Arm Yourselves
by Richard St.James
Arm Yourselves
Bible 1611.Com / Old Paths Bible Ministries © 20091 Peter 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ hath 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:”
1. The Setting Of Your Time
2. The Rest Of Your Time
3. The Past Of Your Time
1. The Setting Of Your Time
Verse one: “Forasmuch then as Christ hath 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;"We have to “arm” ourselves as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have to "arm" ourselves with the very same mindset as our Lord had when He came to minister to us on this earth nearly two thousand years ago. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” [Mark 10:45] The SON of GOD deliberately set His face like a flint in a plan devised before the foundation of the world … to suffer for us in the flesh. This was all prophesied five hundred years earlier. Look with me in Isaiah fifty, verse seven to see. “For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” [Isaiah 50:7] The Bible shows us here, when we deny the flesh … the flesh suffers. When the flesh suffers … it ceases “from sin”.
Friend, when you became a believer in Jesus Christ [by being born again] God [at that very moment in time] predestinated you “to be conformed” [over a period of time by sanctification] “to the image of his Son.” “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” [Romans 8:29] This operation of God would be “the setting of your time” while you sojourn on this earth. The setting of your time is to determine who you will become like.
There is an old “adage” [which is an old saying] that who you hang around with … you will become like. Did you know that? You can know what a person is like by the friends he or she keeps. There is something else here! Those who know Jesus Christ personally have the telltale signs inside of them that others can see on the outside. Here is more. There is a particular smell [or odor] about a true believer in Jesus Christ. This is what the Spirit of God says about this in Second Corinthians chapter two, verse fifteen: “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:” [2 Corinthians 2:15] Now is this thing true with you, my friend? Do you have that particular odor or smell of a true Christian? [The world can detect this.]
Now I have brought you to this point for this reason. I want or exhort you, that the setting of your time on this earth should be a time for you to reflect the light of Jesus Christ to others. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” [Matthew 5:16]
2. The Rest Of Your Time
Verse two: “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.”We are no longer listening to the old drummer in this old world, which is the flesh [“to the lusts of men”]. Amen! A true Christian has a new drummer he is listening to … that is inside of him [the Holy Ghost] “to the will of God.” Amen!
At the very moment we get “saved” … we have started our “race”. Now, what is this “race” for? It is a “race” set for … for the purpose of running our course for a “prize” from Jesus Christ our LORD. On the mark … get set … go! We are running to receive a “prize” according to First Corinthians chapter nine, verse twenty-four: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” [1 Corinthians 9:24]
Do you want to know something about me? Rick St.James just wants to “floor-board” it in his race for the prize. I want it said of me … what Paul said for himself in Philippians chapter three, verse fourteen: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 3:14]
What about you?
Are you in the race?
3. The Past Of Your Time
Verse three: “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:”Before we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and our Savior, our lives were a virtual wasteland … filled with all the “muck and mire” of sin. Sin ruins everything it touches. We were all ruined! Because of sin we were absolutely no good for nothing except for to be the fuel for the fires of an eternal HELL. Amen!
We were set for “the damnation of hell” just as the Pharisee’s were … in the day when the Son of God said them: “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” [Matthew 23:33]
We were … as God said we were in the BOOK [in Romans chapter three, verses ten through twelve]: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” [Romans 3:10-12]
BUT … now that we are saved by the blood of the lamb of God … Jesus Christ, we need to walk with a “brisk walk” showing “a pattern” of “all longsuffering” to all those around us in our lives … for a very good reason. Here is the all very important reason. It is found in First Timothy chapter one and it is in verse sixteen. Are you ready for this? “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” [1 Timothy 1:16]
Friends, the time is past for us … for “the will of the Gentiles” to be fulfilled in our lives. We belong to Jesus Christ now. Therefore, we need to have “a pattern” “of good works” for the rest of our time that we have on this earth … after we are saved. “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” [Titus 2:7-8]
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The First Epistle of Peter
1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath 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;
1 Peter 4:2 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.
1 Peter 4:3 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:
1 Peter 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not
with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
1 Peter 4:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the
quick and the dead.
1 Peter 4:6 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.
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore
sober, and watch unto prayer.
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among
yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister
the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God.
1 Peter 4:11 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.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened
unto you:
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's
sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad
also with exceeding joy.
1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are
ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their
part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a
thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the
house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of
them that obey not the gospel of God?
1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the
ungodly and the sinner appear?
1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of
God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto
a faithful Creator.
