"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
1 Peter 1:13-16
Part 1
Today: Prepare for Action – Mentally
“So prepare your minds for service. With complete self-control, put all your hope in the grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ comes” (1 Peter 1:13, HSB[1]).
Peter gives us five things[2] that we need to do to be ready to serve the Lord.
Prepare mentally for action.
Be sober-minded, self-controlled.
Have hope.
Do not conform to evil desires.
Be Holy.
We will look at one of these actions each day.
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind.”
Prepare mentally for action!
Peter uses a word picture that points us toward “prompt readiness for activity.” [3]
“Gird Up”
“This idiom, which is often rendered as ‘gird up the loins of your mind,’ refers to the ancient practice of men tucking their long robes into their belt when they needed to move quickly (see Jeremiah 1:17; Job 38:3)” [4] (FSB).
“The idea in this phrase is to prepare for action, much like the phrase “rolling up your sleeves” [5] (EWC).
“Workmen, pilgrims, runners, wrestlers, and warriors (all of whom are types of the Christians), so gird themselves up, both to shorten the garment so as not to impede motion, and to gird up the body itself so as to be braced for action” [6] (JFB).
Growing up in the Jewish culture, Peter knew from childhood about “girding up” from observing daily life. And each year, he heard about the first Passover with Moses in Egypt. The Children of Israel had their bags packed and were ready to leave as soon as they received the word. Each family had roasted a lamb with bitter herbs –
“And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover” (Exodus 12:11).
These former Egyptian slaves were prepared and dressed for action.
Peter had heard these words from Jesus as He taught the disciples to be ready and waiting for His return.
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning” (Luke 12:35).
Peter understood that strangers and pilgrims must always be prepared to get up and go. He knew that the believers he was writing fit this category well. Believers, we are sojourners “looking for a city,” and we are not home yet.
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1).
“There is a fitness in the figure as addressed to sojourners and pilgrims … who must be always ready to move” [7] (Vincent).
Paul reminds us to be wearing the armor of God and always ready to stand and fight the battle for the Lord.
“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14).
Today in Western culture, we do not wear the long flowing robes of the Middle East, so how can we “gird up,” as Peter said, getting us ready for action? Please come back tomorrow as we think about self-control. This will help us be prepared for our end of days living.
Quote: “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Luke 12:37).
[1] HSB is the Harvest Study Bible from Harvest Ministries in Guam.
[2] BKC has broken down these four verses into five necessary actions for believers. I’m borrowing these ideas from them. Raymer, R. M. (1985). 1 Peter. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 842–843). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Cambridge Bible, the electronic Bible notes in eSword. 1 Peter 1:13.
[4] FSB, Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Pe 1:13–17). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] EWC, Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. 1 Peter 1:13-17.
[6] JFB, Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 501). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[7] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.