The Christian's Mind: Armed

Jesus said we are to love our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. But what does that look like in the life of the follower of Christ in the 21st century?

The Christian mind is a powerful weapon against the spiritual enemies that you and I face: the world, the flesh, and the devil. And if we are not armed with this mind, that means that the enemy has already won the battle. I'm referring to 1 Peter 4:1-5. "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead."

You see, there is a militant side to the Christian life. Now I know we're peacemakers; Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers." We come with a message of peace—be reconciled to God. I know that. We are to be peacemakers, not troublemakers, but sometimes we cannot help but cause trouble because of our attitude toward sin. We are in a battle. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1 and said, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Then he goes on to compare Timothy to a soldier in 2 Timothy 2:3-4: "No man that wars entangles himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier." In Romans 13:12, the Apostle Paul makes this statement: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." In other words, the Christian is to wear the armor. In fact, this is spelled out in Ephesians 6:10, a passage you know quite well: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

And so whether we like it or not, there is a militant side to the Christian life. It's not enough just to love the Lord. The Bible says, "You who love the Lord, hate evil." There's the other side to it. It's interesting that Peter should write this about being armed because Peter was the one in the garden, you will recall, who pulled out his sword and tried to attack the enemy. He cut off Malchus's ear, and Jesus had to heal that ear. Otherwise, there would have been perhaps four crosses on Calvary, and Peter would have been on one of them. Peter had a militant attitude, but he was using the wrong weapon to fight the wrong enemy at the wrong time with the wrong attitude. Now, inspired by the Spirit of God, Peter says, "Arm yourselves also with the same mind." What mind? The mind that Jesus had as He faced sin.

Now the armed mind, this mind that is armed for battle, this mind that has a militant outlook, is essential if we are to have victory in three strategic areas of the Christian life. First, the area of sin, and then the area of suffering, and finally the area of service. If you and I want to have victory over sin, we must have this militant, armed mind. Now this doesn't mean we go around being obnoxious. Doesn't mean we go around challenging everybody. Charles Spurgeon used to talk about those Christians who walked around with a revolver in their pockets, always looking for someone to shoot. In my ministry, I have met people who, when they discover you are a believer, instead of finding out what you have in common, they try to find out where you disagree, and then they pull out their sword and go after you. That's not what Peter's talking about.

Peter first of all says we must have this armed mind as we look at the area of sin. Now Peter's talking here about sin. He even names certain sins: lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, abominable idolatries. He names certain sins. Now there are only three possible attitudes toward sin. Number one, we can practice sin and encourage it. Now there are people who do that. In fact, verse four talks about those people: "In regard to these, they (your former friends who were unsaved), they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you." A flood of dissipation—that's quite a picture, isn't it? It's a picture of the water coming in, the dirty, filthy water coming in and drowning the very people who are participating in those sins. We can practice sin and encourage it. That's wrong.

Well, we cannot practice sin but tolerate it. That's so easy to do these days. We read about sin and we see things on television, and it seems like we are overexposed to so much stimuli these days, and we get accustomed to it. In fact, we might even nerve ourselves against it. We might isolate ourselves and even insulate ourselves, so that when we read about these things, they no longer bother us. Can you read about abortion and not be bothered by it? Can you read about these awful crimes against children and not be made angry about it? There is a desperate need for people who don't tolerate sin.

Now the thing Peter's calling for is that we oppose sin, starting with ourselves. Remember, I have no right to go out and take the speck out of your eye if I have a 2x4 in my own eye. Starting with ourselves, opposing sin. I like what Billy Sunday said. Now there are people who criticize Billy Sunday. They say he was flamboyant and he was dramatic. Well, he got his message across. This is what Billy Sunday had to say: "I am against sin. I'll kick it as long as I have a foot. I'll fight it as long as I've got a fist. I'll butt it as long as I've got a head. I'll bite it as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old and fistless and footless and toothless, I'll gum it till I go home to glory and it goes home to perdition." Now you may not appreciate that expression, but I like his attitude. Here's a man who hated sin.

It's interesting that Dr. Karl Menninger, founder of the Menninger Clinic, wrote a book—in 1973 it was published—called "Whatever Became of Sin?" This is a psychiatrist saying this: "The very word 'sin,' which seems to have disappeared, was a proud word. It was once a strong word, an ominous and serious word. It described a central point in every civilized human being's life plan and lifestyle. But the word went away. It has almost disappeared, the word along with the notion. Why?" says Dr. Karl Menninger. "Why? Doesn't anyone sin anymore? Doesn't anyone believe in sin?" Now Peter is saying you better get a militant attitude toward sin. Now if you ever start getting soft on sin, just remember what it did to Jesus. "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh," that is, in the body. 1 Peter 3:18: "For Christ also suffered once for sins." Throughout this particular letter, he emphasizes the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ because of sin.

Now Jesus hated sin. He loves sinners, but He hated sin. I have a difficulty there, I must confess. It's difficult for me to separate the sin from the sinner. Now somehow God can do this. I have a hard time doing that. I see the sinner—here's the man who's exploiting children, here's the man who's abusing his wife, here is the drunken driver who's killing people on the highway. I have a difficult time separating the sinner and the sin. The Lord Jesus saw sin as something very real, something serious, something that had to be dealt with and dealt with radically. In fact, was it not the Lord Jesus who said, look, if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off; you're better off being handicapped than sinning? If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out; you're better off being half-blind than sinning. He dealt radically with sin. When you get soft on sin, just remember what it did to Jesus, and just remember what it did to you before you were saved. 1 Peter 4:3: "We have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the unsaved." That word "Gentiles" means the unsaved people. Just remember what life was like before you met the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then notice what sin can do to your future. 1 Peter 4:2: "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh... for the will of God." The rest of his time—how long is the rest of your time? You don't know. Nothing destroys your future like sin. Sin today can wipe out your future. So says Peter, we better get a militant attitude toward sin. The armed mind looks at sin and says, "I'm against it," first of all in my own life.

