24  Fundamental Attitudes of a Christian Mind  (1 Peter 5:5–14)

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ. (5:5–14)

The spirit of the times in Western society is one of anti-intellectualism. New Age thinking, a major source of that mindlessness, has influenced religion and philosophy in many ways. In the spirit of Hindu mysticism, New Age philosophy believes everything and nothing at the same time. Distinctions between the natural and supernatural tend to blend together in a fuzzy blur. The emphasis is on mystical experiences rather than rational content.

Over the centuries—especially during the past century—that kind of perspective has found its way gradually but steadily into Christendom. The Roman Catholic Church has always been deeply involved in mysticism, with rituals and ceremonies supplanting biblical worship and the proclamation of the true gospel. Protestant Neoorthodoxy promotes a different kind of anti-intellectualism, what the late Francis Schaeffer called a “leap of faith” into the nonrational realm. The charismatic movement is perhaps the most blatant purveyor of mystical anti-intellectualism and spiritual subjectivism. Add postmodernism, the idea that there is no absolute truth and each person can develop his own view of truth based on intuition and experience, and one has a further concept of the extent to which this anti-intellectualism has pervaded today’s world.

The foregoing systems reduce God to a detached, transcendent being, reachable and knowable only through mystical experience or feeling, rather than revealed through propositional truth. The Bible is not viewed as the sole, inspired revelation of God, and it is seen as neither infallible nor authoritative. As a result, divine truth is ignored, moral absolutes of right and wrong disappear, and deception about one’s true spiritual condition prevails.

Such mystical mindlessness is the antithesis of how God is to be known. He never intended for His people to relate to Him without applying their minds to His revelation. True fellowship and worship must be based on a clear, precise understanding of biblical truth. Through the psalmist David, God declared, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding” (Ps. 32:8–9; cf. 25:8). The prophet Isaiah wrote these familiar words, “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord” (Isa. 1:18). In Jeremiah, God rebuked His people for their dreadful lack of spiritual understanding: “For My people are foolish, they know Me not; they are stupid children and have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, but to do good they do not know” (Jer. 4:22; cf. Hos 4:6).

God has always been concerned that believers use their redeemed minds to search the Scriptures in order to know Him (cf. Matt. 13:23; John 17:17; Acts 17:11; 1 Cor. 14:15; Eph. 4:14; Col. 1:9; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:12–14) and become conformed to the image of His Son. The apostle Paul told the Philippians, “This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:9–10). Peter also called believers to use their minds to understand God’s truth and apply it to their lives: “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5; cf. Rom. 12:1–2; 1 Cor. 2:16; 2 Tim. 1:7, NKJV).

The Lord is also concerned about the condition of the unregenerate mind. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Rom. 1:28). “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, ” he explained to the Corinthians, “so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4). He instructed the Ephesians to “walk no longer just as the Gentiles [unredeemed] also walk, in the futility of their mind” (Eph. 4:17), and reminded the Colossians, “You were formerly alienated and hostile in mind” (Col. 1:21). In Romans 8:5–8, Paul gave perhaps the best summary of the contrast between unregenerate thinking and the regenerate mind:

If the elect have a careless or superficial approach to the truth of Scripture, their minds cannot be filled with the divine thoughts that should shape and control their conduct (cf. Deut. 6:5; Prov. 15:14; 18:15; 22:17; Matt. 22:37; Eph. 4:23; 5:15–17; Heb. 10:16). It is crucial that believers continually take in the truth, “For as [a man] thinks within himself, so he is” (Prov. 23:7).

All that being said, there is still the danger of assuming that spiritual thinking is simply processing information so as to intellectually understand doctrine, when in contrast, spiritual thinking involves far more. It includes all the attitudes, convictions, and motivations that lead to application of doctrinal truth.

In the final section of this letter, Peter addresses the godly attitudes so necessary to produce a spiritual mind. In a closing litany of exhortations and some final words, the apostle leads his readers to consider essential Christian attitudes—submission, humility, trust, self-control, vigilance, fortitude, hope, worship, faithfulness, and love.

