What does it mean to gird up the loins of your mind (1 Peter 1:13)?

In view of this coming glory we are to gird up the loins of our mind, to be sober, and hope with steadfastness for the coming grace that introduces us into glory. Girding up the loins of the mind suggests that the Christian is to be careful that his mind is not allowed to range unchecked over the things of the earth: he is to set his mind on things above. The Christian is also to be sober in his judgment as to all that is passing in this world, not deceived by the efforts of men to bring in a millennium without Christ. Whatever may be taking place in this world, the Christian is to look on and hope with perfect steadfastness for the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The first exhortation is to gird up the loins of the mind. The man who girds the loins of the body is getting ready for service; the girding of the loins of the mind means to set the mind on these things, the things spiritual and unseen. To be sober means to be watchful and temperate, thus walking soberly, and "set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (the correct translation). As they were now "obedient children" in the family of God, their responsibility and calling is to live and act as such. A holy God demands a holy people; this was God's call to His people Israel in the Old Testament, it is His call to the elect in the New Testament (Leviticus 11:44). This necessitates a walk in the Spirit as it is so fully revealed in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians.

With the knowledge of such wonderful things as have been brought to us by the Spirit, we are to gird up the loins of our minds and be sober. We should not allow the mind to wander, nor should it be the master, but the servant. Our minds are to be directed into proper channels of thought, to the things revealed by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; to the things above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. We are to "be sober" for the time is short. We have seen that faith is tried in view of the day of revelation of Jesus Christ, (verse 7) now we learn of the grace that is to be brought to us in that day. Once we were "children of disobedience," now as "children of obedience" we are to be like our Father, holy as He is holy. The walk is of paramount importance; God our Father is concerned with our walk and work down here; He is no respecter of persons.

The apostle insists now upon the effect that there is to be of all this upon the practical life. The loins of the mind are to be girt up by the truth, the common figure which speaks of the activity which is called for from us, the result of a mind set upon things unseen. The result is sobriety as to the present. The roseate color passes from the things around as a necessity of the glory revealed and enjoyed — the hope fixed upon the grace to be brought at the revelation of Christ, when all, indeed, will be manifest as grace and nothing else; when the full power of that shall be realized by us. As a consequence, for the present time we are to be as obedient children, a character which has been already enlarged upon for us — not conforming ourselves to the former lusts in the time of ignorance, when the heart, unsatisfied with God, went out after that which only begot further craving, but never satisfied. We have been called out of all that the light from heaven has revealed in its true character, to be holy, separate from evil, as God Himself is holy. We are to be in fellowship with Him; holy, therefore, in all our behavior, with nothing lax about us, nothing unsuited to the company into which we are brought.

Then in the same chapter, we have a similar thought which I dwell on just for a moment, most familiar to us. He has been speaking of our girding up the loins of our minds, and there is nothing more important for pilgrims than to be girded. Suppose you were to go to an encampment where soldiers were about to start on a long and arduous march, and saw them reclining at ease and luxury in their tents, making no effort to get ready. The order to march had been given, and yet they are at ease. You say they are very poor soldiers, very poor pilgrims. Now in the very first chapter, Peter tells us to gird up the loins of our minds. Just as the pilgrim, the racer, has to gird up the loins of his body, so we must gird up the loins of our minds, and I would like to say that the matter for a pilgrim to be clear about is not so much first of all his walk, as his heart. It is the pilgrim heart that makes the pilgrim walk. If my heart and mind are girded up, then my feet will be in the right path unquestionably. Let us gird up, by the word of God, the loins of our mind that we may press on with vigor. If there is anything that hinders, any relaxation, let us beware. I may be quite busily engaged in doing the Lord's work and yet be no true pilgrim.

"Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind." In view of so great and precious a revelation, let our minds be all attention, no loose ends, but with undivided concern for knowing this salvation in its fulness. ""Be sober," that is, having wise discretion, no light, flippant outlook as we serve a rejected but glorified Lord. "And hope to the end." It is not a questionable hope, for it is positively stated that grace is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ; but it is maintaining a fresh, real anticipation of this undimmed in the heart, no allowing of it to become a mere doctrine put on the shelf for possible future use. It is not the coming of Christ for His saints that is here spoken of, but His revelation in glory later, when His grace will be displayed marvelously in His own.

