“Beloved!

I urge you

As aliens

And exiles,

To abstain

From the desires

Of the flesh

That wage war

Against the soul.”

Ἀγαπητοί, παρακαλῶ ὡς παροίκους καὶ παρεπιδήμους ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν σαρκικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, αἵτινες στρατεύονται κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς·

This author said, “Beloved (Ἀγαπητοί)!  I urge you (παρακαλῶ) as aliens (καὶ παρεπιδήμους) and exiles (ἀπέχεσθαι), to abstain (ἀπέχεσθαι) from the desires (ἐπιθυμιῶν) of the flesh (τῶν σαρκικῶν) that wage war (αἵτινες στρατεύονται) against the soul (κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς).”  This author then turned to his Christian audience directly.  He called them beloved or the loved ones.  He urged them to live as aliens, exiles, and resident aliens in the Roman empire.  Thus, they had to abstain from those internal human desires that wage war against their eternal soul.  Do you control your strong human desires?