SUBMISSION

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; (5:5a)

As he did earlier in the letter (3:1, 7), Peter uses homoiōs (likewise) as a transition word. In the prior verses, the NASB renders the word “in the same way.” In all three usages, the word marks a change of focus from one group to another. In 5:1–4 Peter addressed church leaders; now he turned to the congregation. As shepherds submit to the Chief Shepherd, so the flock submits to their shepherds.

The foundational attitude in the life of the saint must be submission, a relatively familiar theme already in this epistle. In 2:13–20 and 3:1–7 Peter commanded believers to be submissive to employers, civil authorities, and within marriage. No less is required of those under the leadership of the divinely instituted office of pastor in the most important entity on earth—Christ’s own church.

Although no one is exempt from Peter’s exhortation that everyone is to be submissive to their elders, he targets specifically the younger men. Though it is not stated in the context why he singled them out, probably he did so because it is so obvious that they generally tend to be the most aggressive and headstrong members of any group. There is no reason to view them as some recognized faction or fixed association in the church. The matter of submission would not likely have been as much of an issue for the women or older people in the church; they were more experienced and more spiritually mature (cf. Ps. 119:100; Prov. 16:31; 20:29).

In calling the young to be subject to those over them in the Lord, Peter again used the military term hupotassō, “to line up under.” He calls everyone in the church to put aside self-promoting pride and willingly and respectfully place themselves under the leadership of their shepherds (cf. 1 Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7). Clearly, given the previous context (vv. 1–4), elders refers to the spiritual leaders, the shepherds and pastors, not merely to older saints. That the entire church has the obligation to submit to those God has placed in authority over it, is a theme in Paul’s letters:

As seen in the broader context, Christians are to be submissive to all in authority, but especially in the church. The process of spiritual growth flourishes among those who have an attitude of submission. An unsubmissive flock, on the other hand, makes the shepherds’ ministry difficult and forfeits a critical feature in sanctification: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17).

HUMILITY

and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, (5:5b–6)

Inseparably linked to and underlying a submissive attitude is a mind given to humility (cf. Ps. 25:9; Dan 10:12; Mic. 6:8; Matt. 5:3–5; Eph. 4:1–2; James 4:10). Because always the truly humble—and only the humble—submit, both of Peter’s commands encompass all believers.

Clothe (egkomboomai) literally means “to tie something on oneself, ” such as a work apron worn by servants. Here it describes figuratively covering oneself with an attitude of humility as one submits to authorities over him. The word for humility here is tapeinophrosunēn, “lowliness of mind, ” or “self-abasement.” It describes the attitude of one who willingly serves, even in the lowliest of tasks (cf. 1 Cor. 4:1–5; 2 Cor. 4:7; Phil. 2:5–7). Perhaps even more so than today, humility was not an admired trait in the first-century pagan world. People saw it as a characteristic of weakness and cowardice, to be tolerated only in the involuntary submission of slaves.

As Peter wrote this verse, he likely recalled Jesus’ tying a towel on Himself and washing the disciples’ feet, including his own, as recorded in John 13:3–11 and applied by Jesus in verses 12–17, as follows:

To reinforce his exhortation for humility, Peter quoted from Proverbs 3:34, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (cf. James 4:6). Peter’s quote differs slightly from the Septuagint by substituting God for the Septuagint’s “Lord, ” but the names are obviously synonymous. Without question, that the Lord is opposed to the proud (cf. Prov. 6:16–17a; 8:13) is the greatest motivation for saints to adopt the attitude of humility. Pride sets one against God and vice versa. On the other hand, God blesses and gives grace to the humble (cf. Job 22:29; Ps. 37:11; Prov. 22:4; 29:23; Matt. 11:29; Luke 10:21; 18:13–14; 1 Cor. 1:28–29; 2 Cor. 4:7–18). The prophet Isaiah stated the principle well, “For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isa. 57:15; cf. 66:2).

