Are our desires sin? Romans 13-14

Romans 13:14 (NASV)

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Romans 13:14 (NIV)

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Paul is in the middle of telling us (in chapter 13-14) how to behave in this world, both in front of believers and non-believers, alike.  He jumps back and forth in regard to these states of men.  At the end of chapter 13 he has just told us make sure we are acting as believers in front of the world.  We are to pay taxes as we ought.  We are to obey the government as we ought.   We are to make sure we do all these things because the hour is fast approaching when Christ will return.  His conclusion is that since we have these behaviors demanded of us as servants and ministers of The Lord, we should make sure there is nothing in our lives that pulls us away from those obligations.   We are to "make no provision" to fulfill the evil desires of the flesh.  In making this statement, Paul readily admits we will still have those desires.   He has just written at length (chapters 1-11) that we are "positional" saved but "practically" at war with our flesh.   He has not mentioned the flesh much since his large exposition in chapter 7.   Here he tells us that, like a set of clothes, each day we are to "put on Christ" and make sure we avoid doing things, or opening doors, where the flesh can have its desires titillated and thus lead us into sinning.  The desires are going to be there no matter how strong you are and not matter the level of your faith.   Paul, here, tells us that our responsibility is to make sure we don't give those desires a window or, worse, a door to see the desire feed.   We are to do this by faith, which is the context of the verse.   If we know we have a "desire" for food, we shouldn't hang out in the kitchen.   If we have a desire for drinking, stay away from the bar.   The same is true of other desires we have in life.  God gave us the desires.  The desires are not sin.   It is how we satisfy the desire that makes it sin.   Today, make sure you give no cause or avenue for desires to be fulfilled in a wrong manner.