Friendship with the World

4 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?

Live as Servants of God

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.^[a](A)

²³ but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.^(A)

¹⁷ For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.^(A)

¹⁴ But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it;

³ You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.^(A)

¹⁶ These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their lusts;^[a] their mouths utter bombastic nonsense, flattering people to their own advantage.^(A)

Warnings and Exhortations

¹⁷ But you, beloved, must remember the words previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸ for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.”^(B)

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world,^{(A) 16} for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ And the world and its desire^[a] are passing away, but those who do the will of God abide forever.^(B)

³ For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.^(A)