The apostle Paul knew the grace that comes to the humble:

Based on the above verse from Proverbs that Peter mentioned, this command comes forcefully: therefore humble yourselves in submission, not only to avoid divine opposition and to receive divine grace, but because the authority over all believers in the church is none other than the mighty hand of God. Or as James stated it, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord” (4:10a).

The mighty hand of God is descriptive of God’s sovereign power at work in and through the elders of the church, as well as in the life experience of His people (cf. Isa. 48:13; Ezek. 20:33–34; Zeph. 1:4; 2:13; Luke 1:49–51). Whether for deliverance (Ex. 3:19–20; 13:3–16), for testing (Job 30:20–21), or for chastening (Ezek. 20:33–38), God’s might is always accomplishing His eternal purposes on behalf of His own (cf. Pss. 57:2; 138:8; Isa. 14:24–27; 46:10; 55:11; Jer. 51:12; Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:28; 9:11, 17; Eph. 3:11; Phil. 2:13). In their time of persecution, suffering, and testing, that assurance would encourage Peter’s audience to persevere (cf. Ps. 37:24; Prov. 4:18; Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Rom. 8:30–39; Heb. 12:2–3; James 1:4, 12; Rev. 3:5), knowing that all their suffering is only so that He may exalt them at the proper time (cf. 5:10). Even as Jesus Christ was born at the appropriate time (Gal. 4:4; Titus 1:3) and died a substitutionary death at the exact time God designed (1 Tim. 2:6), God will exalt (hupsoō, “to raise or lift up”) believers out of their trials, tribulations, and sufferings at His wisely determined time. Some have suggested that this exaltation could be a reference to the final eschatological glory that comes to believers at the Second Coming, the “last time” Peter referred to in 1:5 (cf. 2:12); but the Greek phrase en kairō is literally “in time” (cf. Acts 19:23; Rom. 9:9) and is not an eschatological term. It is better to see this as the appointed time when the Lord lifts the humble and submissive believer up out of difficulty.

If the foundational attitude for spiritual growth is submission, humility is, then, the footing to which the foundation is anchored. To become proudly rebellious, fight against the Lord’s purposes, or judge His providence as unkind or unfair is to forfeit the sweet grace of His exaltation when the trial has fulfilled its purpose (cf. James 1:2–4). It is the Lord Jesus Himself who promised, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

TRUST

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (5:7)

As believers endure humbly and submissively, they find their strength in the midst of trials, by means of confident trust in God’s perfect purpose. The psalmist David is surely Peter’s source, since this trust was his, and the apostle must have known his words well: “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken” (Ps. 55:22). David’s anxiety came from attacks by a Judas-like friend (see vv. 12–14), a most difficult trial to bear since it comes from one who is loved and trusted. Peter drew from that text to instruct all believers in all kinds of trouble to follow David’s example and give themselves to the Lord’s care (cf. 2:23; 4:19).

Casting (from epiriptō) means throwing something on something else or someone else. For example, in Luke 19:35 (KJV) it is used of throwing a blanket over an animal. Peter exhorts believers to throw on the Lord all their anxiety, a word that can include all discontentment, discouragement, despair, questioning, pain, suffering, and whatever other trials they encounter (cf. 2 Sam. 22:3; Pss. 9:10; 13:5; 23:4; 36:7; 37:5; 55:22; Prov. 3:5–6; Isa. 26:4; Nah. 1:7; Matt. 6:25–34; 2 Cor. 1:10; Phil. 4:6–7, 19; Heb. 13:6) because they can trust His love, faithfulness, power, and wisdom.

SELF-CONTROL

Be of sober spirit, (5:8a)

This command calls for another basic element of godly thinking, which Peter mentioned already (see earlier discussions on 1:13 and 4:7 in chapters 5 and 21 of this volume). On a physical level, sober (nēphō) refers to self-control in relation to intoxication. Here, as in its other New Testament usages, however, it has a more metaphorical connotation (cf. 1 Tim. 2:15 KJV; 3:2, 11; Titus 2:2). It includes ordering and balancing life’s important issues, which requires the discipline of mind and body that avoids the intoxicating allurements of the world (cf. 2:11; Luke 21:34; Rom. 12:1–2; 13:14; Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:2; 1 Thess. 5:6–8; Titus 2:12; James 1:27; 4:4; 1 John 2:15–16).

