Theme: Having the Mindset of Christ
Passage: 1 Peter 4:1–6
Command: Arm yourselves with Christ’s attitude (1)

Reason: Jesus suffered unjustly for his beliefs and actions (1a).

Attitude: Whoever suffers in the body is done with sin (1b).

Outcome for the believer: They live for God rather than human desires that characterize life before conversion (2–3).

Response by the unbeliever: They are astonished by your refusal to enter into their way of life (4).

Motivation: All people, Christians and non-Christians, will stand in judgment before God (5–6).

Main Idea: We must arm ourselves with Christ’s mindset toward suffering in order to do the will of God, who will judge all according to his standards.



Application Questions:

• What does Peter mean when he says that “whoever suffers in the body is done with sin” (1)? Does this mean that a person who suffers, or even a Christian that suffers, no longer sins?
• In what areas do you struggle with living according to evil human desires? What does living for God’s will look like in your life? How does this counter your desire to live for self according to the flesh? (2–3)
• Have you ever experienced the astonishment of unbelievers at the choices you were making? Did it ever result in you suffering? (4)
• How does the reality of future judgment on both the unbeliever and believer motivate you to arm yourself with the mindset of Christ toward suffering? (5–6)