you have still the flesh which is impulsive and
inconsiderate; therefore take good care, that ye overcome it. By
strong effort must it be; you are to constrain and subdue lust, and
the greater your faith is, the greater will the conflict be.
Therefore you should be prepared and armed, and should contend
therewith without intermission. For they will assault you in
multitudes, and would take you captive.

Hence St. Paul says, also, Rom. vii.: "I have a desire toward the law
of God after the inward man; but I find another law in my members,
which opposes itself to the law in my spirit, and takes me captive,
that I cannot do as I would,"--as though he had said, I fight indeed
against it, but it will not finally yield. Therefore I would gladly
be free, but in spite of my wishing it, it may not come to pass. What
then am I to do? "Wretched man that I am, (says he,) who shall
deliver me from the body of this death." In this same manner, also,
all the saints cry out. But those people who are without faith, the
devil leads in such a way that he permits them only to enter on
sinful courses, to follow him and make no opposition. But as to the
others, he thinks, I have already taken them captive by unbelief. I
will permit them then to go so far only, as to do no great sin and
have no great assault and be kept from swearing and knavery.

But believers have always opposition enough,--they must ever stand in
the (attitude of) struggle. Those who are without faith and have not
the Spirit, do not feel this, nor do they have such an experience;
they break away and follow their wicked lusts; but as soon as the
Spirit and faith enter our hearts, we become so weak that we think we
cannot beat down the least imaginations and sparks (of temptation),
and see nothing but sin in ourselves, from the crown of the head,
even to the foot. For before we believed, we walked according to our
own lusts, but now the Spirit has come and would purify us, and there
arises a conflict. Here the devil, the flesh, and the world, oppose
themselves to faith; whereof the prophets complain, here and there,
in the Scriptures.

Wherefore St. Peter here means, that the strife does not take place
in sinners, but in believers, and gives us an encouragement, inasmuch
as when we are on our guard against wicked lusts, we are repelling
them. If thou, then, hast wicked thoughts, thou shouldest not on this
account despair; only be on thy guard, that thou be not taken
pris