VIGILANCE

be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (5:8b)

The reason Christians must cultivate the preceding attitudes of submission, humility, trust, and self-control is that they face fierce and relentless spiritual opposition from Satan and his demons. Believers must not become indifferent to that reality (cf. Prov. 15:19; Heb. 6:12) or indulgent of sin (1 Cor. 5:6; Heb. 3:13), lest they become victims of the enemy (2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:11; cf. 1 Thess. 3:5). Instead, the realities of spiritual warfare call for vigilance. Peter urges believers to be on the alert (grēgorēsate), an imperative command that means “be watchful, ” or, “stay awake.” The spiritual forces that assault Christians, not only directly (cf. Gen. 3:1–7; Mark 1:13; 2 Cor. 12:7; 1 Thess. 2:18) but often very subtly (2 Cor. 11:14), demand that those who love Christ maintain such vigilance. The Lord warned His disciples: “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41).

Peter identifies Satan as your adversary, the devil, the pronoun your making that designation a very personal one. Satan is not only the adversary of God and His holy angels, but he is the vicious, relentless enemy of all God’s people (cf. Job 1:6–8; 2:1–6; Zech. 3:1). Adversary (antidikos) was used as a technical term meaning “legal opponent, ” as well as any kind of enemy who was seriously and aggressively hostile. The term rendered devil (diabolos) takes this opposition to the level of a “malicious enemy who slanders or attacks.” Three times Jesus called him the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; cf. Eph. 2:2), which shows the formidable platform from which he launches his malevolent assaults.

The devil commands the demonic realm and administrates the human, fallen world system. Personally and through his surrogates the demons, who like him never sleep nor rest, Satan untiringly, like a predator in the night of his own evil darkness, hunts to kill. He prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (cf. Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7). Peter’s imagery of the roaring lion derives from the Old Testament (Pss. 7:2; 10:9–10; 17:12; 22:13–21; 35:17; 58:6; 104:21; Ezek. 22:25) and pictures the viciousness of this hunter pursuing his prey. Devour has the sense of “to gulp down, ” emphasizing the final objective, not to wound but to destroy. Peter would not have had, as most believers today do, the experience of seeing lions in a zoo. But he might have seen the gory spectacle of lions slaughtering victims for the entertainment of the Romans. Certainly he knew of such events.

Satan’s opposition to God and believers is behind the human enemies of God and His Word. Revelation 12 is the watershed passage that draws the battle lines in the long war with the enemies of God’s kingdom (vv. 3–4; cf. Isa. 14:12–16; Ezek. 28:1–19). Those demons who are not bound (see the discussion of 3:19–20 in chapter 19 of this volume) are the sinister, diabolical forces behind the world system. God’s children, in their struggle against deception and temptation that come from the world to their flesh, are actually wrestling with and contending with demonic strategies (Eph. 6:11–12; cf. 2 Cor. 10:3–5).

Satan and the demons hide unseen in the spirit world, but do their work through human agents (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1–2; 2 Peter 2:1–22; Jude 3–16). Revelation 12:4 says that “the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.” The dragon is Satan, the woman Israel, and the child Christ. The dramatic picture is of Messiah about to come out of Israel, God’s chosen people, and Satan poised to devour Him. The Enemy sought to implement that plan through Herod the Great’s horrific slaughter of all the male children age two and under in and around Bethlehem (Matt. 2:13–18). He attempted to defeat Christ by giving Him the world’s kingdoms without any suffering (Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–12). Judas Iscariot was also a willing pawn of Satan, used to betray the Lord in an ill-conceived effort to somehow thwart God’s plan (Luke 22:3; John 13:27; cf. Matt. 26:47–56). Satan also used the Jewish leaders in an effort to hinder Christ’s redemptive mission (cf. Matt. 12:14; 21:46; 22:15–16; 26:1–5; 27:20–23; Luke 6:7; John 5:16; 7:1–13, 32; 8:44, 59; 11:8, 47–48, 53, 57). The enemy continues tirelessly in his efforts to oppose Christ through twisting the saving gospel (cf. Gal. 1:6–9; 1 John 4:1–4) and attempting to ruin God’s redemptive plan (cf. Matt. 13:38–39; 2 Cor. 2:11; 4:3–4).

