Arm Yourselves for Battle

Introduction

As we leave the season of the year in which we celebrate the incarnation of the eternal Son of God...

We start heading towards the season in which we remember His crucifixion...

And, we celebrate His resurrection.

Also, for all of us, we’re transitioning from the previous year to a New Year.

And, for many, it is a time of contemplation...

A time of thinking what you would have done better if you could...

And, how you might implement that sentiment into actual improvement in the New Year.

The Bible certainly condones improvement in thought and behavior.

Repeatedly in the NT are we told to put off sinful behavior...

And put on a new, Christ-honoring behavior.

So, this new year of 2021...

Hopefully, is a year in which we can pursue Christ in greater ways...

Honor Christ by imitating Him in thought, first...

And, then the behavior that follows.

Let’s read our passage this morning...

1 Peter 4:1-6 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

So, once again our example and our motivation...

Is Jesus Christ.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh

We’re commanded to do something here and the motivation for obedience is...

Christ.

And, to that, we say Amen!

What are we commanded to do?

The Command to “Arm Yourselves”

Arm yourselves with the same way of thinking

So we have this command...

And, its sandwiched between the motivation to obey...

Since Christ suffered in the flesh

And the purpose for the command...

so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God

Let’s look, first, at the motivation…And, we’ll finish with the purpose.

Our motivation is to imitate our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord.

He suffered in the flesh.

IOW, He, the eternal Son of God...

Took upon flesh…He incarnated

Took the form of a creature, a servant of God

Not for Himself, but for His Bride…His people

He came to obey the Father, on our behalf

He came to obtain salvation/redemption for His people

He came to keep the covenant between God & man

He came to pay the penalty for the covenant being broken by His people

He suffered mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Part of His suffering was resisting temptation.

In the desert, He suffered while resisting the option of an alternative path to glory...

Which was no real path at all, except for one of destruction...

And, Christ knew it.

In the Garden, He suffered while resisting the temptation to turn away from the cross...

But, we’re told in Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

So, the target was joy...

And, the path was suffering...

The means to joy was obedience...

And the opposition to obedience was temptation to disobey.

And the resistance to disobey...

Is a difficult experience for our Savior...

And for His people, as well.

But the target of joy is worth it.

But, that raises a question that I want us to look at...

Is resisting temptation a form of suffering?

The biblical answer is Yes.

Why?

Because the temptation to go against God’s will is a battle that is going on within us.

It’s not a picnic in the park.

It’s a battle. Every day, we’re engaged in a battle.

1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

So, fighting against sin in our life is spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

As Temptation to go against God’s will is often introduced through persecution.

Persecution is used as a way to tempt us to return to the lifestyle we once lived...

Which is a lifestyle according to the unbelieving world.

When we resist the temptation to conform to the world...

We are not only inviting persecution into our lives...

We are engaging in spiritual warfare...

We are suffering.

We are, also, saying that the persecution is a better alternative than rejecting God & His will.

So, the process in which we battle the temptation to give in to the world’s desires...

And by choosing to resist instead of giving in...

Is a form of suffering for the honor of Christ.

Let’s think about temptation...

Peter tells us here in the beginning of Chapter 4 that the goal of the Tempter through temptation is for us to go against the will of God.

Later, in Chapter 5, Peter informs us that the goal of the Tempter is to devour us...

And, he does so through tempting us to go against the will of God.

Paul teaches in...

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

So, here the goal of temptation is to overtake you…to overtake us...

To cause us to choose against the will of God for our life.

However, God in His great mercy and loving-kindness has given us a way to escape temptation.

He has, according to this morning’s passage, given us the ability to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ...

To think like Christ with regards to sin and God’s will.

So, when we arm ourselves with the mind of Christ we are resisting temptation.

We are rejecting the world’s path.

But, that leads to another question...

How can we suffer & experience happiness in the same event/experience?

1 Peter 4:1-2 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

When we arm ourselves with the mind of Christ...

And we choose God’s will rather than rejecting His will...

We are choosing the target of true joy.

True joy is always found in God.

Obedience is the context in which we find joy in God.

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The joy set before Christ was His Father...

And the path to His Father was obedience...

A secondary joy was the redemption of His people...

Which was in obedience to His Father.

So, how can we suffer and experience happiness in the same event/experience?

1 Peter 4:1-2 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Because, when we choose God...

We do so, first, by suffering through resisting temptation...

Then that choice of God is expressed through obedience to God’s will...

And, then the happiness or joy is found in God...

Who is the One you chose over sin.

The weapon we have to resist temptation and obey God...

Is arming ourselves with the mind of Christ...

Or to think the way Christ thought.

And, the purpose for this command is to...

Live in the will of God

Living in the will of God is to resist sin.

Sin is going against God’s will.

God’s will is what He prescribes for us to do...

Or what He forbids us from doing.

So, the command to live in the will of God...

Is not meant us some sort of kill joy for life...

As many scoffers ignorantly state.

The will of God for your life is actually the context in which God has ordained your greatest happiness & joy.

The greatest life you can live...

The most fulfilling life you can live...

The most satisfying life you can live...

The most happy, joy-filled life you can live...

Is a life lived in the will of God.

Let’s resolve, for 2021, to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ...

So that we can resist the ideologies and idolatries of the unbelieving world...

And, live out the will of God for our lives...

As individual Christians...

And, as a local church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer