Fighting the Mind Games

“Fighting the Mind Games”

1 Peter 1:13–25

Preacher: Pastor Mark Bartsch

Kobe Union Church

25 May 2025

Welcome to the battle. We’ve all faced spiritual battles, temptations (Even Jesus). They sneak up on us, moments that test our faith, and for some of us, the daily grind others their battles are peeks and valleys. It often feels like the fight is “out there,” right? But in 1 Peter 1:13, Peter points us to the real battlefield: the mind.

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

That phrase “sober-minded” jumps out. Peter isn’t telling us to be gloomy or joyless (he’s not calling us to be killjoys). He’s calling us to be clear-headed. Just like alcohol can cloud our judgment, an unguarded mind can leave us wide open to attack. To be sober-minded is to see life through the lens of God’s truth rather than emotion or the pressures and noise of the world.

The starting point for this battle isn’t the body, it’s the mind. The slow drip of negative thinking will eventually overflow the bathtub of our lives. And Peter’s challenge is urgent: Get your head in the game. This life of faith isn’t easy; it’s a fight. Like a football game.

I used to coach a touch football team with Hiroshige Yasuda. There was one game a few years back where a backup player, who didn’t think he’d play, was chatting with friends and checking out the cheerleaders on the sideline. I went up to him and said, “Get your head in the game!” He said, “I’m not getting in.” But right then, a player got injured, and the coach called his name. He turned to me and asked, “What should I do?” I said, “Get in the game.” Jesus said if we knew when the robber was coming, we’d be ready (Luke 12:39).

Peter is still talking about salvation, not just a one-time event, but a journey that begins in the mind. That’s where compromise starts. It’s where temptation takes root and where doubt grows. It’s where identity and hope are either grounded in truth or distorted by lies.

Then Peter uses this vivid image: “preparing your minds for action.”The Greek here literally means “gird up the loins of your mind.”Back in the day, if you were going to run a race or get into a wrestling match, you’d tuck your long robes into your belt so you wouldn’t trip. Peter’s saying, “Do that—but mentally!” Get your mind ready. Get it right. Take your life seriously—and that starts with what you allow to roll around in your thoughts. Paul calls us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Because if we don’t, we’ll create mental pathways that are destructive.

But here’s the good news: just like we can form destructive mental trails, we can also build new, healthy, God-honoring ones! Paul tells us in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

That transformation isn’t just some far-off spiritual idea—it’s actually about rewiring our brains. The spiritual and the physical go hand in hand. Each affects the other.

Some people—and the world—like to mess with our heads. I remember in high school, there was this girl who gave me all the signs that she wanted to go to the dance with me. So, I got up the courage and asked her. And she said no. Not just a quiet no, but loud enough so all her friends could hear. I felt humiliated.

Then, later, I asked another girl to dance, just as friends and suddenly the first girl started acting interested in me again! My friends said, “She’s just playing mind games with you.”

That phrase stuck with me. Because it’s not just people who play mind games, the world does too. But Jesus doesn’t. When the world tries to confuse us, the Lord calls us back to Him and simplifies life.

• “Let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No.”

• “Come, follow me.”

Jesus tells us we’re either going to live in a way that gets the world’s approval or the Lord’s. Peter continues the thought: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance (that life before Jesus), but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

Let’s be clear. Being holy doesn’t mean becoming perfect. NONE OF US ARE. We are all flawed and in need of God’s grace. Only God gets the title HOLY.So when Peter uses that word, he’s not calling us to be God. He’s calling us to be set apart. To be different. Not molded by the world’s trends, but shaped by our relationship with God. And where does that begin? In the mind.

It starts as we choose to fix our focus on Him and His ways. If you want a real-life example, look at Jesus facing temptation in Matthew 4. Satan tries to play mind games by twisting scripture on Jesus after he had fasted for 40 days and it says he was hungry (da). But Jesus responds quickly and decisively, saying no.

If Jesus wouldn’t play games with the evil one, neither should we.

Look around. The world is becoming more and more the same.You can travel from Sapporo to Hiroshima and eat the same food, wear the same Uniqlo clothes, and hear the same music in every town in between it even feels like people think and act the same way. But Peter says: Be different. Be holy.

