Faithful Witness In A Hostile World

INTRODUCTION — A CALL TO REMEMBER WHO WE ARE

Peter writes to believers who are “sojourners and exiles.” Who must wage war against sin.

Peter is not writing to political insiders. Not cultural favorites. Not in positions of power.

Their identity is defined by King Jesus, not Rome and its emperors.

Today, believers in America often forget this and cling to politics…

While believers across Africa are suffering genocide, displacement, and martyrdom for their faith.

Todays passage speaks powerfully into both realities. And we are going to unpack all of this.

Read 1 Peter 2:11-17.

PRAY

II. THE IDENTITY OF GOD’S PEOPLE (vv. 11–12)

Read VS.11-12

-Peter is reminding us that This world is not your home. You’re not a permanent resident here — you’re passing through.

-Being a stranger doesn’t mean you’re distant or disengaged from the world. It means you don’t fit the world’s values, because you belong to a different Kingdom.

-It means:

You live here… but your loyalty is elsewhere.

You work here… but your identity is elsewhere.

You struggle here… but your hope is elsewhere.

-Peter then moves into a different conversation.

-Peter knows that the war within us does not stay within us. What happens in the heart eventually spills into the life. That’s why verse 11 is not an isolated command—it sets the stage for verse 12.

-If sinful desires are waging war against our souls on the inside, then honorable conduct is the victory that shows up on the outside. Peter is saying, “Win the war internally so you can walk faithfully externally.”

-What God conquers in you becomes a testimony through you. So before Peter calls us to live honorably among unbelievers, he confronts what would sabotage that witness.

-Verse 11 is the battlefield; verse 12 is the mission field. And only a heart guarded by grace can shine the kind of life that causes even those who reject the gospel to one day glorify God.

“I urge you, as strangers and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.”

-Peter doesn’t say sinful desires are annoying… inconvenient… or unfortunate.

-He says they are waging war — not around us, but in us.

-This is not casual language. This is combat language.

1. The Nature of Sinful Desires — Internal Enemies

-The word Peter uses for "sinful desires" (epithumiai) refers to deep cravings, longings, inner pulls that want to rule the heart. These desires do not attack from the outside first; they rise within the human heart and then try to take ground in the life of the believer.

Jesus himself says this in Matthew 15:18–19 “But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.”

-These desires whisper:

“Just this once…”

“You deserve this…”

“Nobody will know…”

“It’s not a big deal…”

“Why should you forgive? Hold on to that anger…”

-They target more than actions — they target your allegiance.

2. The Battlefield — “Against the Soul”

-Peter says these desires “wage war against the soul.” He does not mean the invisible part of you; he means your whole self, your identity and spiritual health.

-Sinful desires attack:

your joy in Christ

your clarity of calling

your relational integrity

your peace

your witness before a watching world (v. 12)

-They aren’t trying to make you slip up once; they’re trying to re-shape you into the world’s image rather than Christ’s.

3. The Intensity — A Constant War

-“Wage war” is ongoing, persistent, strategic. Sin is never passive. It’s not content to sit quietly. It wants to rule.

-These desires plan ambushes:

When you’re tired

When you’re stressed

When you’re lonely

When you’re angry

When you feel unappreciated

When you’re spiritually dry

-This is why we cannot coast spiritually. No soldier sleeps on the battlefield.

4. Why the War Exists — We Are “Strangers and Exiles”

-Peter ties the war to our identity. Because you belong to another Kingdom —because you are not from here — there will be tension inside you and around you.

-Your new nature in Christ and the lingering impulses of the flesh are at war. Your desires have shifted, but the old ones haven’t stopped fighting.

-This is why Pauls also encouraged believers in Ephesians 4:22–24 “to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.”

-Christ has made you new, but until He returns you live behind enemy lines.

5. The Enemy’s Goal — To Destroy Your Witness

-Notice that verse 12 flows directly out of verse 11: If sinful desires win the war within, your witness loses the war without.

-The enemy doesn’t always need to persecute you from the outside; he can simply distract you from within.

-A compromised witness is a silent witness. A Christian ruled by sinful desires cannot draw the world to Christ.

-Peter is saying: “You can’t live honorably among the Gentiles (v. 12) if sinful desires are ruling your heart.”

6. The Call to Arms — “Abstain”

-“Abstain” is not passive. It is active resistance — a soldier refusing to surrender ground.

-It means:

Cut off what feeds the desire

Starve the craving

Refuse the lie

Break patterns that open doors

Build new habits that strengthen the soul

-You don’t negotiate with an enemy that’s trying to destroy your soul. You resist it. You oppose it. You war against it.

