1 Peter 4:1-6

 

 

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1 Peter 4:1  Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: Christou oun pathontos (AAPMSG) sarki kai humeis ten auten ennoian hoplisasthe (2PAMM) hoti o pathon (AAPMSN) sarki pepautai (3SRMI) hamartias, 
Amplified: SO, SINCE Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you,
arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God]
(Amplified Bible - Lockman)
KJV
: Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh,
arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
NET: So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also
arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin, (NET Bible)
Young's Literal: Christ, then, having suffered for us in the flesh, ye also with the same mind
arm yourselves, because he who did suffer in the flesh hath done with sin,

References 1 Peter

Paul Apple
Albert Barnes
Brian Bell
John Calvin
Steven Cole
Thomas Constable
Dwight Edwards
Bruce Goettsche
David Guzik
Matthew Henry
Jamieson, F, B
John MacArthur
John MacArthur
Alexander Maclaren
J Vernon McGee
F B Meyer
John Piper
Ray Pritchard
Ron Ritchie
Grant Richison
Grant Richison
Grant Richison
A T Robertson
Dave Roper
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
Marvin Vincent
Illustrations
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Today in the Word

1 Peter Commentary in Pdf format
1 Peter 4
1 Peter 4
1 Peter 4
1 Peter 4:1-6 - recommended
1 Peter
1 Peter: Well done Exposition
1 Peter 4:1-11 Faith in Action
1 Peter 4
1 Peter 4 Commentary
1 Peter 4 Commentary

1 Peter 4:1  Memory that Shuns Sin - 1

1 Peter 4:2-6 Memory that Shuns Sin - 2
1 Peter 4:1-8 Christian Asceticism
1 Peter Mp3 Messages Thru the Bible
1 Peter 4:1 Our Daily Homily

1 Peter 4:1-6 Arming Yourself...to Suffer
1 Peter 4:1-6 Going Against the Flow

1 Peter 4:1-6 How Can We Overcome Temptation...
1 Peter 4:1 4:1b 4:1c 4:1d 4:2 4:2b
1 Peter 4:3 4:3b 4:3c 4:3d 4:3e 4:3f 4:3g 4:3h
1 Peter 4:4 4:4b 4:4c 4:5 4:5b 4:6 4:6b
1 Peter 4: Greek Word Studies

1 Peter 3:8-4:6: Dead Men Don't Sin
1 Peter 4:1-3 Luminous Words - Pdf
1 Peter 4 Commentary
1 Peter 4: Greek Word Studies
1 Peter 4:1 A Cure For Self-Pity 4:2 Time Flies
1 Peter: Download lesson 1 of 12

1 Peter - Knowing God Through 1 Peter
1 Peter 4:1-11

THEREFORE SINCE CHRIST HAS SUFFERED IN THE FLESH: Christou oun pathontos (AAPMSG) sarki: (1 Peter 3:18)

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit (see note 1 Peter 3:18)

Therefore looks back to His unjust suffering and undeserved death (1 Peter 3:18, see also notes on 1 Peter 2:24; 4:13;  5:1) but also to His triumphant victory over the forces of darkness (see note 1 Peter 3:22) and he reiterates for emphasis Jesus suffered as a man and His example and Selfless attitude should motivate us to arm ourselves. And specifically believers in light of Jesus' suffering should be motivated to deal decisively with sin, for He dealt the death blow to sin for us when He suffered and died on the Cross. Believers are now dead to the power of sin positionally and thus are free from its power to control us. Sure we still sin, but now we make the conscious choice to sin. Peter says now we need to make the conscious choice to cease from sin. Sin is destructive, deceptive, decay producing and death dealing. In light of our Savior's unjust suffering in our place and as our substitute, we should hate sin, for it was sin that took our Lord Jesus to the Cross.

Since Christ has suffered - Spurgeon comments...

Brethren, we have a Savior who suffered for us. As the Head was, such must the members expect to be. Let us, then, be resolutely determined that, suffer as we may, we will never turn aside from our Lord; for, inasmuch as we suffered in him, yea, and died in him, we ought to reckon that we are henceforth dead to sin, and that we have ceased from it, and can no longer be drawn into it.

In the flesh - refers to His physical body. He was no phantom, but fully Man, Who lived a sinless life.

Since He as a Man has died for us. (see note 1 Peter 3:18). The design was to set the suffering Redeemer before them as an example in their trials and refers to the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ. He had to suffer (see notes Hebrews 2:9, 2:10, 5:8) because of sin. And so our Lord came to earth to deal with sin and to conquer it forever. He dealt with the ignorance of sin by teaching the truth and by living it before men’s eyes. He dealt with the consequences of sin by healing and forgiving; and, on the cross, He dealt the final deathblow to sin itself. He was armed, as it were, with a militant attitude toward sin, even though He had great compassion for lost sinners.

When He died, we died (co-crucified with Him - see Romans 6:3;
 6:4; 6:5; 6:6; 6:14, Galatians 2:20). Therefore how can we enjoy that which made Jesus suffer and die on the cross (cp attitude in Ezekiel 9:4)? We have been spiritually circumcised and have been given a new heart (with a new motivation, a new power, His Spirit of holiness to lead us).

ARM YOURSELVES ALSO WITH THE SAME PURPOSE (mind, attitude): kai humeis ten auten ennoian hoplisasthe (2PAMM): (Ro 13:12-14; Php 2:5; Heb 12:3)

KJV is a good translation of the Greek here...

arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: (cp notes Philippians 2:5; 2:6; 2:7; 2:8)

Arm yourselves - This phrase brings out the force of the Greek, which conveys the metaphor of going out to battle after putting on armor. Don't miss Peter's implication beloved. You are involved (whether you like it or not) in a relentless war with the world, your flesh and the devil, so you had better arm youself!

If we put on or adopt the same frame of mind as Jesus had, we shall find that we have protected ourselves (our heart and mind, cp Proverbs 4:23) against the attacks of temptation (see notes Ephesians 6:17, 1Thessalonians 5:8) The picture is that of a soldier who puts on his equipment and arms himself for battle. Our attitudes are weapons, and weak or wrong attitudes will lead us to defeat.

Arm (3695) (hoplizo from hoplon = weapon) basically means to make ready or prepare, with a focus upon the process of equipping. In Greek it was used from Homer down meaning to arm, to furnish with arms or to provide. In the case of soldiers it means to equip one's self with weapons. The noun hoplon was used for a soldier who was heavily armed with javelin and large shield and so the picture is that this soldier is heavily armed. Peter is not speaking of literal weapons or armor but uses hoplizo figuratively to convey the idea of arming oneself with a mind or thought in preparation for suffering. Remember the way you think determines how you act (and react).

The verb arm in aorist imperative which calls for a decisive choice to effectively accomplish this action and implies an urgent and immediate call to do so. Peter is commanding the reader to adopt the attitude of Christ -- equip or arm yourself with this most appropriate tool or weapon -- an attitude similar to that which Christ (cp similar thoughts about preparing our minds -  gird your mind - see note 1 Peter 1:13, keep sober in spirit - see notes 1 Peter 5:8, cp Ephesians 6:14, 2 Timothy 2:3; 2:4...) Why the mind? What is the important point? The world make look like the battleground for believers (and it is) but the real war takes place in our mind where the battle is over truth. We are in a truceless war (see note Romans 13:12, 2Cor 6:7,10:4, see note 1 Peter 2:11). Peter also uses of the middle voice which calls his hearers to a personal responsibility in doing the arming. The idea is you arm yourself. Only girded with this mindset can you be victorious in the conflict. Fiery trials awaited them and similar trials await each one of His disciples who seeks to walk worthy of the gospel to which we were called.

Outlook determines outcome, and a believer must have the right attitudes if he is to live a right life. Since this is a constant struggle we need to be properly motivated and that is what Peter is doing in this section, teaching that we can be motivated by the truth that our Lord also suffered and also by the certainty of His imminent return to judge the living and the dead.