"As children of obedience," those who by new birth have obtained that precious character, let them act according to such character, with an obedience of willing, devoted affection. This involves refusing to conform to their former lusts, which were the result of ignorance. And ignorance is not merely misunderstanding, but ignoring of what may be known. The child of God knows there is no happiness in this, and he himself has that which infinitely transcends its Precious then It is to walk in the sphere of his new birth.

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind" - beautiful word for the Christian pilgrim. Diligence, devotedness, and unworldliness, are all implied in the girded loin. The loose flowing robes of the East would obstruct a man in labour, impede him in walking, and certainly contract injury or defilement over rough or dirty ground. Hence the necessity for a girdle, essential to secure the robe when any great work was in hand or an arduous journey taken, and more especially when the path was rugged, thorny, or defiling. How fitting then in its moral application is the exhortation to use the girdle, which, be it said, is ever in Scripture expressed as righteousness, faithfulness, or truth. How could we allow our robes to flow in such a scene as this, wet, as we may say, with the blood of Christ crying from the ground? Oh, for girded loins! Is it not a time for diligence, seeing that on the one hand the fields are white unto harvest, and on the other the sheep have but little pasture? Is it not a time for devotedness when "all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's?" and Paul's doctrine and manner of life are equally an offence. Is it not a time for unworldliness when more and more palpably the world exerts its every effort to be happy without Christ, so that what is not unmitigated evil is religious worldliness, worldly religiousness, or Christless Christianity?

"Wherefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought to you at Jesus Christ's revelation" (ver 13).

The allusion in the opening clause is evidently to their forefathers at the first passover: a memorial to them, a feast to Jehovah to be kept by an ordinance for ever. "Thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand." Could words or acts more graphically give us the living picture of a people screened from divine judgment, and leaving in haste the house of bondage for a land flowing with milk and honey? The Lord in Luke 12:35 employed the same figure, with others, to impress on His disciples their pilgrim character in waiting for His coming: in no taking of their ease, but constant readiness to do His will earnestly, as is meant by their loins girt about. On occasions of active exertion the garments, instead of being allowed to flow loosely, were tucked up, that the work might be done without impediment. So would He now have our hearts engaged without wandering affections or distraction of mind. The blessing is assured to our faith; we love Him Who first loved us, and He with a love above all measure; whilst the prospect before us is glorious beyond all comparison.

In Num. 6 we have the positive separation to God in the energy of the Holy Ghost (v. 2) - "unto the Lord." So the Lord Jesus, particularly after His ascension, "For their sakes I sanctify myself," that we, by the energy of the Spirit in us, should be separate now in the wilderness, walking in white, keeping our garments unspotted by the flesh. Again, the Lord did separate Himself that He might be about His Father's business, and for this did He separate Himself from "His mother's children" (Ps. 69:8) - the flesh, which by sin was under the power of death. He still holds the Nazarite character, because all His disciples are not yet gathered to Him; and now, in a certain sense, with us it is separation from joy - "the fruit of the vine;" we must not let the heart go. In glory it is the great spirit of rest; there will be no need to gird the heart then. Now the effect of the energy of the Spirit is to gird up the loins of our mind lest we get defiled; but in glory we shall let flow our garments, because we shall not fear defilement there. In the city of refuge the man was safe, but he could not go out or enjoy his possessions.

There is another term which immediately follows, of great practical moment, "being sober." It is expressly from its form a continuous habit; which is the more emphatic, because the form of the phrase before, with which we have been occupied, implies no less precisely the act done and settled; and such is the force of the hope which immediately follows. They had once for all girt up the loins of their mind; their hope was set with equal decision upon the grace to be brought to them at Christ's appearing. The nature of the case called for and explained these being accomplished facts in their souls. But the sobriety in question calls for unceasing diligence.