James 4:1 - What causes fights and quarrels among you?

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

James 4:1

Commentary

The conflict within us is between our sinful desires for pleasure and the desire for God's will, an attitude the Holy Spirit has placed within us (v. 5).

Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Jas 4:1). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

1 Peter 2:11 - Abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

1 Peter 2:11

Commentary

Peter called his readers to a righteous life in a hostile world. Christians are foreigners in a secular society because their citizenship is in heaven. In order to have an impact on the world for God, Christians must be disciplined in an inward and private way by avoiding the desires of the fallen nature (cf. Gal. 5:19-21, where "fleshly lusts" include much more than sexual temptations). Fleshly lusts are personified as if they were an army of rebels or guerrillas who incessantly search out and try to destroy the Christian's joy, peace and usefulness.

MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (1 Pe 2:11). Nashville: Word Pub.

abstain - The word translated abstain literally (in this verse) means "to hold away from one's person." In other words, we must distance ourselves from our own self-indulgent urges.

Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (1 Pe 2:11). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.