Arming Ourselves

Background Scripture: 1 Peter 4-5
Lesson Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-11

Introduction

No one will casually stroll through the gates of heaven or accidently stumble into its splendor. Heaven is reserved for those who crave it and are willing to contend for it. Our adversary is Satan, “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10). There are no peace talks in this war; no truce will be declared. Our success will only come as a result of arming ourselves and fighting until death. The prophet Amos warns of those “that are at ease in Zion . . . that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches” (Amos 6:1, 4). Sleepy Christians may be unaware that they are spiritually sick. The verses in our lesson describe simple, effective strategies for a Christian to be alert and to ensure his safety and well-being on his journey home.

Key Verse

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Eph. 6:13).

Lesson Scriptures

1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Studying the Lesson

The Scriptures used in our lesson are part of a letter the apostle Peter wrote to converted Jews living among the Romans. This is a warm, caring letter written to Christians who were facing an uncertain future. The Roman emperor Nero was persecuting the church to cover up his own actions. Encouraged by his example, those who hated Christians were using any opportunity to take advantage of them. Persecution seemed to come from all sides. Martyrs Mirror records that the bodies of Christians were covered in pitch and burned as torches to light Nero’s gardens at night.1 Surely, these Christians must have felt that the end of all things was near. Peter gently reminded these saints that they need not know the future; they need only know the Father. The apostle Paul’s desire was “that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). It seems that Peter had the same vision.

As we see the signs of the imminent return of our Savior, may we take comfort in Peter’s letter to the church. These simple instructions are meant to strengthen our resolve and encourage us to righteous living. The best way to spiritual growth is to do the things we know to do. As we put on the armor of God, He will open up the way for us.

Practical Truths for Today

The key verse speaks of the whole armor of God that we need to be able to stand against the evil of the day. In succeeding verses, Paul enumerates this armor as truth, righteousness, obedience, faith, “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). He concludes the enumeration with “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18). God has provided us with all the armor and weapons needed to fight a good fight provided we have crucified the flesh and committed our lives to Him.

Our time on earth is given to do the will of God and not to indulge our carnal nature. Our flesh does not want to walk the Calvary Road and will throw up an active resistance. We must be willing to deny our flesh, sincerely fight for the faith, and be ready for every good work. We cannot coddle ourselves and hope to win the fight. Modern theology has portrayed the Christian walk as a life of pleasure, filled with material blessings. The unpopular themes of cross bearing, self-denial, and suffering are ignored. The world is not interested in the cross or the death to self that it brings and thinks it strange that we “run not with them.” To die to sin will inevitably bring pain.

Jesus, our perfect example, suffered quietly. If we carefully examine His ministry, we find that much of what He did and said was opposed by many people. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted . . . he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isa. 53:7). Christ walked on this earth with the “wind” always against His face. We must walk as He did, set against the prevailing winds of self-indulgence and easy, selfish living.

Sometimes a spirit of self wants to lift up our troubles so that others will know about them. This spirit causes us to want to be recognized and acclaimed, and when we suffer, we tell our brethren about it in detail. Can we bear our cross patiently? We will need the mind of Christ—a disciplined mind—to willingly and quietly suffer. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Tim. 2:12).

It has been said that the best defense is a good offense. One of the most important offensive moves we can make is to have fervent charity for each other. Unfeigned love inspires and enables us to do good things for others. When our hearts are filled with Christ’s love, we reach out and help. This creates a strong defense that is difficult for our enemy to penetrate.

Fervent love will motivate us to reprove our brother with a pure heart without frustration or a personal agenda. God’s love causes us to look beyond ourselves and our own feelings and to see our brother’s need, remembering that we are susceptible to the same fault. When we reprove our brother because we love him, it precludes the spirit of “I’m right and you’re wrong.” It is only by charity that one can look past the natural man and see and understand his spiritual brother.

It is difficult to help our fellow brother if we do not have an open and warm relationship with him. While technology has provided ways to connect us like no time in history, the face-to-face and heart-to-heart connections are what make a significant relationship. We can communicate our love in different ways, but the apostle John lifts out the best way when he wrote, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Love is the unselfish, deliberate act of seeking another’s welfare.

One way true, fervent charity is manifested among brethren is to use hospitality without grudging. To exercise Christian hospitality is one of the blessings of the church and builds confidence and promotes goodwill among our spiritual brethren. Our homes should be open to everyone, not just those who are like us and think like we do. When we become too busy or are unwilling to be bothered with the effort, we are weakening charity among us. It is no coincidence that when hospitality is neglected, an independent spirit finds room. There is really no substitute for Christian hospitality.

The voice is said to be the most recognizable attribute of a person. We may meet a person who looks like a Christian and be disappointed when he begins to speak the language of the world. Many opinions on matters and endless chatter on all manner of things are expressed daily in the world. The Christian weighs his words in the light of eternity as his speech is filtered by the Holy Spirit. Christians reprove with equity, compliment with sincerity, and speak “as the oracles of God.” This simply means that as God’s representatives on earth, we speak what He directs us to speak. It is a mark of the well-armed Christian that he have “sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say” (Titus 2:8). Our speech defines who we are perhaps more than our appearance.

As saints who are in the heat of battle and sometimes longing for home, we can be heartened by the victors of the past. David told Goliath, “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Sam. 17:47). What a comfort to know that “with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles” (2 Chron. 32:8). “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)” (2 Cor. 10:3-4). Since God is for us, who can be against us? Nothing of earth can stop us from living a victorious and overcoming life. Compromise may remove the pressure of the battle for the moment, but it will bring defeat in the end. Heaven awaits us, not as a place for those who have cultured taste and love for finery but as a place of rest and reward for weary ones who have fought a good fight.

Questions

1. Is a lack of hospitality caused by lack of teaching or a lack of inward vitality?
2. Should we look at church decisions and guidelines as armor?
3. What does it mean to “be sober”?
4. Discuss: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12).
5. 1 Martyrs Mirror, 1950 edition, p. 79
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).