Yourselves - humeis = you is first in the sentence for emphasis. Purpose is better translated "mind" (see note Hebrews 4:12) and indicates an attitude, viewpoint or resolve that expresses itself in determined action. Attitude determines action. Peter says we are to have the same attitude about suffering for righteousness sake as did the Righteous One. The idea of arm is "put on the same armor", "arm yourselves with the same insight." Christ had perfect insight into the true nature of Sin  and its consequences and this led Him to deliberately set His face like flint (Isa 50:7) toward Jerusalem and the Cross (Lu 9:51) and so too must we (Lu 9:23, Mk 8:34-36)

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mt 16:24).

Richison makes an excellent point that...

Every time we resist temptation, we become more equipped to resist the next temptation. Each time we conquer sin makes us better able to face the next attack. As we build momentum of conquering sin, we become more spiritually mature. Spiritual maturity guarantees infrequency of sin in our lives. (1 Peter 4:1b)

H Mears writes

Such a high resolve will involve a measure of actual suffering, for God’s will may cut across our desire to gratify some bodily craving. Very few in this world escape suffering, either mental, physical or spiritual. We cannot choose the way we shall suffer. Often God allows us to go through life denied the one thing we wish more than anything else. But we should be comforted in this that whom God loves, He chastens. If He grinds down the surface of our lives, it is that the stone may shine the more brilliantly. The many facets of the diamond are what make it dazzling.

What is your attitude toward sin? Have you armed yourself? Are you willing to suffer for righteousness sake?

With the same purpose - As discussed below perhaps a better way to translate this word would be intention. What Peter is showing us is that righteous living begins right thinking (intentions).

Purpose (1771) (ennoia from en = in + noús = mind) is literally "in mind" and so refers to a thought, principle, counsel, resolve. The principle of thought and feeling here referred to is that of the dying life voluntarily accepted and put on as armor, and finding expression in the meek & courageous pursuit of the spiritual life. This word deals with forming motivations.

The only other NT use of ennoia is in Hebrews...

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions (ennoia) of the heart. (See note Hebrews 4:12) (Comment: Here the point is that God’s Word discerns morally questionable motivations of our hearts.)

BECAUSE HE WHO HAS SUFFERED IN THE FLESH HAS CEASED FROM SIN: hoti o pathon (AAPMSN) sarki pepautai (3SRMI) hamartias: (Ro 6:2,7,11; Gal 2:20; 5:24; Col 3:3-5) (Isa 1:16; Eze 16:41; Heb 4:10)

Note that this is a difficult passage and although I have presented the interpretation I favor, the reader should be aware that there are at least three other possible interpretations. See Steven Cole's discussion for a more detailed analysis of the possibilities (click).

Suffered in the flesh -  as Christ did equates with His death, burial and resurrection bringing victory over sin & death. As we "suffer in the flesh" (note aorist tense here signifying a once for all time suffering ~ when He died we died when we by faith identified with His death). Now because of our IDENTIFICATION with Christ by faith, we too have died to the power of sin in our life. Sin no longer reigns & controls us (see notes Romans 6:11; 14). We have ceased once and for all from our former slavery to SIN and now are slaves to Christ, slaves to righteousness. Note "ceased" is in the perfect tense which signifies a definite break with sin's rule at one point in time (their day of salvation when they identified by faith with Christ's propitiatory work of Romans 6) with the effect of that once for all break from the domination of SIN continuing in their new life in Christ.

So the central idea here seems to be the same truth taught in Romans 6 (also see note
Romans 8:13): As we daily and even moment by moment yield ourselves in total abandonment to to God, we are arming ourselves with the same attitude toward sin that Jesus had and we are enabled by His Spirit Who indwells us to overcome the strong desires that once ruled over us in our old life. Remember however Jesus' warning in (Mt 25:41) and be vigilant and diligent (see note 2 Peter 1:5ff).

Ceased (3973) (pauo) means to stop, restrain, refrain, quit, desist. To come to an end.