But when you have the armed mind, it not only helps you in the area of sin, it also helps in the area of suffering. At least 16 times in 1 Peter, he uses the word "suffering" or "suffer." He's talking about the sufferings of the Lord Jesus and the glory that followed. He's preparing these believers for a time of suffering. 1 Peter 4:12: "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you." He said get ready to suffer.

Now how does the militant mind, how does the mind that is armed with the attitude of Jesus face suffering? Well, we expect it. We're not surprised by it. That's what he says in 1 Peter 4:12—as though some strange thing had happened to you. I like 1 Peter 5:10: "But may the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." It starts with grace, it ends with glory, but in between there is suffering. Now we expect it. When we find ourselves persecuted, we aren't surprised.

In fact, in 1 Peter, he says, "Now you're going to suffer." 1 Peter 2:20, for example: "For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently?" Anybody can do that. "But when you do good and suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God." Christians suffer because they do good. 1 Peter 4:15: "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, let him glorify God in this matter." You see, when you have this armed mind, suffering does not destroy you. We benefit from it.

In fact, Peter says here, "He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." 1 Peter 4:1. He's not talking about Jesus because Jesus never sinned, therefore never had to cease sinning. He's talking about the believer. When the believer identifies with the sufferings of Jesus Christ, he discovers the victory that there is in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is Peter's way of expressing what Paul said in Romans 6:7: "For he who has died has been freed from sin." We were crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ, and now we are identified with Him in His suffering. By the way, it's interesting to note that when we're suffering, we pray more. When we are suffering, we read God's Word more diligently. When we are suffering, we have an attitude toward sin and temptation that is victorious. Therefore, when you have the armed mind, you are able to look at sin and oppose it. When you have the armed mind, you're able to look at suffering and use it for the glory of God.

Thirdly, when you have the armed mind, it helps you in the area of service. It's interesting how often in his letter Peter uses the phrase "the will of God." The will of God. 1 Peter 2:15: "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." 1 Peter 3:17: "For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Peter 4:2: "That he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." 1 Peter 5:9, he tells us that we should do the will of God because others are going through suffering as well. Resist the devil—he wants to get you out of the will of God. "Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." You see, that's the will of God, that all of us are going through some kind of suffering. Peter emphasizes the will of God.

Now Jesus Christ did the will of God. Our marching orders are the will of God. We are soldiers in the army of the Lord. Arm yourselves therefore with the same mind. What mind? A mind that is going to do the will of God. If a man goes into the army, the navy, the marines, whatever branch of the service, and his attitude is, "I'm going to do my own thing," he's in trouble. If a servant is looking at his master and saying, "You can tell me what you want me to do, but I'm going to do what I want to do," he is in trouble. Like a mighty army moves the church of God. I wish that were true. If we had armies like most Christians, we would lose wars, because most Christians don't want to do the will of God.

Now Jesus Christ did God's will. He set us free that we might do God's will. And one day He's going to judge us whether or not we have done His will. Life is too short to serve sin. The rest of his time—how long is the rest of his time? I don't know, you don't know. 1 Peter 4:19: "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator." The will of God. Now the will of God is not a burden; it's a blessing. The will of God is not a heavy load; it's wings, wings that lift us up above the problems, the difficulties. The will of God is the expression of the love of God. Why does God will what He wills? Because He loves us.

Now the soldier is interested in pleasing his commander. That's what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:4: "No soldier that wars entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please the one who has called him to be a soldier." Our desire is to please the Captain of our salvation. We are soldiers in the army of the Lord. Therefore, we have a job to do, the will of God. He has a battle plan. He knows where we should do our job. He knows what He wants us to do, and the time is so short.

In 1 Peter 1:17, Peter calls it the time of sojourning. We're just strangers and pilgrims going through this wicked world. We are in the last times, according to 1 Peter 1:20, and the Lord Jesus Christ has a plan for our lives. Therefore, let's not look at life in a rather complacent, comfortable fashion. Let's look upon life as not a playground but a battleground. Let's have the mind of Christ and a mind that is armed for the battle. Yes, we must have this armed mind that helps us to look at sin and oppose it, look at suffering and expect it, and look at service and joyfully do it to the glory of God. Oh, may we have the mind of Christ, a mind that is armed for battle today.

[Interview]

Thank you, Warren, for being in our studio today. It's so great to have you here again. So realizing where we live today, it's all about my family being comfortable, me being comfortable. And then you talk about having the mind of Christ, which means being prepared for battle. Well, battle seems uncomfortable. And don't you think most Christians are much more of the mindset of comfort and not battle?

Warren: I would agree with what you say. I think the verse you probably have in mind is what Peter wrote, 1 Peter 4:1: "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind." The mindset of the Lord Jesus was that of conflict. He did bring comfort—"Come unto Me, I'll give you rest." He did bring healing. He did bring love. But in order to do that, He had to fight a battle. And He had a betrayal problem right in His own band of disciples. Satan had put Judas and said this is your job from now on. Today, whether we like it or not, we're fighting a battle. We're not fighting for victory; Jesus has already won the victory. We're fighting from His victory. And any student in school who is peddled these lies that are so popular today can call upon the Lord Jesus and get wisdom and guidance from Him. We do have to have the mindset of a soldier, to put on the armor of God and to fight the battle. And I think that the Lord is going to give us a great opportunity to be strong soldiers.