So How Do We Fight This War?:

-Peter doesn’t give all the tools here, but Scripture makes them clear:

Replace sinful desires with stronger desires

Colossians 3:1–2 “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

-You cannot fight desire with willpower alone.

-You fight it with a greater desire for Christ.

Renew your mind with truth

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

Scripture corrects lies and strengthens the conscience.

Guard your inputs

Matthew 6:22–23 ““The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!”

Sinful desires gain power through:

what we watch

what we read

what we dwell on

who we let influence us

Confess and walk with others

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”

-You are not meant to fight this war alone. Isolation strengthens sinful desires; community weakens them.

-Keep your hope set on Christ’s return Knowing that the war has an end gives strength to keep fighting today.

-Why do we fight? Not to earn God’s love — but because we already have God’s love. Jesus not only died to forgive us; He rose to empower us.

-He gives us the Spirit, the armor, the strength, and the identity of victorious exiles. We fight from victory, not for victory.

TO REALLY DRILL HOW IMPORTANT THIS FIGHT IS I WANT US TO REMEMBER SOMETHING FOR A MOMENT.

-Most people know the story of the Trojan Horse. For years, the Greeks had tried to take the city of Troy and couldn’t break through its walls. So they changed tactics. They didn’t attack from the outside—they hid soldiers inside a wooden horse, presented it as a gift, and waited until the Trojans rolled it through their gates. Once the city slept, the soldiers crawled out, opened the gates, and Troy fell from the inside.

-That’s exactly how sinful desires work. The enemy knows that as Spirit-filled believers, he can’t just batter down your walls. So he disguises desires—small, subtle, seemingly harmless. A little bitterness. A secret resentment. A “harmless” indulgence. They look like gifts you can manage… until they’re inside the walls. And once inside, those desires try to open the gates to greater sin, compromise, and spiritual dullness.

-Sinful desires are not pets; they are soldiers.

-They are not decorations; they are infiltrators.

-They don’t want a corner of your life; they want the whole city.

-And so the call is clear: abstain—don’t let the enemy in. Guard your heart so that your life can stand as a fortress of honorable conduct before a watching world.

Now as we move on to what Peter says next, context is extremely important.

-WE ARE GOING TO READ OUR REMAINING VERSES, GIVE CONTEXT THEN UNAPCK IT ALL.

Read 1 Peter 2:13-17.

-Who Was Emperor When Peter Wrote 1 Peter? The Roman emperor at the time 1 Peter was written was almost certainly Nero (reigned AD 54–68).

-Most scholars date 1 Peter to AD 62–64, during the final years of Peter’s ministry and shortly before his martyrdom in Rome.

-Here is some context on what was going on while Peter wrote this.

1. Believers Were Being Socially Marginalized—Not Yet Systematically Persecuted

-At the time of writing, Christians were facing:

Slander

Accusations of being “evildoers”

Suspicion because they rejected Roman religion and refused emperor worship

Social and economic pressures

-This aligns with verses like “they slander you as evildoers” (1 Pet. 2:12). This was not yet the full-scale persecution that would erupt later under Nero.

2. Peter Urges Submission to Authorities—Even Unjust Ones

-In 1 Peter 2:13–17, Peter tells believers to:

Submit to human authorities

Honor everyone

Honor the emperor

Live as God's slaves

-Why? Because Christians were already viewed as subversive. Rebellion would only strengthen accusations that they were a threat to Rome.

-Peter’s concern was missional: Live honorably so unbelievers may see your good works and glorify God.

3. Nero’s Rule Was Growing Increasingly Hostile

-Early in his reign, Nero was politically stable and not focused on Christians. But by AD 64, when the Great Fire of Rome occurred, Nero publicly blamed Christians and unleashed state-sanctioned persecution.

-Peter likely wrote 1 Peter just before this broke out.

-This would all change soon for believers and Peters words were going to be very important for believers on What Was to Come for Believers Under Future Emperors.

Under Nero (AD 64–68)

First empire-wide persecution

Christians burned alive, fed to animals, crucified

Peter and Paul martyred during this period

Christians officially considered enemies of the state

Peter’s call to honor the emperor is incredibly powerful because he knew suffering was coming.

-After Nero: The Next Century of Emperors

Domitian (AD 81–96)

Demanded emperor worship

Persecuted Christians who refused

Many connect his reign to the background of Revelation

Christians were accused of “atheism” for denying the Roman gods and emperor worship

Trajan (AD 98–117)

His infamous rescript to Pliny the Younger:

Christians were not to be hunted

But if accused and unrepentant, they must be executed

Shows how normalized anti-Christian hostility became

Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius

Continued localized persecutions

Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180) saw Christians as destructive to Roman order; persecutions increased

Decius (AD 249–251)

First empire-wide edict requiring mandatory sacrifice to the Roman gods

Refusal meant imprisonment or execution

Led to massive testing of Christian faith

Diocletian (AD 303–311)

The Great Persecution

Churches destroyed

Scriptures burned

Christians imprisoned or killed

-This was the harshest persecution in Christian history until Christianity was legalized in AD 313 (Edict of Milan).