When the world shouts, "Get them before they get you!" Jesus says, "Turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39). When the world says, "Never forgive, never forget," Jesus gently says, "Forgive—not just seven times, but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22).

The world screams, "Look out for number one!" But Jesus states, "The greatest among you must be the servant" (Matt 23:11). And when the world demands, "Get even!" the Gospel declares, "Overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). It is right here in the book. 

This dates me but growing up we would say, "Can you dig it?" Do you get it? It's not about being flashy or fake. It's about being fundamentally different because your heart is tuned to a different kingdom – and our King has a different set of values.

And Peter reminds us why this matters so deeply: “You were ransomed… not with earthly things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.”

You have been bought at a price. Think about that for a moment. That means your mind, your thoughts, your decisions. They aren't just yours to use however you see fit. They belong to the One who willingly laid down His life for you. This profound truth should ignite within us a burning desire to have our minds transformed, to align them with God’s will. This battle for our minds? It's crucial because it directly impacts how we honor the incredible sacrifice that was made for us.

Martin Luther put it so well: “You can’t keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

Think about that image. Those fleeting negative thoughts, the little worries that fly through your mind – you can't always stop them from showing up. But you can stop them from settling in, from taking root and building a whole messy nest of anxiety or doubt.

Catch the lie early. Don’t let it settle in. Don’t entertain them. Because a lie, just like a tiny seed, can quickly grow and choke out the truth. It can take on a life of its own and start to control your thoughts. It can make your mind feel foggy, make you feel spiritually drunk – and then it becomes so much easier to steal your hope. And if your hope dwindles, your faith weakens. And when your faith is weak, obedience – that joyful "yes" to God – becomes a heavy, unwelcome burden.

If you're looking for an Old Testament case study of how unguarded thoughts can lead to devastating consequences, just look at David and his affair with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. It all started with a glance, an idle thought that wasn't immediately dismissed. Maybe David thought I deserve this after all I have done for the people. And a lot (A lot!) of pastors have fallen into this trick of the evil one. And it led to great pain and sin. David let that initial "bird" not only fly overhead but build a whole destructive nest inside his life.

Peter continues: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”

See the progression here? Peter lays it out for us:

1. Prepare your mind. Get it ready for action.

2. Be holy. Be set apart, different.

3. Live in reverent respect for God. Acknowledge His Lordship.

4. Love deeply. Let that love flow outward.

Why this order? Because right thinking, a mind fixed on God and His truth, cultivates a beautiful soul. And that soul, in turn, blossoms into genuine, heartfelt love for one another. When our minds are being constantly renewed by God's Spirit and His Word, our hearts become softer, more open to loving others the way He loves us. Being holy, set apart from the self-centeredness that the world pushes on us, enables us to look beyond ourselves and love others sacrificially.

You can't genuinely love others if your mind is cluttered with fear, riddled with lies, puffed up with pride, or weighed down by shame. But when your mind starts to be renewed, your heart softens – and you begin to truly live out the new life you've been given.

Holiness isn’t just about drawing lines and separating ourselves from the world. It’s about leaning into God’s kind of love: a love that is sacrificial, pure, and intentional. And that kind of love? It starts right here, in the mind, and then flows outward from the heart.

Peter wraps it up with this powerful contrast: “All flesh is like grass… but the word of the Lord remains forever.” Our thoughts, our fleeting emotions, our ever-shifting desires – they're temporary, like the grass that withers. But God’s Word? It’s permanent, trustworthy, eternal. If we truly want to win this ongoing battle for our minds, we need to saturate them with what lasts. Scripture. Truth. Grace.

Let's commit this week to being more intentional about the battlefield within. Let’s get our heads in the game. Because we are all called to be starting members in our own lives and play a major role in other peoples lives. Let’s pray

Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to "prepare your minds for action" in your daily life?

2. Peter calls believers to be “sober-minded.” What are some ways our minds can become spiritually “clouded,” and how can we stay clear-headed in a noisy world?

3. In what ways do mind games—whether from the world, Satan, or even yourself—affect your faith, identity, or relationships?

4. Peter calls us to be “holy” or “set apart.” How does that begin in the mind, and what does it look like practically in how we live and love others?

5. Peter connects a renewed mind to deep, sincere love for others. How does guarding and transforming your thoughts lead to healthier relationships?