Arm yourselves...with the same mind

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind…

Christ suffered in the flesh- for us.

Why do believe we shouldn't have to suffer? Seriously?

More and more it seems people love to use the argument that a loving God wouldn't allow such suffering as what exists in our world. They argue that a loving God would only ever make everything wonderful, pain free, suffering free. They don't want to worship a God that allows pain. So they believe if they don't worship God then somehow that makes it like He doesn't exist at all. Then you'll have others who are okay with the idea of a purposeful God who sees the greater picture and has to allow suffering because He's allowed free will. Those same people will quickly change their tune when the suffering hits them and their loved ones. They'll rear up as an indignant bear ready to attack and lash out at God- how dare He allow them to suffer so senselessly when HE could have prevented it and He chose not to. There are many slippery slopes as we seek to truly follow God and Satan will present more of them every day.

I write this now and some people will want to cry out at me that I don't know what I'm talking about, that if I were in their shoes I'd truly understand but because I'm not in the throes of agonizing suffering I can't possible understand. If God stripped me of my livelihood, my loved ones, my health then I'd know and I'd denounce God. This sounds so much like the Book of Job doesn't it?

It's not strange that we need to revisit that book over and over, is it? Talk about a blueprint for life and loving God. Will we all have to face the horrors that Job faced to be counted as God's? Most likely not or at least not in exactly the same manner He was tried and tested. Job isn't our only example- our Savior is our example.

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind

Arm ourselves with the same mind.

How did Christ suffer? That's an easy one to answer, right? He was brutalized and put to death on the cross, if that's not suffering what is, right? If we dig deeper can we note Christ suffering in any other manner?

Joh 11:35 Jesus wept.

We are usually suffering in some manner when we weep, aren't we?

Oh yes, there are happy tears but this wasn’t one of those occasions for our Savior.

Joh 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Joh 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
Joh 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

Suffering.

Why? Why if He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead? Why was He groaning in spirit and troubled? Why did He cry?

We can theorize as many have but the bottom line is that HE SUFFERED- for whatever reason- He was suffering.

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Suffering.

Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Suffering.

Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Suffering.

Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Suffering.

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind...

Christ suffered in the flesh. Christ was tempted in the flesh.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

He Himself suffered - being tempted.

We suffer- being tempted.

We have to arm ourselves as Christ armed Himself, with the same mind as Christ. His mind was on the Father's will being done in ALL things and it was the Father's will that He preach repentance and forgiveness- Salvation found in Jesus Christ alone.

Arm ourselves as Christ- with the same mind.

We aren't to arm ourselves with our own mind, yet all too often we try to live on our own without Christ. All too often we live for our own lofty ideas of how things should be. We get caught up in our own thoughts and forget there is a mind we are to arm ourselves with- Christ's mind. When we count on our own mind we aren't armed at all but very, very vulnerable.

Christ lived wanting God's will to be done.
We must live wanting God's will to be done.

When we live wanting God's will then we set aside self, don't we?

Christ suffered life in the flesh- He who lived as God without flesh- took on flesh for us.

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And in that flesh He suffered.

We too must suffer and as Jesus knew that this world and all its sin was NOT His home, we too must know it's not our home either- we are strangers here, pilgrims. And we suffer as those who long for their home. We suffer in the flesh.

May God bless us and help us to be armed as our Savior was armed, with the same mind.

All through His mercy, His love, His grace!