1 Peter 1:15, Gird up the loins of your mind.

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In my study of the ‘Disciplined Life’ by Richard S. Taylor, I came across this wonderful verse:

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,

be sober, and hope to the end

for the grace that is to be brought unto you

at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

~ 1 Peter 1:15.

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What does it mean to ‘gird up the loins of your mind?’

It is clearly a call to action.

Yet, only by faith, hope, grace, and the revealed knowledge of Jesus Christ can we obey the Apostle’s solemn instruction.

Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new,

~ 2 Corinthians 5:17.

If we humbly repent, turn from all our sin, and sacrifice the whole of our life on the alter of God.

Then the Holy Spirit can fill us and prepare us for transforming works fitting for repentance.

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Don’t be deceived by vain words, Satan wants corrupt Christians, good Christians.

He already has the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars.

Many who profess to be Christians and know the Lord will be rejected. Do you fit any of the categories above that Satan rules over? For we are commanded to abstain from all sin or even the appearance of evil.

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The god of this world wants us to compromise just a little; to revive something from the old man, take on a new worldly distraction, anything that is contrary to the will of God.

Then, he can slither in, entice that compromise until: it ‘hath conceived, and bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death’ to our soul.

When we ‘gird up the loins of our mind’, we allow the Holy Ghost to search our soul, and bring to us to ‘a better hope; by the which we draw nigh (close) to the presence of God.

We cannot ignore this call to prepare us for His service.

We must work out our salvation according to scripture: in fear and trembling in order to shed the bonds of sin and glory in the love of God being shed upon our hearts that casts out all fear and makes us perfect.

Herein is our love made perfect,

that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:

because as he is, so are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love;

but perfect love casteth out fear:

because fear hath torment.

He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

We love him, because he first loved us

~ 1 John 4:17-19.

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The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge connects most of the dots and summarizes more fully what it means to ‘gird up the loins of our mind.’

The scriptures below paint an immeasurable picture for us learn and grow by.

It is anything but compromise or suffering (allowing) Satan a foothold in our lives.

Oh, to the contrary . . . we are to cut him off!

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 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,

be sober, and hope to the end

for the grace that is to be brought unto you

at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

As obedient children,

not fashioning yourselves according to

the former lusts in your ignorance:

But as he which hath called you is holy,

so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Because it is written,

Be ye holy; for I am holy

~ 1 Peter1:13-15.

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Be ye therefore perfect,

even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect

~ Matthew 5:48

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That he would grant unto us,

that we being delivered

out of the hand of our enemies

might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him,

all the days of our life

~ Luke 1:74-75.

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Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,

let us cleanse ourselves

from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,

perfecting holiness in the fear of God

~ 2Corinthians 7:1.

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Be ye therefore followers of God,

as dear children; And walk in love,

as Christ also hath loved us,

and hath given himself for us an offering

and a sacrifice to God

for a sweet smelling savour

~ Ephesians 5:1-2

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Only let your conversation be

as it becometh the gospel of Christ:

that whether I come and see you,

or else be absent,

I may hear of your affairs,

that ye stand fast in one spirit,

with one mind

striving together for the faith of the gospel;

~ Philippians 1:27.

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That ye may be blameless and harmless,

the sons of God, without rebuke,

in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,

among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Holding forth the word of life;

that I may rejoice in the day of Christ,

that I have not run in vain,

neither laboured in vain

~ Philippians 2:15-16.

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For this is the will of God,

even your sanctification,

that ye should abstain from fornication:

That every one of you

should know how to possess his vessel

in sanctification and honour;

Not in the lust of concupiscence,

even as the Gentiles which know not God:

That no man go beyond

and defraud his brother in any matter:

because that the Lord is the avenger of all such,

as we also have forewarned you and testified.

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,

but unto holiness

~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7

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For the grace of God that bringeth salvation

hath appeared to all men,

Teaching us that,

denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,

we should live soberly, righteously,

and godly, in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope,

and the glorious appearing of the great God

and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Who gave himself for us,

that he might redeem us from all iniquity,

and purify unto himself a peculiar people,

zealous of good works

~ Tit 2:11-14

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This is a faithful saying,

and these things I will that thou affirm constantly,

that they which have believed in God

might be careful to maintain good works.

These things are good and profitable unto men

~ Titus 3:8.

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And let ours also learn to maintain good works

for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful

~ Titus 3:14

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Follow peace with all men,

and holiness,

without which no man shall see the Lord

~ Hebrews 12:14.

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Whereby are given unto us exceeding great

and precious promises: that by these

ye might be partakers of the divine nature,

having escaped the corruption

that is in the world through lust.

And beside this, giving all diligence,

add to your faith virtue;

and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance;

and to temperance patience;

and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness;

and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you,

and abound,

they make you that ye shall neither be barren

nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacketh these things is blind,

and cannot see afar off,

and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather, brethren,

give diligence to make your calling and election sure:

for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

~ 2 Peter 1:4-10.

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Having your conversation (behavior) honest among the Gentiles:

that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers,

they may by your good works,

which they shall behold,

glorify God in the day of visitation

~ 1 Peter 2:12.

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Having a good conscience; that,

whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers,

they may be ashamed that falsely accuse

your good conversation in Christ

~ 1 Peter 3:16.

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Let no man despise thy youth;

but be thou an example of the believers,

in word, in conversation,

in charity, in spirit, in faith,

in purity

~ 1 Timothy 4:12.

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Let your conversation be without covetousness;

and be content with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee

~ Hebrews 13:5.

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Who is a wise man

and endued with knowledge among you?

let him shew out of a good conversation

his works with meekness of wisdom

~ James 3:13.

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Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,

what manner of persons ought ye to be

in all holy conversation and godliness,

Looking for and hasting

unto the coming of the day of God,

wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,

and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to his promise,

look for new heavens and a new earth,

wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Wherefore, beloved,

seeing that ye look for such things,

be diligent that ye may be found of him

in peace, without spot, and blameless

~ 2 Peter 3:11-14.

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For He has empowered us

to reach and live according to this high calling:

For it is God which worketh in you

both to will and to do of his good pleasure

~ Philippians 2:13.

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God has called us to live according to His ways and to produce fruits of righteousness through holy living. He longs to purify your heart and cleanse your mind from sin.

If we believe the gospel, we already the power to do everything He commands.

Why would He tell us to love Him with all our Heart, Mind, and Strength and to Love our Neighbor as Ourselves if He didn’t empower us to do so?

The gospel is the power of Jesus Christ unto salvation.

The end of the gospel is ‘an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.’

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For this cause we also,

since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you,

and to desire that ye might be filled

with the knowledge of his will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord

unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work,

and increasing in the knowledge of God;

~ Colossians 1:9-10.

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Now the God of peace,

that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,

that great shepherd of the sheep,

through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Make you perfect

in every good work to do his will,

working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight,

through Jesus Christ;

to whom be glory for ever and ever.

Amen

~ Hebrews 13:20-21.

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The Holy Spirit has provided us the grace to walk this higher path.

Let His purifying fire cleanse your soul and keep you in His truth.

According to his mercy he saved us,

by the washing of regeneration,

and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

And may you be a sweet smelling savor to our Heavenly Father and Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ.