Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Peter 2:11

"Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul;" — 1 Peter 2:11 (ASV)

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,

For you do not belong to the corruptible world; you are of an incorruptible race: I beseech you as strangers and pilgrim.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you –

Peter puts his hands together, and pleads with intense earnestness.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11).

Fleshly lusts always hurt the soul. They do serious injury to the body, for they are contrary to the laws of health; but the main point for you to consider is that they "war against the soul."

No man or woman can ever commit an act of uncleanness of the body without grievously injuring the soul. It leaves a weakness, a defilement, a wound, a scar upon the soul; so may God graciously keep us from it altogether!

As strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Those fleshly lusts belong to this present evil world, but you do not belong to it; you are "strangers and pilgrims" here, therefore feel an absolute alienation towards such things, an utter abhorrence of them. Do not even think of them, much less practice them. "Abstain from fleshly lusts;" for, while they injure the body, that is not the worst thing that they do, for they "war against the soul."