Wherefore you gird up the loins of your thoughts, while being sober, completely hoping upon the grace brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).
In Ephesians 6:14, as he discusses the armor of God, Paul begins by girding the loins with truth. The armor of God is not physical armor, and our battle does not relate to the flesh (Ephesians 4:12). The apostle Peter describes these loins as the thoughts, or what goes through the mind. They must be protected.
When we were alienated from the life of God, our thoughts were darkened, and we walked just as the Gentiles walk in the futility of their minds (Ephesians 4:17–19). Our thoughts were at enmity with God (Colossians 1:21). However, now that we have been reconciled to God, we are to put off the former conduct of the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts and put on the Christ, the new man, who was created in righteousness and piety of the truth (Ephesians 4:22–24).
The Son of God has come to give us a working of the mind so that we know Him who is true (1 John 5:20). Therefore, we are to gird up our thinking with seeing things as they really are.
When it comes to putting on the armor of God, we are always to put on the full armor so we can stand against Satan on the day he attacks (Ephesians 6:13). This begins with protecting our thoughts with truth. Peter describes our defense as using the faith, which is the armor of God (1 Peter 5:9). James describes using the faith to resist the Devil, which will cause him to flee (James 4:7).
Seeing things as they really are is important. Since we live out from faith, we do not see a visible manifestation of the things we have in Christ. However, that does not make them any less real. We have been immersed into Christ’s death and resurrection so that we can now live a life of righteousness, free from the rule of the sin nature (Romans 6:4–13). In Christ, Satan has been defeated (1 John 3:8). Therefore, let us put on Christ as an outer garment, for this is how God sees us because we were washed, regenerated, and immersed into the Christ (Titus 3:4–5; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13).
Since we are children of the light, let us put off the works of darkness and walk as sons in the day (Ephesians 5:8–12; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