In addition to opposing Jesus Christ directly, Satan over the centuries has sought to destroy the nation of Israel (cf. Est. 3:1–4:3), the people from whom the Messiah would come. In his vision, John was given a look into the future time of tribulation at the end of the age and saw that “the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev. 12:6). God will preserve Israel (“the woman”) during the last half (“one thousand two hundred and sixty days”) of the seven-year Tribulation period, when Satan, through the Antichrist, tries again, unsuccessfully, to destroy the Jews. They will be protected, saved (Zech. 12:10; 13:1; Rom. 11:11–12, 25–29), and given the kingdom promised to them (Zech. 14:4–9, 16–21; Rev. 20:1–6).

Third, Satan’s strategy has been to oppose the holy angels: “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven” (Rev. 12:7–8). When Satan first fell from heaven, those angels who joined his rebellion accompanied him in warring against Michael, the superangel (cf. Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1), and his legions of holy angels.

Believers are the fourth target in the demonic strategy of warfare against God and the main focus of Peter’s admonition in this passage. The apostle John describes that part of the vision: “So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17). After being expelled from heaven, the devil (“the dragon”) and his demons began their assault against “the rest of her children” (believers)—those who obey God’s commands and trust in Christ for salvation. Not content with deceiving unbelievers (Rev. 12:9; 2 Cor. 4:3–4) and enslaving them to his world system of ignorance, unbelief, false religion, and sin, Satan also focuses his efforts on opposing the saints.

Satan seeks to devour believers in a number of ways. First, God may allow him to attack a believer directly. The story of Job’s ordeal and the eventual triumph of his faith illustrates this well. In the New Testament, Peter himself experienced Satan’s onslaught (Luke 22:31–34) as the enemy caused him to deny Christ three times (vv. 54–62). The Lord, however, used that incident to make his faith stronger and give him a greater ability to instruct others (cf. John 21:15–22). The apostle Paul also had to contend with assault from a demonic agent who led the attack of false teachers on the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 12:7–10). Some of the members of the church in Smyrna suffered as a result of satanic persecution (Rev. 2:10), and some in Thyatira experienced the painful consequences of demonic teaching in their church (Rev. 2:18–24). The fifth seal reveals the thousands killed by Satan through Antichrist during the Great Tribulation as pleading for divine justice to come speedily against evil enemies (Rev. 6:9–11). Finally, God even uses Satan as the agent of punishment for those who profess to preach Christ but actually lead others astray with false doctrine (1 Tim. 1:18–20), and for those who are unwilling to repent of sin (1 Cor. 5:1–5).

More generally, Satan and his demons constantly mount the attack on individual believers through the ubiquitously sinful and alluring world system. John condensed the spiritual battle down to three points at which believers’ fallen humanness is susceptible to temptation:

Secondly, Paul recognized that Satan attacks believers in the most intimate realm of human relations—marriage and the family. For that reason Paul charged the Corinthians,

When one partner withholds the physical relationship from the other, Satan will tempt the one deprived to sin, thereby hastening attitudes that often bring the destruction of that marriage and family.

Third, believers—both the leaders and the members of the congregation—are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks within the church. Paul instructed Timothy to choose well-qualified men as shepherds (1 Tim. 3:1–6), lest they be subject to “the snare of the devil” (v. 7). Satan also seeks to destroy the church’s unity, render its spiritual power ineffective, and confuse its purpose (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10–13; 6:1–6; 11:17–34; 14:20–38; Rev. 2–3).

