In 1 Peter 1:13, we discover one of the ‘gracious commands of the Gospel,’ the first such command that we will examine in our summer preaching series.

In this verse, the Apostle Peter exhorts all believers in the Lord to be “preparing your minds for action” in view of “the grace” that we will experience “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (His Second Advent).  If you read this same passage in the King James Version, you will find it rendered in this rather odd way: “gird up the loins of your mind.”

If we are to understand and execute this command, we need to know a few things about the language that Peter is employing here.  For example, what is meant by the word “minds,” what is it to be “preparing” the mind for “action,” and how do we accomplish such preparation in practical ways?

As you get ready for worship and the proclamation of God’s Word, let me suggest that you reflect upon some of the metaphors of the Christian life that we find in the New Testament. For example:

It is like a race–1 Corinthians 1:9; Hebrews 12:1

It is like a war­–2 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Timothy 6:12

It is like an athletic event–1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 2:5

With these passages in view, we find some hints as to the meaning of Peter’s admonition to get ready for “action.”