1 Peter 4:1 KJV [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;”      Peter uses the word “hoplizomai” for the phrase “arm yourselves.” This is the only place this word is used in the Scriptures. It describes a Greek soldier preparing for a battle by putting on his armor. If anyone understood the importance of being prepared for spiritual warfare, it was this apostle. He had experienced both victory and defeat in the service of God.       Peter reminds …

1 Peter 3:22 KJV [22] “who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”      I’m glad that our Bible is not only a historical book but a present and future book. It is the only book that accurately reveals the past, present, and future without error. The Word of God also makes it clear throughout its pages that God is on the throne. He always has been, and He always will be.       The verse before us teaches that God is not only on the throne, …

1 Peter 3:21 KJV  [21] “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”      Baptismal regeneration was imported by the Roman Catholic Church. An infant cannot find the answer of a good conscience through baptism because an infant has no conscience. Baptism pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is also a picture of what happens to a sinner at the moment of salvation. When we come to Christ, we …

1 Peter 3:20 KJV [20] “which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”      Think about the days Noah lived in before the flood. It was a wicked day when the thoughts of men were evil continually. Noah had no church or pastor to encourage him, but he found grace to live godly in an ungodly day. He heard the preaching of Enoch that the Lord is coming with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment …

1 Peter 3:19 KJV [19] “by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;”      Our verse today is fascinating. Who are these spirits? Why did Jesus go and preach to them? Why are these spirits in prison? These are all hard questions that come to mind when we read this verse. I’m not saying I have all the answers to these questions, but I can assure you that the One who preached to them does.       To begin with, we know that they are not the lost souls of men. Peter does not refer to men as spirits, …

 1 Peter 3:18 KJV [18] “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”      Peter takes us back to the cross in this verse by reminding us that Jesus suffered and died once for the sins of humanity and was the supreme sacrifice for man’s sins. In the Old Testament, the blood of animals was shed regularly, but it could not save man from sin. It would only put the sin debt off for another year. The …

1 Peter 3:17 KJV [17] “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”      When we think about suffering in the will of God, we must first think of our Savior. Jesus suffered on the cross as no man has ever suffered. However, Christ was not a criminal, even though He died between two thieves. The scene that day at Calvary was horrible, yet Christ suffered and died in the perfect will of God. The men beside Him were suffering for their evil doings, while He was suffering …

1 Peter 3:16 KJV  [16] “having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”      The wealthiest men are not those having material goods or notoriety but those who have a clean conscience. It is priceless to pillow your head at night and know you have a good conscience toward God. You might wonder how you can have a good conscience and maintain it once you have obtained it.      Let me first say that it comes through knowing Jesus Christ. Salvation is …

1 Peter 3:15 KJV  [15] “but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”      This verse calls for every Christian to prepare to proclaim! The ability to give the correct answer the moment we receive a question comes from having prepared hearts and minds at all times. It is not a one-time preparation but a continual practice in our lives. We never know when the world will require an answer from us or …

1 Peter 3:14 KJV [14] “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”     Perhaps the most beautiful smile is not that of an infant or a dear family member but that of a Christian who has suffered for the sake of the Gospel. This verse reminds me of a young married couple serving as missionaries on the mission field and murdered because of their faith in the Gospel. I still remember the picture of them smiling and happy to be full-time missionaries in a foreign land.      …