Peter’s first line of defense for protection from Satan’s strategies is simple and direct—be on the alert. If Satan so easily deceived Eve in Eden’s perfect environment (Gen. 3:1–13; 1 Tim. 2:14; cf, 2 Cor. 11:3), how much more are redeemed sinners living in a sinful, fallen world susceptible to Satan’s craftiness and deception (2 Cor. 11:3).

Contrary to what some teach, Scripture nowhere commands believers to attack the devil or demons with prayers or formulas, or to “bind the devil.” Those who foolishly engage in useless efforts to speak to Satan (who is not omnipresent anyway), or to command him, or to dismiss him or other demons are confused and wrong about their powers as Christians. Since the saints are not apostles of Christ, they have no authority over demons (cf. Matt. 10:1; Luke 9:1; 2 Cor. 12:12). Only Christ Himself, by dispatching a powerful holy angel, can bind Satan:

Satan has already been defeated by Christ (cf. Rom. 16:20) and, through belief in the truth and prayer, can also be defeated in believers’ lives. It is by the Word of God, believed and obeyed, that Christians overcome Satan:

They will be victorious if they are spiritually alert for satanic influence coming through their surroundings and relationships, and assess potential temptations and flee from them (Prov. 1:10–17; 4:14–15; Matt. 18:8–9; 26:41; 1 Cor. 6:18; 10:13–14; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; James 1:13–16).

FORTITUDE

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. (5:9)

Peter commands Christians to have a mind that is resolute and to resist Satan by being firm in their faith. Such resistance causes the devil to “flee from you” (James 4:7). Resist means “to take a stand against, ” and to be firm is to make that stand solid (the Greek is stereos, from which comes the English stereo, meaning “solid, ” or balanced at both ends). That is done by being solidly fixed on the faith (tē pistei), which is biblical revelation. It is the whole body of revealed truth contained in Scripture (cf. Gal. 1:23; Eph. 4:5, 13; Phil. 1:27; 1 Tim. 4:1). This is a call to know and believe sound doctrine, to be discerning in distinguishing truth from error, and to be willing to defend the truth and expose error. Jude’s call is most appropriate in this connection: “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). It is that “once-for-all” faith which is the inscripturated revelation of God and constitutes the faith on which believers stand solidly and from which they continually resist Satan. This strong stand is the result of the faithful leading of shepherds in the church, as Paul indicates in Ephesians 4:11–14,

Since Satan is a liar (John 8:44; cf. Gen. 3:1; 2 Thess. 2:9) and a deceiver (Rev. 20:7–8), the only sure way to stand up against him is by faithful obedience to biblical truth. The battle is a spiritual one, in the supernatural realm, as Paul notes:

“Speculations” are satanic ideologies, ideas, theories, religious philosophies, and systems of thought “raised up against the knowledge of God”; that is, they are anti-biblical viewpoints that have people captive as if they were imprisoned in a great fortress. Christians cannot smash those ideas with human ingenuity, but only with biblical truth—“taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Only when someone has the mind of Christ on a matter is he rescued from such ideas.

Peter concludes this section with a word of assurance to his readers as they persevered humbly and submissively, vigilantly and courageously in the midst of many persecutions, sufferings, and trials—they were not alone. He reminded them that the same experiences of suffering were being accomplished by their brethren who are in the world. Believers in other places could empathize with them because every segment of the Christian community has experienced or will experience attack from the Enemy (cf. Heb. 13:3). God allows this form of painful testing to accomplish His perfect work in the lives of His elect (cf. 1:6–7; 4:19; 5:10; Matt. 5:10–12; John 15:18–21; 2 Cor. 1:6–7; James 5:11).