Wiersbe writes

Our goal in life is to “cease from sin.” We will not reach this goal until we die, or are called home when the Lord returns; but this should not keep us from striving (1Jn 2:28-3:9). Peter did not say that suffering of itself would cause a person to stop sinning. Pharaoh in Egypt went through great suffering in the plagues, and yet he sinned even more! I have visited suffering people who cursed God and grew more and more bitter because of their pain.  (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos)

Peter is encouraging them that although they may be currently suffering or soon will enter a season of suffering, they are victors in Christ (1Jn 5:4-5) & they have effectively broken with their former slavery to the old master sin (see notes Romans 6:17; 18; 22). The power of sin has been terminated by Christ's death on the Cross and we can now walk in newness of life (see note Romans 6:4). Believers now don't so much fight for victory as from the victory that has already been accomplished on Calvary.

Suffering, plus Christ in our lives, can help us have victory over sin.

Wayne Barber teaches that the suffering has a purifying effect in our life so that after we have suffered we will cease from sin. Other commentators take ceased from sin to be more the idea along the line of the same truth taught in Romans 6 that we are identified with Christ in His suffering and death, and therefore can have victory over sin. As we yield ourselves to God, and have the same attitude toward sin that Jesus had, we can overcome the old life and manifest the new life.

F B Meyer in Our Daily Homily - THE Church was redeemed in a baptism of pain: for her members to suffer, and by suffering to overcome the world, is to fulfill the forecast which Jesus gave when He said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Arm yourselves with this mind; put on this thought, this resolution, this purpose; determine that suffering at least shall never daunt you.

The reason for donning this armor.--Here we have no continuing city. In the death of Jesus we suffered in the flesh, and ceased from our connection with the world which cast Him out: and, as suffering is meted out to us, we become increasingly convinced that we can have no fellowship with its sins. The pain which the world allots to the followers of Jesus widens the chasm between them and it, pulls down the old nests in which their affections once built, and makes them more determined than ever to follow their Lord.

The choice which this armor involves.--No more the lusts of men, but the will of God. Never again to work the desire of the Gentiles, but to live according to God. Not henceforth to bow before the bondage of evil habit, but with erect and upright gaze to behold the face of Christ --such is the choice. Will you not now make it at this solemn moment, as you stand on this watershed between the two continents--here of the morning, there of the midnight? Follow the King, cost what it may.

The nature of the armor.--It is armor of Light: in which Christ's nature was encased, and on which all the shafts of man and devil broke into splinters. No weapon that was ever manufactured can prevail against its heavenly temper.

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F B Meyer - "Arm yourselves with the same mind" (or thought, R. V. marg). - Let this thought be deeply inwrought by the power of the Holy Ghost. Let it be the ruling conception of your soul. Muse (Meditate) on it as steadfastly as the saint is said to have considered the stigmata. Gird it about you each morning (see note 1 Peter 1:13), as the soldier his cuirass (ED: piece of armor covering the body from neck to waist - the breastplate of such a piece) before he enters on the fight (see notes Ephesians 6:12; 6:13). Whenever the world approaches with its soft caress, or the flesh allures (see Chart contrasting in the flesh vs in the Spirit), or the devil tempts, answer each unhallowed suggestion with the words,

I cannot do that now; I have passed into a new world, where such things are not admissible. I am seated in Christ Jesus, where all that is unclean and defiling is far down under my feet.

Then reckon on the blessed Spirit to make your boasting good, and to realize in you all that Jesus accomplished when He breathed out His Spirit in the last throes of death. There is no need to be overcome of sin. We are risen. We have ascended (see note Ephesians 2:6). We are one with Jesus in His glorious triumph (see notes Colossians 1:27; Colossians 3:4). The Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, and is prepared to realize in us, as in miniature, all that glory and victory which He wrought in our glorious Lord.

He that hath suffered in the flesh (and we have done that in Jesus) hath ceased from sin.

Let us ponder these deep and precious words. (F B Meyer from The Glorious Lord)

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A Cure For Self Pity - We all have a tendency to feel sorry for ourselves when trouble comes our way and everything seems to be going wrong. One cure for these feelings can be found in remembering what other believers have endured in their service for Christ.

