Gird Up the Loins of Your Mind - Matthew Henry

You have a journey to go, a race to run, a warfare to accomplish, and a great work to do. 

As the traveller, the racer, the warrior, and the labourer, gather in, and gird up, their long and loose garments, that they may be more ready, prompt, and expeditious in their business, so do you by your minds, your inner man, and affections seated there. 

Gird them, gather them in, let them not hang loose and neglected about you; restrain their extravagances, and let the loins or strength and vigour of your minds be exerted in your duty. 

Disengage yourselves from all that would hinder you, and go on resolutely in your obedience. 

Be sober, be vigilant against all your spiritual dangers and enemies, and be temperate and modest in eating, drinking, apparel, recreation, business, and in the whole of your behaviour.

Learn: 

1. The main work of a Christian lies in the right management of his heart and mind; the apostle's first direction is to gird up the loins of the mind. 

2. A Christian's work is not over as soon as he has got into a state of grace; he must still hope and strive for more grace. When he has entered the strait gate, he must still walk in the narrow way, and gird up the loins of his mind for that purpose. 

3. A strong and perfect trust in God's grace is very consistent with our best endeavours in our duty; we must hope perfectly, and yet gird up our loins, and address ourselves vigorously to the work we have to do, encouraging ourselves from the grace of Jesus Christ.

~ Matthew Henry's commentary on 1 Peter 1:13 [For ease of reading, I've adjusted a bit of punctuation and spacing--but the content and meaning has not changed.]