HOPE

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. (5:10)

Hope provides believers with the settling confidence that after the trouble and difficulty of this life, they can count on God glorifying them in heaven. And during this life, they can count on His continued work of sanctifying them through their suffering (cf. Ps. 33:18; Prov. 10:28; Rom. 4:18–21; 5:5; Gal. 5:5; Titus 1:2; 2:13; Heb. 3:6; 6:19; see also the discussion of 1:3, 13, 21 concerning hope, in chapters 2, 5, and 6 of this volume). For them to fully appreciate that future purpose, believers must realize that it may come only after they have suffered for a little while (cf. Rom. 8:18; see also the discussion of 1:6 in chapter 3 of this volume). Christians need not fear suffering, knowing that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:31–39).

Peter calls God the God of all grace, which is reminiscent of Paul’s title the “God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). God has already promised grace for eternity; here grace is provided for the present (cf. 4:10; 5:5; Rom. 12:3; 16:20; 1 Cor. 3:10; 15:10; 2 Cor. 1:12; 9:8; 12:9; Eph. 3:7; 4:7; Phil. 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:1; Heb. 4:16; 12:15; 13:9; James 4:6; 2 Peter 3:18), to strengthen believers and make their Christian character what it ought to be.

The apostle further notes that God has called believers (a reference to His effectual, saving call; cf. 1:15; 2:9, 21; 3:9) to His eternal glory in Christ (1:4–7; 4:13; 5:1, 4). The glory to which saints are called is described by Paul in Philippians 3:11–14,

The apostle John also describes it in 1 John 3:2–3,

The saints’ glory will be to be made like Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20–21). Because of that objective, God will Himself (personally), in the meantime while they are still here—and even when the devil attacks them—use believers’ suffering to mold them into Christ’s image (cf. 2 Thess. 3:3). Peter concisely describes the promise of that earthly, sanctifying process of spiritual maturation by God with four nearly synonymous words: perfect (to bring to wholeness; cf. Phil. 1:6; Heb. 2:10; 10:1; James 1:4); confirm (to set fast; cf. Pss. 90:17; 119:106; Rom. 15:8; 1 Cor. 1:8); strengthen (to make sturdy; cf. Luke 22:32; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Thess. 2:17; 3:3; James 5:8); and establish (to lay as a foundation; cf. Pss. 7:9; 89:2; Isa. 9:7; Rom. 16:25; 1 Thess. 3:13). These terms all connote strength and immovability, which God wants for all believers as they face the spiritual battle (1 Cor. 15:58; 16:13; Eph. 6:10; 2 Tim. 2:1). He sets them firmly on the truth of divine revelation, where they stand in faith and confidence until they realize their eternal glory.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is consistent with Peter’s promise here:

WORSHIP

To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. (5:11)

Contemplating all the aforementioned divine grace and overwhelmed by the thought of sanctification and glorification, as well as wanting to illustrate a mindset of worship, Peter bursts out in a short doxology rejoicing that God has dominion over all things forever and ever (cf. 4:11). Though no longer issuing commands in this section of the chapter, the apostle is still framing Christian thinking and a godly disposition, which submits to spiritual leaders and humbles itself before God so as to be exalted in due time. Such an attitude also casts every care on God; exercises self-control, vigilance, and fortitude in His strength against the Enemy; all the while maintaining hope that the process of suffering will perfect believers on earth and bring them heavenly reward. In addition to all Peter’s exhortations, and in response to the promises attached to them, believers’ minds must be constantly filled with an attitude of praise and worship toward God (1:3–4; 2:9; Pss. 50:23; 96:2; 138:5; 148:13; Isa. 24:14; 42:12; 43:21; Heb. 13:15; Jude 25; Rev. 4:10–11).

Dominion (kratos) actually signifies strength, and here denotes God’s ability to dominate, to have everything in the universe under His sovereign and unassailable control (cf. Ex. 15:11–12; Job 38:1–41:34; Pss. 8:3; 66:7; 89:13; 102:25; 103:19; 136:12; Isa. 48:13; Jer. 23:24; Matt. 19:26; Rom. 9:21). Since He has all wisdom, power, authority, and sovereignty, He is worthy of all the praise and worship saints can render to Him.