So How This All Speaks Into 1 Peter 2:11–17

-Peter writes during the final calm before the storm. He urges believers to:

Live as sojourners and exiles (v. 11).

Maintain honorable conduct (v. 12).

Submit to government authorities (vv. 13–14).

Honor the emperor (v. 17)—even when the emperor will soon kill them.

-Why?Because Christians serve a greater King—and their faithful witness in hostile times would advance the gospel across the empire.

Our ultimate citizenship is the Kingdom of God.

Earth is not home. America is not home. No earthly nation is home.

Comfort can make us forget that.

Our witness matters more than our political wins.

We reflect Christ so that even those who oppose us may see our good works.

-Peter gives commands that were radical under Nero’s rule.

A. Submit to human authorities—“for the Lord’s sake”

Not because leaders are always righteous

But because God is sovereign above them

B. Live as free people—yet as God’s slaves

Freedom in Christ is not freedom to be abrasive, angry, or divisive

We are free to serve, free to love, free to lay down our rights for the gospel

C. Verse 17 = The Christian Ethic in 4 Commands:

Honor everyone

Love the brothers and sisters

Fear God

Honor the emperor

This is the Kingdom way.

IV. WHAT THIS MEANT FOR THEM — AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR US

A.They lived under Nero

Nero’s reign began stable but grew violent

Within a couple years of this letter, Nero would initiate violent persecution

Peter would die under Nero

Yet Peter says: “Honor the emperor.” Because Christians do not fear earthly kings. We fear God alone.

B. In America, some Christians worship politics

More passion for elections than for evangelism

More hope in government than in God

More energy defending political power than defending holiness

Fear of losing influence replaces fear of God

-This passage confronts our misplaced loyalties.

1. Christians Are “Exiles” Everywhere—Even in Free Countries

Peter calls believers “sojourners and exiles,” meaning:

Our deepest loyalty is to God’s Kingdom

Earthly nations—even good ones—are not our final home

Our identity is not Republican, Democrat, political, or national

-In America, we often forget this because we’re comfortable. But comfort can become compromise.

-When Christians attach their identity to a political party, they stop living as exiles and start living like citizens of this world.

-Peter reminds us: Your allegiance is to Christ alone. Everything else is secondary.

2. Politics Makes a Terrible God

-In America, many believers:

Get more discipled by news than Scripture

Show more passion for defending a party than defending the gospel

Fear losing political power more than losing holiness

Trust in elections more than in the sovereignty of God

-Peter’s message cuts through all that:

“Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” —1 Peter 2:17

-Notice the order:

Fear God — worship Him alone

Honor the emperor — respect government, but don’t worship it

Love the church — unity matters more than political tribes

-Politics is not the hope of the world. Jesus is.

3. Submission to Authorities Is About Witness, Not Blind Loyalty

-Peter didn’t write this under a Christian-friendly government.

-He wrote it under Nero, one of the most corrupt emperors in history.

Yet he still said:

Live honorably

Respect the authorities

Don’t give the world a reason to slander the church

-Why? Because Christians live for a higher purpose: to make the gospel beautiful in the eyes of a watching world.

-This means:

Christians don’t respond to political disagreements with hatred

Christians don’t demonize opponents

Christians don’t act like politics is ultimate

Christians don’t abandon Christlike character for temporary power

-Your witness matters more than your political victories.

4. For Christians Around the World Facing Persecution

-1 Peter speaks uniquely to them. They live in the world Peter originally addressed.

For believers today who face:

imprisonment

underground churches

martyrdom

family rejection

government hostility

-Peter’s words are life-giving:

A. Your suffering is not meaningless

God sees. God rewards. God judges justly.

B. Your faithfulness is your witness

The early church didn’t grow by winning elections—it grew by faithful suffering.

C. You follow in the footsteps of Jesus

A persecuted church resembles Christ more clearly than a comfortable one.

D. Earthly governments do not have the last word

Peter honored an emperor who would eventually kill him… because he knew the true King would resurrect him.

Christian hope is not in earthly safety but in eternal glory.

5. The American Church Needs to Recover a Theology of Exile

-Here’s the challenge: We are too outraged to be holy and too comfortable to be faithful.

