The Battle for the Mind
A Sermon on the Battle for the Mind from 1 Peter 1:13
Originally preached Oct. 11, 1959
Scripture
13Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Sermon Description
Why does the Bible encourage sober-mindedness? Many are surprised that the Christian faith involves the mind at all, because they think that religion is inherently irrational. But in this sermon on the battle for the mind from 1 Peter 1:13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how God calls Christians to use their minds to know Him. Christians are called to purposely think about God and the world as they are in a battle for the mind. This is a different message than what the world often tells people in an irrational age of celebrity worship and cults of personality. The world can give no account for the human mind, because Scripture tells that all are slaves to sin and their minds are wholly darkened. The Christian can only think about and understand the world when they receive the grace of God and come to new life in Christ. This sermon issues the call to leave behind sin and turn to Jesus who alone can save and renew a relationship with God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon opens by introducing 1 Peter 1:13 which says "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind". Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes this verse shows Christianity is not just emotional but requires thinking.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues thinking is increasingly discouraged today through various societal factors like brainwashing, propaganda, mass society, busyness, and worship of experts.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the greatest problem today is the "battle for the mind" and many thinkers are concerned about threats to free thinking.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines deliberate and insidious threats to thinking like brainwashing, advertising, propaganda, subliminal messaging, mass society, welfare state, "social engineers", busyness, cult of personality.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues these forces are turning people into unthinking victims and slaves. People are thinking less, reading less, and living thoughtless lives of pleasure and entertainment.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the only hope is the Christian message which calls us to "gird up the loins of your mind". Christianity alone guarantees freedom of thought.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones anticipates objections that Christianity inhibits free thinking and is like "brainwashing". He argues the Bible shows people can hear the same message and respond differently, showing there is no compulsion. Conversion is not a long process of repetition and exhaustion like brainwashing.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues Christianity has historically been the most liberating force for the mind. It gave common people access to ideas and spurred desire for learning. Key movements like the Reformation, Puritan era, and evangelical awakenings spurred thinking.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones says Christianity guarantees freedom of mind because it gives the true view of human nature. If humans are just animals, there's no point in thinking. But humans are made in God's image with reason and responsibility.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones says sin has enslaved our minds, but Christ came to set us free. Christianity provides what we need to think rightly: new birth, strength, power through the Spirit.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the listener to think about life's big questions which Christianity answers: Who are we? Why are we here? What happens after death? How can we be saved? Have you thought about these questions?
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones says every teaching that denies Christianity enslaves the mind. Only Christ can set our minds free. We must awake, think, and turn to Christ for light and deliverance.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on "Gird Up the Loins of Your Mind": Questions and Answers
What does the phrase "gird up the loins of your mind" mean in 1 Peter 1:13?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this phrase is a biblical call to think actively and critically. It's an exhortation to prepare one's mind for action, to be mentally alert and engaged. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this directly contradicts the popular misconception that Christianity requires abandoning intellect. Instead, he states: "The Bible is a book which, from beginning to end, urges people to think, to gird up the lines of their mind. Its whole case, as a matter of fact, is dependent upon that."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones argue that Christianity is the only teaching that truly offers freedom of thought?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that while other ideologies claim to free the mind, they actually end up enslaving it. He presents communism, fascism, advertising, propaganda, and even modern entertainment as forces that discourage or manipulate thinking. By contrast, he says Christianity has historically been "the most liberating force from the standpoint of the mind that the world has ever known." He points to how the gospel awakened the minds of common people throughout history, noting that "all the liberating, ennobling, uplifting movements in this land have come out of religious revivals."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the "battle for the mind" in modern society?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the "battle for the mind" as the struggle against forces trying to control human thinking. He identifies several threats to mental freedom, including: - Direct attempts like "brainwashing" by totalitarian regimes - Advertising and propaganda that manipulate decisions - "Subliminal advertising" that influences below the level of consciousness - Mass society that discourages individual thought - Over-organization that removes the need to think for oneself - The worship of experts that makes people surrender their judgment - The stress and uncertainty of modern life that exhausts mental capacity
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones respond to the accusation that religious conversion is a form of brainwashing?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguishes Christian conversion from brainwashing in several ways: 1. Brainwashing requires repetition over time and physical exhaustion, while conversion can happen in a single moment 2. Brainwashing forces uniformity, while the Bible shows diverse responses to the same message 3. The Bible records that "some believed, some did not believe" when hearing the same preaching 4. Christianity is based on historical facts that people can evaluate, not abstract doctrines 5. Revivals show people freely responding to the message, not being coerced
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, how does modern society discourage thinking?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several ways modern society discourages thinking: - The "mass society" where individual thought is lost in crowd mentality - Over-organization where "everything's being done for us" so "I don't have to think about it" - The busyness of modern life where people are "too tired to think" - The tabloid format of information that gives pre-packaged thoughts - The "worship of the expert" that makes people surrender their judgment to authorities - The strain and uncertainty of modern life that makes thinking seem futile - Reductionist views of human nature that suggest thinking is meaningless
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones claim that Christianity gives a truer view of human nature than other worldviews?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that Christianity elevates human dignity by teaching that humans are more than animals or biological machines. He states: "Man is not an animal, my dear friend, you are not an animal. Man is a being that has been made in the image of God." This view gives purpose to thinking and moral reasoning, whereas materialistic views reduce humans to "a mere resultant of ductless glands" or "a mere conglomeration of instincts." He argues that when people believe they are merely animals existing temporarily, they have no motivation to engage in deeper thought about life's meaning.
How has Christianity historically promoted intellectual freedom according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides a historical argument that Christianity has promoted intellectual freedom by: - Making profound truths accessible to common people ("the common people heard him gladly") - Addressing epistles to ordinary church members, not just the educated elite - Inspiring the Protestant Reformation which gave people access to the Bible in their own language - Leading to educational movements as converted people wanted to read God's word - Raising the intellectual level of common people in various revival movements - Inspiring social reforms and movements like trade unions that elevated human dignity
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest is the ultimate solution to mental slavery?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that the ultimate solution to mental slavery is spiritual rebirth through Christ. He explains: "I need a new nature, because by nature I hate the light and I love the darkness, and I must have a new nature if I am to love the light and to hate the darkness." This rebirth comes through believing the gospel, which liberates the mind by helping people understand their true identity, purpose, and destiny. The power to maintain this freedom comes from Christ dwelling within the believer through the Holy Spirit.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe that facts are important for intellectual freedom?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christianity is "primarily a record of historical facts" rather than abstract philosophy. He argues this makes truth accessible to everyone: "When a man cannot follow the subtleties of intellectual and philosophical argumentation and the dialectic of the schools, he can look at facts." The concreteness of historical events like Jesus' life, death, and resurrection gives people something tangible to evaluate, encouraging them to think rather than merely accepting doctrines. He says, "You're not just asked to accept a teaching or to do something that everybody else is doing."
What questions does Dr. Lloyd-Jones urge his listeners to consider at the end of his sermon?
At the conclusion of his sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones urges his listeners to consider fundamental existential questions: - "Have you thought about life?" - "Have you thought about death?" - "Have you thought about eternity?" - "Do you know what you really are as a human being?" - "Do you know the true greatness and dignity of man?" - "Have you seen yourself as a pilgrim of eternity?" - "Are you ready to meet the last enemy?" - "Are you ready for what happens beyond when you stand before God in the judgment?"
He suggests that failing to consider these questions means one is not truly exercising freedom of thought.
Sermons on Knowledge
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.