holy – Gird Your Mind

“…abstain from fleshly lusts…”

Wait a minute – didn’t we go over this before? Back in 1:14? Yes, we did. But Peter now offers a different reason for it. In chapter one, his emphasis is to be more like God: we are to be holy since he is holy. Now he stresses the importance of excellence in our behavior among unbelievers.

For whatever reason, our actions and motives may be misunderstood by those who do not share our faith. We may even find ourselves accused as evildoers. This is why we must be careful in what we do and say, so that our record displays a pattern of good deeds, despite the slander raised against us. In this way, our accusers must instead recognize the truth, and in doing so, might even find themselves glorifying God.

1 Peter 2:11-12

“…gird up the loins of your mind”

To gird means “to encircle or bind with a flexible band; to securely fasten; to prepare for action.” When Peter was a fisherman, he girded his clothing about himself to prepare for work. Many jobs today require similar preparations: wearing a tool belt, safety goggles, gloves, steel-toed boots or putting on a hard hat.

Peter takes this idea beyond the protection and support of the body and applies it to our mind. The body often gets the blame for our uncontrolled desires and impulses. It is merely responding to the various stimuli and chemical reactions within it, we are told. But I think we know ourselves better than that.

The mind is the control center. The body does what the mind decides to do. An undisciplined body is the outworking of an undisciplined mind. Spiritually this is a disaster, as we leave ourselves open to every kind of enticement and attack of temptation.

Peter urges us to be sober. Certainly he means to not be under the influence of any intoxicating substance, but also to be serious minded, to have a secure grip on the true nature of things. And then to act. We can no longer afford to mindlessly allow the world to shape our desires and lead us back to the old lusts we once craved.

Paul echoes this same thought: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2). Peter expresses this another way, saying “be ye holy in all your conduct.” Being holy means to be set apart from the world for God’s purposes.

This means obedience to God and his way of doing things and thinking about life. Central to this is the hope that we have of grace. God will cover our frailties, strengthen our hearts and remove our sin. He is the reason we can be saved and granted eternal life. Nothing we could do would ever be enough to earn that kind of reward.

1 Peter 1:13-16

Behave, now

Gird your mind