“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” (1 Peter 1:13).
One of the more frequently overlooked words in the Bible is the word “therefore.” Once we train ourselves to look for this word within the Scriptures, a wide variety of applications open up for us. You see, the word “therefore” signals a transition from an earlier teaching or idea to an associated action, consequence, or behavior.
“Therefore” tells us that a Biblical author is about to present us with an application that is based upon a previously established concept. This word should thus prompt us to listen carefully whenever it appears within the Scriptures. 1 Peter 1:13 presents us with a good illustration of this idea in action, for the next few verses will alert us to six personal applications based on what we have already read within this epistle…
- Gird up the loins of your mind (verse 13).
- Be sober (verse 13).
- Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (verse 13).
- Be obedient to God and do not allow your lives to be shaped by the inappropriate desires of the past (verse 14).
- Be holy in your conduct (verses 15-16).
- Live in respect (or fear) of God (verse 17).
The first action given to us is “gird up the loins of your mind.” This obscure reference is easier to understand when we remember that people typically wore long, robe-type garments in the New Testament era. If someone needed to move quickly, that person might take up the lower portion of that garment and tuck it inside a belt. That would allow sufficient freedom of movement for running, working, or other tasks.
Some Biblical translations have adapted this concept for contemporary audiences through the use of the phrase “prepare your minds for action” (AMP). (1) The idea is that we should prepare to face the challenges of daily life in an active (rather than passive) fashion. One of the best ways to meet those challenges involves familiarizing ourselves with the Biblical Scriptures by reading them each day. This will enable us to implement the following counsel from the Biblical book of Romans: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2).
We’ll consider some strategies to implement these directives from 1 Peter 1:13 and Romans 12:2 next.
(1) Also see the CSB, ESV, and NLT translations of this passage, among others.