Consider American missionary David Brainerd (1718-1747). He wrote,

My diet consists mostly of hasty-pudding, boiled corn, and bread baked in ashes, and sometimes a little meat and butter. My lodging is a little heap of straw, laid upon some boards. . . . My work is exceedingly hard and difficult. . . . These and many other uncomfortable circumstances attend me; and yet my spiritual conflicts and distresses so far exceed all these that I scarce think of them, but feel as if I were entertained in the most sumptuous manner.

It's helpful to consider what people like David Brainerd have endured, but it's even more helpful to remember what our Lord Jesus went through for us. The most effective cure for self-pity is to recall the suffering of our Savior on the cross and to think of the great joy we will experience when He returns in His glory (1 Peter 4:1,13).

As we focus our thoughts on Jesus, we'll gain a new perspective and our self-pity will cease. —Richard De Haan (
Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Lord, I thank You for the lessons
You have taught through those in need,
For they show how by affliction
They have learned on You to feed. —Anon.

When you think no one has problems like yours,
remember what Jesus endured.

 

1 Peter 4:2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: eis to meketi anthropon epithumiais alla thelemati theou ton epiloipon en sarki biosai (AAN) chronon.
Amplified: So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires, but [he lives] for what God wills.  (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
KJV: That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
NET: in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires. (NET Bible)
Young's Literal: no more in the desires of men, but in the will of God, to live the rest of the time in the flesh

SO AS TO LIVE THE REST OF THE TIME: ton epiloipon...biosai (AAN) chronon:

So as - Peter elaborates on the result or the purpose of the "arming" they did in the preceding verse (4:1). If one equips himself with the same mindset as Christ (by grace thru faith cp note Colossians 2:6) the result will be that you won't live according to the evil desires of unregenerate men. You won't continue presenting the members of your body to Sin (your old defeated "master" or "lord") to bring about unrighteous acts, but now you are enabled to continually present yourself to God for righteous deeds (cp notes Romans 6:11; 6:12; 6:13).

Rest of the time - What is left of our life on this earth. Peter reminds them (and all of us) of the brevity of the remainder of their earthly life (cp "time of your stay" 1 Peter 1:17 [note], "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS...THE GRASS WITHERS" 1 Peter 1:24 [note]) which should inspire us all to "redeem the time" and make the most of each opportunity God gives us (see notes Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5; 4:6)

If we do the will of God, then we will invest the rest of our time in that which is lasting and satisfying, but if we choose to give in to the world around us, the flesh within us, and/or the devil confronting us, we will waste the rest of our time and regret it when we stand before Jesus. This same idea was alluded to earlier when Peter said that...

if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct (aorist imperative) yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth (See note 1 Peter 1:17)

Steven Cole observes that...

living a holy life will be easy. Clearly, it’s not. As our text shows, it’s a constant struggle. Peter’s readers were being persecuted for their faith. Some were being ridiculed by their former friends because they no longer joined them in their drinking and sexual orgies. The persecution was making them wonder, “Why am I enduring this? Why not go with the flow and enjoy the pleasures I used to enjoy?” When they saw the first century version of the Schlitz commercial, which encouraged them to grab all the gusto they could, since they only go around once, they were tempted. But Peter counters that mentality by saying, “Yes, you only go around once, and then you stand before Christ who suffered for our sins and who will judge the living and the dead! In light of that, you must be intent on holiness. Any suffering you encounter for Christ’s sake should steel you to live for the will of God, not for the lusts of men.” (1 Peter 4:1-6)

Wiersbe writes concerning the rest of your time...

While on our way home from the African trip... we were delayed in London by a typical English fog. London is one of my favorite places, so I was not disturbed a bit! But the delay gave my wife and me the opportunity to show London to a couple who were traveling with us. Imagine trying to see that marvelous city in one day!  We had to make the most of the time—and we did! Our friends saw many exciting sites in the city. How long is “the rest of your time”? Only God knows. Don’t waste it! Invest it by doing the will of God. (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos)

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Time Flies - Many metaphors are used in literature to describe life's brevity. It is a dream, a swift runner, a mist, a puff of smoke, a shadow, a gesture in the air, a sentence written in the sand, a bird flying in one window of a house and out another. Another symbolic description was suggested by a friend of mine who said that the short dash between the dates of birth and death on tombstones represents the brief span of one's life.

