The passage we have in front of us today has been referred to as the most controversial passage in all of Scripture. Martin Luther commented that this passage is “A wonderful text… a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the [New] Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means… I cannot understand and I cannot explain it. And there has been no one who has explained it”.²

The passage we are looking at today is addressed to wives and husbands. Therefore, it seems appropriate to share a little bit of Christy and I’s journey in marriage with you in hopes that it will set the stage well for what the Lord wants to say to us this morning. Christy and I have been married for almost nineteen years now. For nearly two decades we have journeyed through the highways and the byways of life together. We have given a significant portion of our lives to raising seven children and all of those nineteen years have been given to serving the Lord in ministry together. But Christy and I did not meet each other nineteen years ago…

What do you think it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus? You do not need to be a rocket scientist to interpret what Peter’s instructions are in this text. His instructions are simple: Follow in Christ’s footsteps. Practice honorable conduct. Submit to human government. Do good in the sight of God and men. Submit to unjust masters. When in doubt, follow the example of Christ. Why? Because, if you are a Christian, then Jesus has saved you and he continues to watch over your soul.

I entitled this message “The War Against Your Soul” because Peter uses a similar phrase in verse 11 of our text. It is no secret that I am a fighter. Most people who know me well know that I do not retreat, surrender or give up without a good reason. When I am under pressure, I can be slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to anger (just the opposite of James 1:19 – 20). This happens when I feel unwanted, cast aside or helpless and it’s an indicator of the war against my soul.

I want you to think about something special that you own. Maybe it’s something that was given to you or handed down to you or made for you by someone that is special to you. Or maybe the special thing you own is something that resembles a special experience or a special memory in your life; it reminds you of that special season or special memory.

Love is an interesting word that can be used to express an emotion or a feeling when we say, “I love that color” or “I love that truck” or “I love that person”. But it can also be used to describe an action when we say, “I will love my spouse until the day that I die” or “I will love my child unconditionally” or “I will love my family and friends with every ounce of my energy”.

What is it that you hope for? What is your wildest dream? What is your vision of the good life? Some of us hope for better health. Others dream of getting married. Some have grand visions of a better country. While these are not bad hopes, dreams and visions, it’s important for us to acknowledge that “Hope deferred, makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12).

When do you question the faithfulness, power and presence of God the most? The message of salvation is a message that highlights the faithfulness, power and presence of God. God has been faithful to sacrifice his Son Jesus at the cross in our place and the power of his shed blood, broken body and empty tomb give us access to his life-giving presence.

What is the biggest trial you’ve faced recently? What is the hardest thing you’ve walked through? There are a variety of trials and hardships in this life. We all experience things like the ongoing struggle with patterns of sin, the brokenness of relationships, the loss of loved ones to fatal illnesses and the day-to-day difficulty of making ends meet in a broken world.