Daily Renewing our Mind

Our last post talked about five spiritual incentives to encourage us to maintain a holy walk. 

Let us start to examine the first incentive: The Glory of God 1 Peter 1:13 "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" Verse 13 starts off with: Therefore. Whenever you see therefore you look back to see what it is referring to – what is it there for. Let’s go back and look at 1 Peter 1:3-6. In view of the fact that we are only temporary residence here, that we have an inheritance reserved for us in Heaven, as we are here on earth we will go through various kinds of trials, therefore, we are to gird up the loins of our mind. Girding up the loins – Peter here uses an oriental expression referring to the act of gathering up around the waist, the long, loose eastern robes which would impede the progress in running or other exertion. 

But notice Peter says to gird up the loins of your mind. It is not physical exertion that Peter has in mind here, but mental. If the purpose of girding up the clothing was to put out of the way that which would impede the physical progress of an individual, then girding up of the loins of the mind would be the putting out of the mind all that would impede the progress of the Christian life. For instance, things such as worry, fear, jealousy, hatred, unforgiveness, and impurity; these things harbored in the mind prevent the Holy Spirit from using the mental faculties of the Christian in the most efficient manner impeding the growth in their Christian walk.

The word "to gird up" is in the aorist tense which refers to a past once-for-all act. Bringing this oriental expression over to the occidental manner of thinking, enables us to translate, "Therefore, having put out of the way, once for all, everything that would impede the free action of your mind." 

Peter treats this as a God-expected obligation on the part of the believer. Peter commands a mental discipline that does not allow our minds to follow ungodly thoughts that are untrue. Christ’s followers are to keep their minds tightly guarded in the truth. A believer who fails to do this will allow untruth into his mind and will be, therefore, double minded. So "Gird up the loins of your mind" simply means "Pull your thoughts together! Have a disciplined mind!" Keep your focus on Christ and you will escape the many worldly things that would encumber your mind and hinder your spiritual progress.