FAITHFULNESS

Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! (5:12)

This section constitutes final greetings that illustrate several more attitudes of the Christian mind. Although Peter does not specifically command his readers to exhibit them, they are evident in his references to other believers.

The loyalty of a fellow servant of Christ was on the apostle’s mind as he mentioned Silvanus, another name for Silas, who traveled with Paul (Acts 15:40; 16:25) and sometimes appears in his letters (2 Cor. 1:19; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1). Silas was a prophet (Acts 15:32, 40) and Roman citizen (16:37) who for this letter was Peter’s amanuensis, or secretary. He recorded the apostle’s words and later delivered the letter to its intended recipients (see the discussion in the Introduction). Peter calls him a faithful brother, a model of fidelity to the truth and the church, and to Peter himself, as indicated by the personal parenthesis (for so I regard him).

Peter also parenthetically injects a summary of his purpose as having written … briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. What can he mean by this other than the letter itself, with all its gospel truth coming to his readers and all others who love the true, saving, sanctifying, and glorifying grace of God? This is a claim to inspiration that in a sense previews Peter’s statement in 2 Peter 1:20–21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” There the apostle affirms Old Testament inspiration. Here he speaks of his first letter as the truth concerning God’s salvation. He wrote as an inspired, authoritative author of “the living and enduring word of God” (1:23; cf. 2 Peter 3:2). Because this is true, the apostle exhorts believers to faithfulness to the truth of his letter by exclaiming, Stand firm in it! This reiterates the call of 5:9 to remain firm in the faith (cf. Rom. 5:1–2).

LOVE

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ. (5:13–14)

Peter closed the epistle not by commanding the attitude of love, but by personally illustrating it. His love for the believers in the church at Rome, from where he wrote, is seen in the designation she who is in Babylon, which is an oblique reference to that church. As noted in the Introduction, Babylon is possibly Peter’s code word or alias for Rome (cf. Rev. 14:8 where John uses Babylon to represent the entire world system controlled by Antichrist; also see 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). Some commentators suggest Babylon summarized Rome’s link to false religions. But it may be better to understand that with persecution intensifying, Peter was careful not to endanger the Roman Christians. Having written this letter from Rome, Peter did not want his manuscript discovered and the church to be persecuted even more. Therefore he made no mention of Rome, leaving any curious and hostile authorities ignorant that this letter originated in their imperial capital.

The believers in Rome demonstrated true love and affection by sending their greetings, as did Mark, whom Peter called my son, a designation indicating he was the apostle’s spiritual son (as Timothy was to Paul). This is the John Mark mentioned in Acts 12:12. He was Barnabas’s cousin and accompanied Paul and him to Antioch and Cyprus (12:25; 13:4–5). He later deserted them at Perga (13:13), which caused Paul to refuse to take him along on the apostle’s second missionary journey (15:36–41). Paul later found John Mark to be useful to him (2 Tim. 4:11). Mark was also the author of the gospel that bears his name.

Greet one another with a kiss of love is another obvious indicator of the affection believers should have for each other. The holy kiss—men to men, and women to women—was a customary outward sign of affection among believers in the early church (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; cf. Luke 7:45; 22:47–48).

Peter closed his letter with the simple statement, Peace be to you all who are in Christ (cf. Mark 9:50; Luke 2:14; John 14:27; 20:19, 21, 26; Rom. 1:7; 5:1; 1 Cor. 14:33; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:3; Phil. 4:7; Col. 3:15; 2 Thess. 3:16; Heb. 13:20; Rev. 1:4).

There is no shortcut to a Christian mind possessing those godly attitudes and motives Peter outlined. They will be perfected only as believers regularly and faithfully place themselves under the preaching, teaching, and study of God’s truth and obediently allow His Word to change their hearts and shape their characters (Luke 11:28; James 1:22–25; cf. Pss. 19:7; 119:105; Prov. 6:23; Mark 4:20; Luke 6:46–48; John 14:21; 17:17; Rom. 15:4; Col. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:2–8; see also commentary on 2:1–3 in chapter 8 of this volume).