites whatsoever. A few times I thought I might have caught something, but when I pulled it up, it was just seaweed. I threw it back in the water and waited again.
 
Finally, with only 10 minutes left in the competition and still no catch, someone tactfully came up to me and asked to see my hook. When I pulled it up, it was covered in seaweed. He wiped off the old stuff, put two large worms on the hook in such a way that made it look like four worms, and said, "Now throw that in." Two minutes later, I caught something! I even took home one of the awards - the smallest fish award. I was very proud of that award. The truth is, I was trying to entice these fish with a hook and no bait. No fish is enticed with a hook.
 
Satan is smarter than that. He will not entice you with poverty, addiction, divorce, estrangement from family, or anything else he wants you to experience. He will entice you with fornication, adultery, alcohol, recreational drugs, pornography, and a whole host of other “baits”. You have to be smart enough to “look for the hook” and avoid it. Realize this warning is for our good! God is protecting us from heartache and disappointment. He loves us and wants to give us abundant life! Say “yes” to God’s best. Abstain from fleshly lusts!
 
Another way to gain victory over the fleshly lusts is to take drastic action against sin. Jesus says in Matthew 5:30, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Jesus is not saying to physically dismember yourself. He’s metaphorically saying take drastic steps to avoid sin. Establish guardrails that will keep you from giving into fleshly lusts.
 
The world may never understand the guardrails that we establish that protect us and keep our integrity intact. Even if they don’t understand, we are remaining faithful to God and serve as good examples before others. “The Billy Graham Rule” refers to a decision that Billy Graham made early in his ministry to never meet, travel or dine alone with another woman other than his wife. Graham knew that he was away from his family a lot, and he wanted to maintain his faithfulness to Ruth and his integrity before others.
 
This rule came to the forefront of American politics when it was revealed that Mike Pence, a conservative Christian politician, kept the same rule. Many did not understand the rationale. One writer explained the reaction of many who did not understand Pence’s practice, “How sexist! screamed half of the internet…. Conservative Christians who attempted to stand up for Pence were quickly shouted down.”[2] Leah MarieAnn Klett interviewed Pence and wrote about this for The Christian Post. She wrote,
 
Reflecting on the polarizing reactions to his adherence to the rule, Pence stressed that maintaining professional boundaries has not hindered opportunities for women in his team, instead fostering a respectful work environment.
“It was remarkable that we were being criticized for putting a premium on respecting our marriage and avoiding the appearance of impropriety and also creating conditions in the workplace that were respectful of the men and women that worked with us,” Pence said.[3]
 
Pence and Graham, along with many, many others who live by this rule are simply prioritizing their marriages and staying faithful to their spouses. This may sound drastic, but the goal is to set up guardrails and avoid the conditions that would make it easy to sin. These are a few principles, though there are others, that can help us to live out the command in 1 Peter 2:11 to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”
 
“Dear Lord, thank You for warning me away from temptations that will draw me away from Your best for my life. I want to abstain from the fleshly lusts. I want to experience Your victory. Help me walk in the Spirit. Help me look for the hook. Help me establish guardrails. I pray that I will be the man (or, woman) of integrity and purity You have called me to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.”


[1] Wayne Grudem, 1 Peter, Tyndale NT Commentaries, vol. 17 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 122.
[2] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/mike-pence-and-the-sexism-of-the-billy-graham-rule/521328/, accessed 9/2/2024.

[3] https://www.christianpost.com/books/mike-pence-on-the-billy-graham-rule-and-whats-next.html, accessed 9/2/2024.