The apostle Peter wrote, “Wherefore 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” (1 Pet. 1:13, emp. SW). The admonition to “be sober” automatically takes our minds to the adverse effects of alcohol and other types of drugs that render our minds incapable of thinking clearly. In fact, Kittle states, “It is the opposite of ‘intoxication’ both in the literal sense of intoxication with wine and in the figurative sense of spiritual intoxication attributable to other causes…what is in view is the unequivocal and immediately self-evident antithesis to all kinds of mental fuzziness” (Theological Dictionary of the NT, Vol. IV, 936-37). However, he goes on to say that the New Testament only employs this term in the figurative sense (Ibid, 938). Therefore, this term is not relegated only to address this single literal aspect, but it carries with it the broader idea of being able to be alert, watchful (cf. 2 Tim. 4:5) and discreet. In his Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Thayer adds his definition: “to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate and circumspect” (425). Not only may these intoxicating drugs keep us from having the right frame of mind (background of the term), but this term also applies in a spiritual way to those who “sleep.” The apostle Paul declared,
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. [1 Thess. 5:2-8, emp. SW]
For example, equal dangers exist for the driver who not only is intoxicated behind the wheel, but also for the driver who is sleepy. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses” (http://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats). Thus, from a spiritual perspective, why should we be sober?
We should be sober because we must have the frame of mind of being able to focus on what is important! Focusing on what is important will keep us on the right spiritual path of life (cf. Heb. 12:1-2). It will keep us temperate in all things and will not drive us to excess in anything (cf. Eph. 5:18; 1 Pet. 4:3-4). The inability to think clearly will put us in a position not to focus clearly on the priorities of life (Matt. 6:33). Therefore, we must be sober-minded!
We should be sober because we must have the frame of mind to make good decisions. One of the characteristics of intoxication literally is that it impairs the mind from making good decisions. Such is true spiritually, as well. The trait of a godly person to make wise choices between right and wrong decisions is temperance (cf. Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Pet. 1:5-8). Life is difficult as it is without us making it more difficult by not living a sober life!
We should be sober because we must be alert to the activities of our enemy. Peter warns us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8, emp. SW). If we let our guard or watch down, that is when the enemy will strike! We are the watchman on the wall (cf. Ezek. 3:17). We must be conscious and alert to all forms of temptation! We cannot do this if we are not sober-minded!