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“Arm Yourselves”
Text: 1 Pet.4: 1-6 Intro.: 1 Peter is a letter of encouragement. The theme of suffering runs throughout the book (1 Pet.1: 11 ff), but so also does the theme of glory (1 Pet.1: 7 ff). One of the encouragements that Peter gives suffering saints is the assurance that their suffering will one day be transformed into glory (1: 6-7; 4: 13-14; 5: 10). This is possible only because the Saviour suffered for us and then entered into His glory (1: 11; 5: 1). The sufferings of Christ are mentioned 5 X’s in this letter (1: 11; 3: 18; 4: 1, 13; 5: 1). Peter is called the “Apostle of Hope,” John the “Apostle of Love” and Paul, the“Apostle of Faith” Peter was a witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker of the glory! (1 Pet.5: 1) Paul was a witness of the glory of Christ and a partaker of the sufferings! In some way all of us are called to share with Christ in both! But suffering doesn’t automatically bring glory to God and blessing to God’s people. It’s only when we depend on the grace of God that we can glorify God in times of suffering. A study of 1 Peter reveals that these three themes of suffering, grace, and glory unite to form an encouraging message for believers experiencing times of trial and persecution. These themes are summarized in 1 Pet.5: 10. In our text today we find Peter mentions the sufferings of Christ and then he proceeds to teach us some things we need to do if we are going to live a life of victory and be a witness for Christ with the rest of the time that we have left. Let’s take a closer look at our text and see why we need to arm ourselves!
A) The Command (vs.1-3) 1) “Arm yourselves” - The picture is that of a soldier who puts on his equipment and arms himself for the battle. We are in a battle with SIN! 2) As Christians we are to “arm ourselves.” With what? A thought! 3) “With the same mind” - The mind that was in Christ when he suffered, a willingness to suffer to do the will of God and to die to sin. We are to arm ourselves with that same resolution to do God’s will in our lives even if doing so means suffering or death. 4) You see our attitudes are weapons, and weak or wrong attitudes will lead us to defeat. Outlook determines outcome, and a believer must have the right attitudes if he is to live a right life. 5) ILL.: Two men met at a restaurant for lunch. It was one of those kinds of places where you needed a miner’s hat to find a seat. They had been seated for just a few minutes when they started looking at the menu, and the one man remarked to the other how easy it was to read it. “Yes,” said the other man, “it doesn’t take us long to get accustomed to the darkness.” There’s a sermon in that sentence! It’s easy for us to get accustomed to sin if we haven’t armed ourselves with the right mind. 6) “...he that hath suffered . . . hath ceased from sin” - In other words we must reckon ourselves “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Ro.6: 11). “For he that is dead is freed from sin” (Ro.6: 7). We are united with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. And as we contemplate the sufferings of Christ, our lives are to change. (1)
7) “That he no longer should live . . . ” (v.2) Now that we have died to sin we are not to live our lives to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 8) Note the contrast: “Lusts of men,” “will of God.” Lusts is plural, suggesting that unsaved people are controlled by varied and changeable desires. They are constantly seeking some new sin which they hope will satisfy their soul. Whereas the believer has conquered the lust of the flesh and his desire now is doing the will of God! How foolish to waste the “rest of your time” by running with the world and sinning! 9) Peter was very aware of the brevity of life and so he reminds us over and over to use our time wisely. See 1 Pet.1: 17, “. . . pass the time of your sojourning . . . ” 2: 11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims . . . ” 4: 2, “. . . rest of his time . . . ” 4: 3, “For the time past of our life . . . ” 10) “For the time past of our life may suffice us . . . ” In other words we have lived in sin long enough and we should live differently hereafter. This does not mean that it was ever proper thus to live, but that, as we would say, “we have had enough of these things; we have tried them; there is no reason why we should indulge in them any more.” 11) Notice the sins of the past life which are listed: A) Lasciviousness - This has the idea of “lustfulness,” or “public obscenities.” This sin is still prevalent today! Look at the magazine racks at the stores, the theater ads in the newspaper and you can see that this sin is a grave evil in our society. We are in a pornography explosion! (Especially with the internet). We must hate pornography and all forms of obscenity because of the lusts they create and the sins they produce are evil in God’s sight! B) Lusts - This has to do with the inner cravings of the heart, or desire to gratify the senses. As believers we are to have self control, and not just do what “feels good.” C) Excess of wine and revellings - These go together. They refer to drinking parties and wild merrymaking. D) Banquetings and abominable idolatries - Banquetings is a rough, noisy feast or drinking party and together these refer to the immorality of the pagan feasts of the day. 12) Are you going to use the rest of your time here doing the will of God?! Or are you going to waste your life living to the lusts of men?! Of course if you choose to do the will of God, then that leads to our next point . . .
B) The Consequence (v.4-5) 1) Peter now calls to our attention the consequence of an individual choosing to obey the command to arm himself with the same mind that Christ had for His life. 2) “...think it strange” - Your unsaved friends will not understand the radical change in your life since you got saved and they will think it strange that you no longer run with them. 3) They don’t think it strange when people wreck their bodies, destroy their homes, and ruin their lives by running from one sin to another! But let a drunkard get sober, or an immoral person get pure, and they’ll think he has lost his mind! (2)
4) “run not with them . . . ” - This pictures the worldly crowd running and sinning together, like a pack of animals they move from one bar to another, rejoicing on their way to hell and taking solace in knowing that they’re not going alone. 5) Though we won’t indulge in their sins we must still remain friendly with individuals in the group, and look for opportunities to witness to them. 6) “speaking evil of you” - Peter warns us that not only will our former crowd think us strange, they will also speak evil of you. That is they will mock you and say things to injure your feelings and reputation. But in the face of this remind yourself of Ro.12: 19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” 7) And also keep in mind v.5. “Who” refers to the lost that continue to live after the lusts of men and reject Christ. They shall give account one day to Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment! This leads to our final point . . .
C) The Concern (v.6) 1) God is concerned that people avoid the horrors of this final judgment. This is the main purpose for the preaching of the gospel! 2) “For for this cause was the gospel preached . . . ” - Peter remembers that the gospel was preached to many he knew who were now dead. 2 things happened to them: A) They had been judged according to men in the flesh and experienced death (Heb.9: 27). B) They were now living according to God in the spirit. In other words through the preaching of the gospel they accepted Christ as their Saviour and are now in heaven. 3) God is still concerned that people avoid the final judgment of the great white throne. So He has commissioned us to preach the gospel to the lost. How are you doing?
Conclusion: The Command! Arm Yourselves! Have you “armed yourself” with the same mind as Christ had? Have you “suffered in the flesh and ceased from sin?” In other words have you reckoned yourself dead unto sin and alive unto God? Are you living the rest of your time to the will of God? The Consequence! They’ll think you’re strange and speak evil of you! But remember, you must still seek to witness to them, because they will one day face the judgment of God! The Concern! God doesn’t want them to suffer the horrors of hell, so He wants you and me to preach the gospel to them. Are you?
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