-Peter calls us back to:

humble witness

fearless hope

good works that silence the critics

devotion to Christ above all else

-Meanwhile, the persecuted church today models:

courage

endurance

purity

prayer

dependence on God

-Sometimes the church in chains is spiritually stronger than the church in comfort.

This all lead me to talk about a sobering reality…..

V. THE GLOBAL CHURCH: WHEN FOLLOWING JESUS COSTS EVERYTHING

While American Christians get divided over political parties…

*Our brothers and sisters in Africa are being slaughtered for Jesus.*

A. The crisis

According to recent data from International Christian Concern (ICC), persecution of Christians in parts of Africa — especially in countries like Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — has surged in 2025. The report documents a troubling rise in “brutal killings, abductions, and displacement” of Christians. International Christian

In the DRC, for example, militants linked to an extremist group attacked a church service and reportedly beheaded some 70 Christians in one incident. 

In Nigeria — long identified as among the deadliest places on earth to be a Christian — thousands have been murdered, churches destroyed, and entire communities displaced under Islamist militant assaults and communal violence. 

According to one analysis, many view this wave of violence as a “silent genocide,” given the systematic nature of targeting Christians for their faith. 

In short: believers in many African nations are not simply facing social pressure or mild persecution — they are enduring real, lethal danger for following Christ.

Entire villages burned

Churches destroyed

Believers beheaded, abducted, displaced

Thousands killed each year

B. Their faith mirrors the faith of the early church

They do not trust in political systems for protection They cling to Christ as their only hope

-When you read 1 Peter’s instructions to “live as aliens and exiles,” “honor everyone,” “fear God,” and “honor the emperor” under the reign of a cruel emperor — the gravity of that context gives the passage urgency. Peter wrote not in a comfortable environment, but under rising hostility.

-Yet he calls Christians to faithful witness, holiness, and submission even when authorities are unjust.

For persecuted believers in Africa today:

Their suffering echoes the early church. Peter’s readers understood that following Jesus did not guarantee safety; rather, it might lead to suspicion, slander, imprisonment, or death. The violence in modern Africa is a tragic continuation of what the early church experienced.

Their faithfulness now is a powerful testimony. When churches are bombed, believers killed or displaced, and yet faith remains — that echoes Peter’s call to “live honorably among unbelievers” so that even in suffering, God’s name is glorified.

Their identity remains rooted in Christ as the ultimate King. Just as Peter reminded Christians that earthly rulers are temporary, so persecuted believers know that no earthly government can extinguish the Kingdom of Christ. Their trust remains in the eternal King.

-For believers in safer contexts — including America — 1 Peter plus the suffering of brothers and sisters abroad should:

Remind us how precious and costly faith can be. It’s easy in comfort to think of Christianity as safe and socially acceptable. But the reality for many is starkly different. That should humble us and deepen our gratitude.

Motivate us toward solidarity, prayer, and action. If our brothers and sisters are facing violence for Christ — we ought to pray, advocate, support Christian relief and aid, raise awareness, and push for justice where possible.

Challenge our political / national loyalties. When believers elsewhere risk everything — life, community, security — for Christ, our faith should not be anchored in flags or parties but in the cross and the gospel.

C. Their witness should convict us

They treasure Christ more than life

Their hope is eternal

Their loyalty is unshakably Kingdom-centered

The gospel is global — and so is suffering. Comfort does not define Christian faith. The true church worldwide includes those who suffer, persecute, and die for their faith.

Martyrs and persecuted believers remind us of the cost of discipleship. Their stories should shape our theology of suffering, holiness, endurance, hope, and eternal perspective — the very themes you often emphasize in your sermons.

We must pray and intercede — and not be silent. Silence can feel like complicity. As we preach hope and Kingdom values, we should also remember the persecuted, send help where possible, and keep raising their stories.

Our political and social engagement must not overshadow our greatest allegiance. The church’s mission is spiritual and eternal — not merely political. Persecution reminds us that kingdoms of this world are fleeting; the Kingdom of God endures forever.

Persecution unites the global church. Suffering believers in Africa and believers in free lands share a common King, a common hope, and a common calling. Their faith should humble and inspire us, and their witness should be our call to more faithful, sacrificial discipleship.

-Peter’s audience lived under an evil emperor.

African Christians today live under violent oppression.

American Christians live in comfort—but often with confused priorities.

Peter’s message is timeless:

Fear God. Honor others. Submit humbly. Live as exiles.

Witness faithfully.

Your life should silence critics

Your good works should point people to Jesus

We are called to be holy, humble, hope-filled, and heaven-focused

And trust the King who reigns above every earthly ruler.

Because the kingdoms of this world are passing away— But the Kingdom of our God will stand forever.