When we were children, time loitered. But as we get closer to the end of our lives, time moves with increasing swiftness, like water swirling down a drain. In childhood we measured our age in small increments. "I'm 6 1/2," we would say, for it seemed to take so long to get older. Now we have no time for such childishness. Who claims to be 60 1/2?

It's good to ponder the brevity of life now and then. Life is too short to treat it carelessly. In Psalm 90, after describing the shortness of life, Moses prayed, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (v.12).

To make the most of our earthly existence, we must lose ourselves in the will of God

(1 Peter 4:2). This we can do even when time is running out. It's never too late to give ourselves totally to God. —David H. Roper (
Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Lord, help us to redeem the time
You give us every day—
To take each opportunity
To follow and obey. —Sper

Don't just count your days,
make your days count.

IN THE FLESH NO LONGER FOR THE LUSTS OF MEN: eis to meketi anthropon epithumiais alla thelemati theou ton epiloipon en sarki biosai (AAN) chronon: (1 Peter 2:1,14; Ro 7:4; 14:7; Eph 4:17,22-24; 5:7,8; Col 3:7,8; Titus 3:3-8) (Lust: Hos 6:7; Mk 7:21; Eph 2:3)

In the flesh - Refers in context to our physical bodies, not our Sin nature inherited from Adam which refer to  flesh as that evil disposition which is indefatigably opposed to the will of God.

No longer - No longer for our Self but for the Savior. In Adam we all had a pattern of life that sought to please Self, but now in Christ we are empowered and called to be oriented to do the will of God for the short time we have left on earth.

Paul uses a similar "time phrase" no longer in Corinthians writing...

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Cor 5:14-15)

Lusts - Note that it lusts is plural (in Greek and English) which pictures the many and variable cravings our fallen flesh  (still present even in believers!) is prone to wander as Robert Robertson so "beautifully" phrased it in his hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (play) ...

 

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Lusts (1939)(epithumia from epi = at, toward {the preposition "epi-" in the compound is directive conveying the picture of "having one’s passion toward" } + thumos = passion. The root verb epithumeo = set heart upon) is a neutral term denoting the presence of strong desires or impulses, longings or passionate craving (whether it is good or evil is determined by the context) directed toward an object. (Click article in ISBE) Most often epithumia in the NT describes strong desires which are perverted and unrestrained and which originate from our SIN (flesh) nature, which is corrupt and fallen.

Warren Wiersbe writes that

 

these fundamental desires of life are the steam in the boiler that makes the machinery go. Turn off the steam and you have no power. Let the steam go its own way and you have destruction. The secret is in constant control. These desires must be our servants and not our masters; and this we can do through Jesus Christ. (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)
 

A Jewish proverb says "Lust is like rot in the bones."
 

Hiebert has an interesting note that the

 

degeneration in the meaning of the term (epithumia from God given desires to perverted desires) is a revealing commentary on human nature. Left to himself, instead of gaining mastery over his base desires and steadfastly adhering to the good, the individual is characteristically overcome by his evil cravings, so that they become the dominating force of his life." (Hiebert, D. Edmond: 1 Peter. Page 94. Moody)

The memory of our sinful past as unsaved men should serve as a sharp goad against any tendency to relapse into that kind of lifestyle. Conversion makes us sometimes painfully aware conscious of two different types of life, one set on self's will and the other on God's will. To live for the lusts of men refers to a life ruled or controlled by the variegated evil cravings or sinful desires that characterize man's fallen, depraved mind (see note 1 Peter 1:14).

Pastor Steven Cole introduces his sermon on this section with the following statistics...

In 1988 Leadership, a leading journal for pastors, commissioned a poll to determine, “How common is pastoral indiscretion?” One question was, “Since you’ve been in local church ministry, have you ever done anything with someone (not your spouse) that you feel was sexually inappropriate?” The responses: 23% yes; 77% no.

A second question was more